idea → development → success (short claim)
Examination records, illnesses, training and more are all key parts of any health app. U.S.-based Equus Manege needed something similar, but for horses. These magnificent animals require attentive care, like a visual assistant for photographing hooves, for instance. We have managed the development of the mobile application from the Product Discovery phase, which allowed us to quickly launch a prototype and come up with customized functions.
„We are thrilled with the Cookielab team! Their attention to detail and consistency from initial idea to application development is invaluable.“
Founder & CEO, barncat.app
At Equus Manege, they have a beautiful mission: to improve the lives of horses, their owners, and the care of horses around the world. The clients wanted to connect horse owners with veterinarians and other people, but they had no experience in software development. They did, however, know very well what they wanted from a mobile application. With a huge supply of ideas, the owners of the company turned to us. Our task was to put together a budget and a development plan, including prioritizing which features to develop first and which to develop later. There were a lot of ideas, and turning those into something tangible was no small task.
In close consultation with the client, we selected the function of hoof photos and their comparison for the MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Hooves are an important indicator of a horse's health, and our goal was to ensure that users could compare comparables - that is, to come up with a solution so that they always take the photo from the same angle and distance. A similar function can come in handy anywhere you need to ensure the consistency of image data for further analysis.
We started from the beginning - we created clickable wireframes that helped the client imagine how the app would look and function. Wireframes save us a lot of time in such cases because we don't have to program something that the client hasn't seen. After testing, we assigned the drawings to a graphic artist and started development.
The basic principle of the Barncat app is the ability to keep profiles of your horses and, if necessary, share them with others. For each horse, the user can record inspection dates, training sessions, and also save photos and documents. However, the key feature is the hoof photos, which serve as a reference for veterinarians. But no two hoof photos are the same.
For Barncat, we had to develop the whole feature. We used a gyroscope, which ensures that the phone is level both vertically and horizontally when taking photos. At the same time, however, we guide the user on how to take photos in the correct order, showing the outline of the hoof on the screen in which they must place the real one. This keeps the photo at the same angle and distance and makes comparison easier.
However, we had to figure out how to test the functionality. What started as a joke turned out to be a key thing. In the Prague office, we do not have easy access to horses. However, our Product Owner Kolda came up with a brilliant idea. Equus Manege took pictures of different types and sizes of hooves for us and we applied them to a paper model. Thanks to this, we were able to simulate real conditions in stables.
During development, we shared all functions with the client, who had the chance to test everything gradually. This helped a lot in configuring the photo function to set the right "sweet spot". Of course, it is also possible to easily compare photos and see the hoof development over time.
Thanks to this holistic approach, we were able to prototype the first version of the Barncat app for iOS in just four months, and we continue to expand the features. The client, Equus Manege, also deserves praise for their attitude and approach. The entire process was a collaborative, productive, and ultimately effective. They were with us from the beginning of Product Discovery, helping us test and refine features. They are also great at communicating with the horse-owning community and getting the app popular.
CTO as a Service
scale the development team; hire client’s internal developers
manage development teams; ensure efficient dev processes
scale the development team; hire client’s intermanage technical aspects and infrastructure qualitynal developers
technological design and vision of core product
Hybrid teams
full alignment between internal and external teams
knowledge and experience sharing
cross functional teams — frontend + backend + design + QA
DevOps
complete management of infrastructure (AWS, Kubernetes, GitLab, Postgre, ES…)
consulting on decision-making around tools and technologies for concrete use-cases
support developers with their needs
cost optimization of infrastructure
Product management
scalestrategic product leadership the development team; hire client’s internal developers
develop product roadmap and gain consensus from key stakeholders
manage stakeholder expectations
offering technical solutions for business problems
conduct user research
manage the product delivery - set priorities, formulate specifications
equal partner to marketing and commercial department
build a customer-oriented company culture
Because the hoof is an important indicator of health, we prepared a photo comparison function and the possibility of sharing the horse's profile with other people in the development phase. Users with the premium version of the app can share their horses' profiles with a veterinarian, or other people who care for horses. We continue to fulfill the mission of facilitating the care of horses all over the world.
We also plan to monitor the weather and alert users to major changes that may affect the well-being of the horses in the stable. And, of course we can't leave out AI. We want to use this to compare photos of horses to evaluate changes in appearance, and recommend a visit to the vet if needed. The Android app is currently being developed, and we look forward to working with Equus Manege to further develop and scale their application.
Examination records, illnesses, training and more are all key parts of any health app. U.S.-based Equus Manege needed something similar, but for horses. These magnificent animals require attentive care, like a visual assistant for photographing hooves, for instance. We have managed the development of the mobile application from the Product Discovery phase, which allowed us to launch a prototype and come up with customized functions quickly.
We implemented native development in SwiftUI and chose Firebase for the backend because it allows for rapid iterations and hypothesis validation without building a complete backend. This enabled us to fully focus on optimizing the user interface and the application’s functionality.
Co-Founder, Cookielab
At Equus Manege, they have a beautiful mission: to improve the lives of horses, their owners, and the care of horses around the world. The clients wanted to connect horse owners with veterinarians and other people, but they had no experience in software development. They did, however, know very well what they wanted from a mobile application.
With a huge supply of ideas, the company's owners turned to us. Our task was to put together a budget and a development plan, including prioritizing which features to develop first and which to develop later. There were a lot of ideas, and turning those into something tangible was no small task.
In close consultation with the client, we selected the function of hoof photos and their comparison for the MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Hooves are an important indicator of a horse's health, and our goal was to ensure that users could compare comparables - that is, to come up with a solution so that they always take the photo from the same angle and distance. A similar function can come in handy anywhere you need to ensure the consistency of image data for further analysis.
We started from the beginning - we created clickable wireframes that helped the client imagine how the app would look and function. Wireframes save us a lot of time in such cases because we don't have to program something that the client hasn't seen. After testing, we assigned the drawings to a graphic artist and started development.
The basic principle of the Barncat app is the ability to create profiles for your horses and, if needed, share them with others. For each horse, users can record check-up dates, training sessions, save photos and documents, post updates on current developments, etc. For the backend, we used Firebase, where we created a database for individual horses and their data.
We also prepared a sample set of test data, which greatly helped during development and in discussions with the client. Developers were able to build and test the app using the data model and sample data, while the client received working versions of the app and could gradually try everything out.
Storing different data formats in Firebase was more complex. We had to find a way to map the path to files in Firebase to a standard URL. On top of that, we had to devise a solution for two types of users – free and paid. To manage subscriptions, we chose RevenueCat, which automatically handles payment expirations, card management, and other user administration. Although it charges a fee, it significantly simplifies development, as Apple's APIs are very basic, and we would have had to program many features on our side, which would not have been efficient.
However, the key feature is the hoof photos, which serve as a basis for veterinarians. But not all hoof photos are the same.
For Barncat, we had to develop the entire feature and carefully design its functionality to ensure users take photos in the correct position and order. To achieve this, we used the phone's gyroscope, which helps keep the device level both vertically and horizontally when taking pictures.
The client was actively involved in the development process and controlled settings, such as adjusting the allowable tilt angle. This collaboration allowed us to find a balance between ensuring the photos were useful for veterinarians and easy for users to capture.
We also guide users on the proper order for photographing each leg, and on the screen, we display a hoof outline to help them position the real hoof correctly within the frame.
We had to figure out how to test the functionality. What started as a joke turned into a key solution. Our Prague workspace isn’t exactly set up to be horse-friendly, but our Product Owner, Kolda, came up with a brilliant idea: Equus Manege provided us with photos of different types and sizes of hooves, which we then attached to a paper model. This allowed us to simulate real stable conditions.
Thanks to this approach, we were able to launch the prototype of the first version of the Barncat app for iOS in just four months, and we continue to work on expanding its features. We also have to commend the client and their approach. From the initial Product Discovery phase, they have been involved in the process, helping us test and refine features, which they also communicate excellently to their community, contributing to the app's growing popularity.
Because the hoof is an important indicator of health, we prepared a photo comparison function and the possibility of sharing the horse's profile with other people in the development phase. Users with the premium version of the app can share their horses' profiles with a veterinarian, or other people who care for horses. We continue to fulfill the mission of facilitating the care of horses all over the world.
We also plan to monitor the weather and alert users to major changes that may affect the well-being of the horses in the stable. And, of course we can't leave out AI. We want to use this to compare photos of horses to evaluate changes in appearance, and recommend a visit to the vet if needed. The Android app is currently being developed, and we look forward to working with Equus Manege to further develop and scale their application.
