Mustad Hoofcare Group

Mustad Hoofcare Group — a century-old leader in hoof-care products, serving farriers, horse-owners, and veterinarians across the globe — approached Monterail intending to develop a mobile application (Equinet) to digitize farriers' workflows and support Mustad's service proposition.

Among the critical challenges:

• The original MVP architecture proved insufficient for moving to a market-ready minimum viable product; a decision was made to abandon the initial framework and re-architect the app.
• The user base (farriers) often operate in environments without reliable internet connectivity, so the app needed full offline support and synchronization with backend systems when connectivity restored.
• The app needed to integrate native mobile device functionality (camera/photo capture for site-work, inventory scanning) across platforms and support multiple market launches.

To meet these demands, Monterail collaborated closely with Mustad and external resources using an agile iterative process.

Key technical decisions and steps:

• Chose React Native to enable cross-platform native component access (camera, photo handling) and accelerate development.
• Adopted WatermelonDB (SQLite on device + sync logic) to manage offline data locally and perform push/pull sync with backend (PostgreSQL) when network connectivity is available.
• The original codebase (MVP state) was substantially rewritten or adapted to this new architecture (ejecting from the framework) to support the offline architecture, multi-platform native modules, and an increased feature set.
• The backend API was designed to support offline sync: when the device reconnects, a push/pull sync ensures that both the device and the server are updated reliably.
• The agile feedback loop involved the Mustad team and user-testers (farriers) to refine workflows and UI/UX for a non-digital native audience (farriers accustomed to hands-on work rather than mobile apps).

From MVP initiation through market launch across four markets.

Equinet has been launched in four markets and is actively used by farriers to manage scheduling, invoicing, inventory, and job-site photo documentation—even when offline.

For Mustad, the app marks a significant step in their digital transformation, enabling them to move beyond product sales into service/support, and enhancing their understanding of farriers' workflows and inventory needs.

For end-users (farriers): they now have a single mobile tool that handles scheduling, invoicing, inventory/supply tracking, and photo documentation—all usable in remote locations without immediate internet access.

Key benefits:

• Completed significant steps in Mustad's digital transformation of its business core.
  Created a platform that supports the everyday business activities of farriers, thereby strengthening the Mustad service offering.