Sharing economy for the rich now includes horses
What use do the super-wealthy have for the sharing economy? Well, they need somewhere to store their horses.
A new company is promising to solve that age-old problem as the "Airbnb for horses."
"Now this might not seem like a very big problem, but there are 9.2 million horses in the United States that compete in show jumping, polo, dressage, barrel racing, rodeos, and on the racetrack," a spokeswoman for Staller said. "It is actually an enormous market."
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Staller will help horse owners rent stalls near equestrian competitions on a short-term basis through a website and iOS app. Generally, brokers have handled those logistics, the company says. The first competition it's focusing on is the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Festival.
The website's interface mimics Airbnb, with options to select a city, rental dates, the number of stalls, the equestrian discipline and the equestrian competition in question.
A one-night rental can run anywhere between $200 to $5,000, Staller says. The company's pricing structure mimics Airbnb's, with prices set by proprietors. Staller takes a fixed percentage.
He will arrange insurance for a stall's tenant and owner. The company will also sell horse-related goods on its website. Staller is officially launching in late November, ahead of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
As Staller points out, the equestrian world is populated by "high net worth individuals and successful businesspeople" — a lucrative market.
Staller even cites in its materials the daughters of well-known figures who compete on the equestrian circuit: Eve Jobs, Jennifer Gates, Georgina Bloomberg, Jessica Springsteen, Destry Spielberg and Hannah Selleck.
"Staller offers a streamlined process by connecting those looking to stable their mounts to unique boarding options at any price point," the company said in a press release.
The sharing economy truly is reshaping our future.
Emma Hinchliffe is a business reporter at Mashable. Before joining Mashable, she covered business and metro news at the Houston Chronicle.
