photo by Shannen Smyth
It’s easy to see the differences between a Wyoming ranch hand and a Wellington showjumper, but beyond the breeches or jeans, saddles and disciplines, they’re more similar than they are different. Whether it’s a bombproof trail horse or a grand prix sporthorse, their people are horse people.
Unfortunately, even horse care can feel segregating, with companies pitching products from high-performance supplements to fly sprays as being for one discipline or another. Too many companies are more concerned with filling a shopping cart — even with questionable products, gimmicky sales tactics and surprise fees — than they are about horses, or about horse people.
Corro is a new online horse care company with a different approach to retail. Just launched in July, Corro’s goal isn’t purely to sell products: it’s to make the lives of horse people better by simplifying the shopping experience, providing context and research behind products, and offering valuable content to the entire equestrian community — all for the love of the horse.
A New Experience
The horse people behind Corro were frustrated with the experience of existing horse care shopping options. Outside of the horse world they were surrounded by innovation in e-commerce, but equestrian sources seemed to be left behind with stale, confusing websites. Corro was born to improve on every aspect of the equestrian shopping experience, setting itself apart in everything from the look and feel to the simplicity of the process.
Instead of selling everything under the sun, Corro offers a curated assortment of products — products they can stand behind because they’ve already done the research. Every product Corro sells has been carefully chosen based on reviews of customers and talking to real horse people, from owners and riders to barn managers and professionals. Rather than finding industry professionals to endorse products they already sell, Corro is reversing the way things are sold by asking equestrians what products they love — and offering it at the best price.
The best price means that when you check out at Corro, your total will be less for that product — it’s that simple. Though other sites may initially appear to have a lower price, they often have exorbitant shipping fees or tack on surprise fees for oversized or weighty items, like a turnout sheet for your draft horse or a 25 pound supplement bucket. Corro prides itself on transparency: they say what they mean, including totally free shipping on every order over $99 and a flat fee for everything else.
Saving on shipping doesn’t mean you’ll wait weeks for your Corro products, either. Your order is guaranteed to arrive within five business days with most of the country getting it even faster, so you can count on being ready for your next show — or forgive your dog for eating the rest of the horse treats.
The Community
Though Corro is newly launched, the research behind it began over a year ago. The founders of Corro made sure to include every type of horse owner in their research phase. From professional riders to the older couple down the street with a two-horse trailer, they made it their priority to understand what horse people really need and then began accumulating the quality products they all deserve.
Corro continues to welcome feedback both directly from consumers and by seeking it out from horse people in the industry as they continue to research and add new products to their collection. Corro is working toward their goal of sharing this research and the experiences of horse people from every climate and discipline on their website and across other channels, such as their Instagram page @corrostories. In addition to featuring a vet column or interviews with barn managers and training professionals, their blog will aim to foster community within the industry by shining the spotlight on valuable areas of the horse world such as horse rescue and equine therapy.
As Corro becomes a platform for the exchange of information and experience across all disciplines and regional boundaries, the result is simply the best products for horses — and helping to unite the horse world as a whole. Just as horses are the core of every horse person, horse people are the core of Corro: Every decision Corro makes is with the goal to serve everyone who falls into that category. No matter what their tack looks like, what style they ride, where they live or how many horses they care for, Corro is here to make caring for them easier.
As a special offer for our Sidelines readers, Corro is offering 15% off of your first order. Simply enter SIDELINES15 at checkout on www.corroshop.com and receive an exclusive discount off your entire order.
