The HorseGrooms Test Panel: Connecting Grooms and Brands Through Product Testing

What if your experience as a groom could help equestrian companies make their products better?

At HorseGrooms, we sometimes get approached by companies looking for professional grooms to test their products. They want feedback from the people who actually use equestrian products in the barn, around horses, and as part of their everyday work.

We thought: why not turn that into an opportunity for our community, while also creating a way for equestrian brands to connect directly with the people using products every day? So we have officially launched the HorseGrooms Test Panel, a new perk for members of the HorseGrooms Community.

What Is the HorseGrooms Test Panel?

The HorseGrooms Test Panel is a group of grooms who are interested in occasionally testing equestrian products and sharing their honest experiences and feedback. That could mean trying a horse-care product, grooming product, piece of equipment, supplement, or something completely different.

Honest Feedback

Sometimes a company simply wants honest feedback from experienced horse people. What worked? What didn’t? Was the product practical to use? Would you change anything?

User Generated Content (UGC)

Other times, a company may also be looking for user-generated content, such as photos or videos of the product being used in a real barn environment. If content is part of a particular test, we will make that clear before you agree to participate.

One thing will always remain the same: your feedback should be honest.

How Do You Join the HorseGrooms Test Panel?

The HorseGrooms Test Panel is exclusively available to members of the HorseGrooms Community, which is free to join. If you’re already a Community member, you can sign up by filling out our HorseGrooms Test Panel form in the community. The form gives us some basic information about you, your work, the horses you care for, where you are located, and the types of products you may be interested in testing. This helps us match the right grooms with the right testing opportunities.

How Are Testers Selected?

Whenever we have a new product testing opportunity, we will announce it to members of the HorseGrooms Test Panel first. If you’re interested, you can let us know that you would like to participate.

• HorseGrooms Insiders, members of our paid membership, receive priority when we select testers, provided they meet the requirements for that particular product test.
• After Insiders, other members of the Test Panel will be considered.
• If we still need more testers, we will announce the opportunity to the rest of the HorseGrooms Community.
• Only if we cannot find enough suitable testers within our Community will we look for participants outside the Community.

This way, our Community members always get the first opportunities, with an additional benefit for our Insiders.

Honest Feedback Is What Matters

Being part of the HorseGrooms Test Panel does NOT mean you have to be positive about a product. You have to be honest! If that means you love it, great! If you don’t, it’s important for the company to understand why.

The value of having professional grooms test products is exactly that you know horses, you know barn life, and you know what works in practice. Your experience and honest feedback are what make the HorseGrooms Test Panel valuable, both for the companies and for the wider equestrian industry.

Joining the Test Panel Doesn’t Mean Saying Yes

Joining the Test Panel also doesn’t mean that you automatically say yes to every opportunity. Signing up for the HorseGrooms Test Panel simply tells us that you are interested in hearing about future testing opportunities. Whenever a new opportunity comes up, we will share the details with the Test Panel. You can decide every single time whether that particular product is something you are interested in testing.

There are plenty of reasons why a particular test might not be right for you.

Your rider, trainer, or barn may already be sponsored by another company. You might be happy to test a shampoo but not want to change anything about your horses’ nutrition. Another groom might love the opportunity to test a supplement but have no interest in testing a certain piece of equipment.

All of that is completely fine. Joining the Test Panel is not a commitment to test anything. It simply means you’ll be among the first to hear about new testing opportunities.

Our First Test Is Already Coming Up

We are not just launching the idea. Our first HorseGrooms Test Panel opportunity is already on its way. We will soon be looking for a group of professional grooms in selected European countries who would like to test an equine supplement for 30 days. More information about that opportunity is coming soon, and members of our Test Panel will be the first to hear about it. We hope this will be the first of many different products our community gets the chance to test.

Why Grooms?

Why Grooms? Because grooms know products in a way few other people do.

You don’t just see a product on a shelf. You use products day after day, often on multiple horses. You notice whether something is practical, whether instructions make sense, whether packaging survives barn life, and, depending on the type of product, how it fits into an established care routine. That hands-on experience has value.

Through the HorseGrooms Test Panel, we want to give companies access to that experience while giving our community members opportunities to try new products and have their professional opinions heard. It is another way for HorseGrooms to help make the groom’s voice part of the wider equestrian industry.

An Opportunity for Equestrian Brands

The HorseGrooms Test Panel isn’t only an opportunity for grooms. It also creates a direct connection between equestrian brands and the professionals who use equestrian products in their everyday work.

For brands, the Test Panel offers an opportunity to get products into the hands of professional grooms and receive honest, practical, real-world feedback. Depending on what a company is looking for, a test can focus on product feedback, user-generated content, or a combination of both. It is also a way for brands to reach the HorseGrooms audience and introduce their products to the grooming community in a way that is relevant and useful.

Access To Knowledge and Experience

Most importantly, participation in the HorseGrooms Test Panel does not buy a positive review. The purpose is to give brands access to the knowledge and experience of professional grooms and to hear what they really think. And of course, hopefully that honest feedback is very positive. When testers genuinely love a product, there may also be opportunities for the brand to use that positive feedback in its marketing, for example by sharing that a product was “Tested by the HorseGrooms Test Panel” and received positive feedback from professional grooms. Any promotional use of Test Panel results, testimonials, photos, or videos would be agreed upon as part of the collaboration.

More Than Just Visibility

That means the Test Panel can give brands more than visibility. It can provide real feedback from real professionals, and when that feedback is positive, an authentic story to share with their customers.

Are you an equestrian brand interested in having your product tested by professional grooms? Send an email to Dinette Neuteboom (dinette@horsegrooms.com) to discuss a potential Test Panel opportunity.

Want to Be Part of the HorseGrooms Test Panel?

The HorseGrooms Test Panel is a HorseGrooms Community perk. If you’re already a member, head over to the Community and fill out the HorseGrooms Test Panel form.

Not part of the HorseGrooms Community yet? Joining is free. Come join us, then sign up for the Test Panel. You never know what we might ask you to test next.

And remember, signing up doesn’t commit you to anything. It simply makes sure you’re among the first to know when a new HorseGrooms Test Panel opportunity comes along.

Join the HorseGrooms Community and sign up for the HorseGrooms Test Panel!