First-Time Setup

This guide walks you through everything from creating your account to scanning your first document. The whole process takes about five minutes.

Step 1: Create Your Account

You can sign up on the web at horsebook.app or through the iOS app. Both create the same account — sign up on one, use both.

HorseBook offers three sign-up methods:

1. Email and password — enter your email, choose a password, and confirm via email
2. Google sign-in — tap Continue with Google and select your account
3. Magic link — enter your email and click the sign-in link sent to your inbox (no password needed)

Every new account includes a 14-day free trial with full access to all features and no credit card required.

Step 2: Set Up Your Farm Profile

After signing up, HorseBook prompts you to set up your farm profile:

• Farm Name — the name of your farm or operation (e.g., "Bickell Ranch")
• Location — your general area for local context

You can update these at any time from account settings. This personalizes your dashboard greeting and helps organize your records.

Step 3: Add Your First Horse

You have two options for adding a horse:

Option A: Scan a Registration Paper (Recommended)

If you have a registration paper handy, this is the fastest way to get started because AI fills in most of the fields for you.

On iOS:

1. Open the app and tap the Scan tab
2. Point your camera at the registration paper
3. Hold steady — the app auto-captures when it detects the document
4. Wait a few seconds for AI to extract the horse's details (name, breed, color, date of birth, registration number, pedigree)
5. Review the extracted information
6. Tap Confirm to create the horse

On Web:

1. Go to the dashboard and click Add Horse
2. Choose Smart Upload
3. Drag and drop or select a photo of the registration paper
4. Review the AI-extracted fields
5. Click Save

Option B: Manual Entry

1. Click Add Horse on the dashboard (web) or tap Add Horse on the Horses tab (iOS)
2. Enter the horse's barn name — this is the only required field
3. Fill in as many details as you'd like: registered name, breed, sex, color, date of birth, registration number
4. Save the record

Step 4: Scan Your First Document

With a horse in the system, try scanning a document to see AI extraction in action. Good first scans include:

• Coggins test — AI extracts the lab, date, result, and accession number
• Vet receipt — AI pulls the vendor, amount, line items, and date
• Health certificate — AI reads the vet info, travel dates, and destinations

On iOS:

1. Tap the Scan tab
2. Point your camera at the document and hold steady
3. Review the extracted data on the confirmation screen
4. Make corrections if needed
5. Tap Confirm to save the record

On Web:

1. Navigate to a horse's profile
2. Click Smart Upload
3. Upload a photo of the document
4. Review and confirm

The AI identifies the document type automatically. If it doesn't recognize the type, it saves the file as a general document attachment — nothing gets lost.

Step 5: Explore the Dashboard

Your dashboard is now populated with your first horse and records. Here's what you'll see:

• Attention items — expiring documents, overdue care, or items needing review
• Upcoming events — calendar events for the next several days
• Quick actions — shortcuts to add horses, upload documents, log expenses, and create events

From here, explore the horse's profile to see all the record types available: medical, documents, expenses, contacts, reproduction, and husbandry.

What's Next

Now that you're set up, check out these guides for specific workflows:

• Scanning Workflow — turn receipts and vet invoices into records
• Veterinary Care — track medical records and set up reminders
• Expense Tracking — log and categorize farm expenses
• Breeding Tracking — manage your breeding program