How Hire A Horse Float turned a community float into their biggest year with Lockii

Starting Hire A Horse Float

Stef Easton did not set out to build a rental empire. She had an Olympic 2 horse straight load float, and rather than let it sit idle, she wanted other people in Mackay to use it too. Not everyone can justify buying their own float, but plenty of people still need one for a show, a new horse, or a day out with their animals.

That community-first idea became Hire A Horse Float. Pick up and drop off run seven days a week in the Mackay area, with storm doors and float yards available as add-ons when customers book.

What started as sharing a float with the local equestrian community grew into a proper hire business, one that could serve riders, breeders, and anyone moving horses, cows, chickens, or bulky gear around Mackay and beyond.

Why Stef switched to Lockii

Stef had a good system, or so she thought. Bookings came in, hires went out, and the float kept moving. But there was always something missing, some friction that stopped the operation from feeling truly efficient.

She wanted a smoother experience for customers and less time spent chasing admin for herself. The float hire side of the business did not need heavy back-office work, but even small tasks added up when bookings picked up.

Lockii was built for exactly that kind of rental. A self-serve booking flow, automated payments, and pickup security that could run without Stef being on call for every hire.

What changed after moving to Lockii

The admin time dropped to almost nothing. In a business that was never meant to be admin-heavy, that alone made a difference. Stef could log in, see any hire issues at a glance, and get on with the rest of her work.

Customers noticed the change too. Booking became simpler, extensions could be handled by the customer without Stef stepping in, and the whole process captured the information she needed without back-and-forth messages.

Two operational worries eased at once. If a float came back unclean, Stef could charge the customer's card under her terms and conditions instead of chasing payment manually. And the auto-changing lock box code gave her real security at pickup without managing codes herself.

The result was their biggest year yet. Stef puts that down to a hire process that was simple, efficient, and easy for customers to trust.

Real moments from the yard

Stef kept hearing the same feedback: the booking process was easy. That mattered in a business where customers might only hire once or twice a year, and every friction point is a reason to call someone else.

One feature she did not expect to love so much was customer extensions. When a hire ran long, customers could extend their booking themselves. That cut admin time further and kept the float earning without Stef playing middleman.

Lockii truly changed my business, the way it operates, and the ease for both customer and owner. The efficiency of this system is amazing, and the information it captures and process for customers is second to none.

Stef Easton, Hire A Horse Float

What comes next for Hire A Horse Float

Stef has since sold Hire A Horse Float to new owners with bigger plans for the business. They are looking at a second horse float and expansion into new regions, building on the self-serve foundation Stef put in place.

For Stef, the timing was right. Her wedding planning business had taken over her time, and passing the hire operation on meant the float could keep serving the community under new ownership.

Her advice to other rental operators is direct. She would not look at any other system apart from Lockii. It is well thought out for the industry it serves, and the platform keeps improving with support behind it.