From passion to product: Two women’s innovative ideas for the world of horses The story of Equimero starts in 2015, with an old industrial sewing machine in a small storage room. Horse trainer Tina Meier and riding therapist Saskia Rohn had countless ideas, a lot of idealism and the goal to make the world of horses more colourful and, above all, better – with tack made of biothane. TEXT & PHOTOS: EQUIMERO
“Working as a horse trainer, I have seen a lot of equipment that is not appropriate or not very well thought out,” says Tina Meier, who founded Equimero, a small biothane manufactury near Hanover. Therefore, she developed together with Saskia Rohn a headstall that is both multifunctional as well as fully customisable, thanks to innovative adjustment options. Their work paid off quickly, as the product, called Equizaum®, received numerous awards at trade shows and from trade publications. More importantly, it didn’t take long to convince riders and instructors of other riding disciplines.
ous: Biothane is a synthetic material with a leather-like feel and many benefits. It doesn’t tear easily, requires minimal care – the tack is machine washable at 30 degrees – and is UV resistant. Plus, it is available in 29 colours, and customers can individually configure their colour combination or even, as the icing on the cake, personalise the headstall even further by adding a logo or the horse’s name. “It is also important for us that we realise our own ideas instead of simply using biothane to copy something that is already out there in leather,” adds product developer Saskia Rohn.
Additional products followed as the advantages of the hand-made tack are obvi-
During the development phase, the products are not only tested on the two
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equine experts’ own horses but also in cooperation with trainers, riding therapists and instructors. Internationally successful show and dressage riders, such as Alizée Froment, swear by these products that have been perfected to the smallest detail and are horse-friendly. Competition riders, too, are increasingly keen on the colourful and innovative items. In France, for instance, Equimero has found not only a cooperation partner but also a successful Grand Prix rider as a customer. Two new products, a girth for therapeutic riding and a special headpiece for carriage driving are already in the making. Meier and Rohn are by now working with seven colleagues in their own workshop to turn their many ideas into reality. Like them, they are passionately committed to the motto: ‘from passion to product’. www.equimero.de