Your company is aptly named “The Comfy Horse Company”.  I have reviewed a number of products for you over the years, as well as for companies that you stock and it’s clear that comfort is what you strive to give your customers – both human and horses.  Was this the incentive behind you setting up the company – or did you see a niche in the market for it?

The Comfy Horse Company was started by accident! 

I was searching for products for my own horse first and foremost.. He is stoic, uncomplaining, sweet and would accept most things so I felt a real responsibility towards helping him. This meant I was researching and ensuring I found products as comfy for him to wear as possible.

I then started getting those products for friends, then I thought why not help more horses be more comfy in their lives too? The Comfy Horse Company was born and it’s sort of snowballed since then!

You stock some products that a lot of our readers might not be familiar with – from ear warmers, to Thinline grazing muzzles – which are very rare here in Ireland in particular – how do you go about finding these products?

We do love the unusual at Comfy Horse, and bringing something a bit different to the market! It’s a lot of research, thinking of issues people face like cold ears when riding, or grazing muzzles that are often hard contraptions and finding a better, softer, kinder solution in the market.

Our Comfy Horse team also give us great feedback and keep their ears to the ground for what’s new and upcoming, always with comfort in mind!

The next product I am going to review for you is the Tapestry Girth – which I wont give too much away on right now until I actually try it – but do you find that comfort and enhanced performance, because of that, are now dominating the market?

Horse owners and riders are much more tuned in these days to the wants and needs of their horses, and really want to help them feel their best, I have noticed a shift in the market over the last few years which can only help the welfare of horses in the long term.

We have always found that comfort and performance really do go hand-in-hand, with riders as well as horses.

What about your customers? Do you have a regular client base that go to you for the latest in beneficial products to them and their animals? Or do you find that more equestrians are now choosing this over say, price and appearance?

We have amazing loyal customers who know that everything we sell has already been tested by friends, family and our great team of independent reviewers. If we have proved its comfy and beneficial it saves time doing all the research themselves and making costly mistakes! 

We also offer personal advice, strive for excellent service and offer money back guarantees on some products, which all helps when you are choosing the right product for you and your horse.

In our experience equestrians are moving away from uncomfortable fashion, matchy matchy cheap fabrics and looking more for products that actually benefit horses and do not rub, cause discomfort etc.. 

The great news is that our comfy products are high quality and look beautiful too, with a range of colours to suit everyone!

Do you have any one sector of main consumers? Say competitive, or leisure riders – or is any one discipline more market domineering than others?

Comfy Horse customers are horse lovers, first and foremost. They are happy hackers, in-hand schoolers, non-ridden owners and compete in dressage, eventing and showjumping. 

What sets them apart is the desire to help their horses be more comfy in whatever they do!

I have always thought, here in UK and Ireland – we are light years behind the likes of the USA, product wise.  You are the stockist of the Tapestry girth from Canada, as well as quite a few from the US – would you have any comment on my thoughts?

Certainly this was the case when I started the business back in 2015, every product that I sourced was from Europe, USA or Canada. It seemed technical materials and the R&D funding was more prevalent there than in the UK. 

However over the years I have been delighted to see UK designs and innovation emerging in the equestrian world, some made abroad, some made in the UK. Naturally I also seek to stock these products too.

The key for us is the comfort and benefits and we will search worldwide to find it!

Are you looking for stockists of some of the products  you bring into the UK, both there and here in Ireland?  Now’s your chance to entice them – so please tell us how and why they should consider contacting you to discuss more!

Yes we are! We were at BETA in 2022 with the aim of taking on more stockists in UK and Ireland for the Tapestry Comfort Girth and ECOGOLD saddlepads. These brands are Canadian, have fantastic benefits to the horse and are set to take the market by storm! Please email purchasing@comfyhorse.co.uk for further information.