Name: Emma Keogh

Base: South Dublin

Name of your business: Equieire

When did you start your business and why? We launched our first collection in August 2022 at the RDS Dublin Horse Show. It had taken two years to get to this point. I spent the first two years before launching the business researching the equestrian market and talking to riders about products that were currently on the market. Overall I interviewed 436 people.

I have always loved equestrian fashion and would spend all my money buying clothing. I was often disappointed by the quality of the products I bought and felt they weren’t optimized for equestrian sport. Many of the products looked very fashionable but weren’t functional and comfortable for riding.

I noticed a shift in the industry with many people, including myself, looking for alternative options to the traditional breech and, after giving away the last three pairs of riding leggings I bought, I decided there needed to be better options on the market.

What is your equestrian background? I began riding as a child when I was six-years-old and have been hooked ever since. I would spend all my free time at the stables. I continued to do so until I was 17 when I then moved to Thomastown in Kilkenny to attend Grennan Equestrian College where I completed my BHSAI and many other QQI qualifications.

I returned to Dublin to work in an urban equestrian project, where horses were used to encourage early school leavers to return to education, and they would work towards Junior and Leaving Certificate equivalents through QQI. Horses formed the centre of their education. I continued to keep horses as a hobby and competed regularly in Dressage Ireland and SJI shows.

I also returned to education myself and completed an MA in Psychology. I conducted research that investigated the psychological benefits of Equine Assisted Learning for early school leavers. I also passed my BHS Stage 4 exam in 2011. I stayed in this role for nearly 16 years and then moved on to manage Farriery Ireland for two years before setting up Equieire.

How did your past studies help start your business? Having a deep domain knowledge of the industry and being very passionate about horses has helped a lot. I feel my psychology background has helped me to build a customer-centered brand that understands the needs of the people who dedicate their lives to the sport. I am also lucky enough to have been accepted on and completed numerous entrepreneurial programmes, including: UCD Level 9 Entrepreneur, Enterprise and Innovation programme; New Frontiers Phases 1 – 3; Enterprise Ireland’s – Starting Strong programme; LEO Export and Development Programme.

What are you products? All our riding tights and breeches are prototyped and designed in Ireland and are made from regenerated and recycled fabrics. There are five types depending on what you like. We have also developed a range of contemporary training tops for ladies and young riders.

Did you get any grants or help to start you off? Yes, I have been lucky enough to get great support from the Local Enterprise Office (LEO). To date I have received their Feasibility Study grant, the Trading Online Voucher, and two TAME grants.

The challenges you faced or face now: With any new business, there are always challenges, you are constantly learning and making mistakes. There is so much to learn and at the start, you have to wear many hats, ones that you might not be that comfortable wearing.

I feel that my background within the equestrian industry has helped me a great deal as working with horses teaches you great resilience, determination, and a very good work ethic.

How many people do you employ or do you work by yourself? At the start, it was just me and my co-founder Jonathan, but I quickly learned that we needed a variety of skill sets to grow the business. We have a rapidly expanding team, which is great. They include two designers, a sales rep and administration personnel.

Where in the world do you sell your products? Currently we sell business-to-customer and business-to-business in Ireland and the UK. In August we travelled to the USA for the first time and it was a great success; we are currently stocked in five stores already. We have great expansion plans and have lots of exciting new opportunities for 2024. In addition to a range of new products launching, we aim to create jobs in Ireland and to continue our export journey. Our vision is to become the go-to equestrian brand in Ireland and internationally.