About Us
THE NEW WAY TO SUCCESS
Who we are
Kentucky Horsewear was born from a simple mission, to create high quality equine products that would make a difference and stand out from the products that existed then. It was never our intention to be the biggest or most well-known. We just wanted to differentiate.
OUR HISTORY
2006
In 2006, Thomas Tuytens moved to China, where he went to work for his family business. After three year he decided to move back to Belgium, full of enthusiasm and entrepreneurship. Before working out his biggest plans, he went back to basics for a month. It was during this month, working in the stables that the idea for innovative horse rugs was born. After market research, sample designs and many negative initial reactions, Thomas decided that this was not a good first product. This caused him to look for a product that was small, seasonless and had high added value in the horse world. The outcome of this search was leg protection.
Now that Thomas had found a first product he wanted to develop, he had an important choice to make. Either he had to start a brand from scratch, or he was going to look for a brand that was open to a partnership. He decided to go for the second option and entered a partnership with Kentucky Reitmode.
2011
By 2011, Thomas already had six products including the tail guard, overreach boots, eventing boots, and the air tendon boots. Kentucky rapidly became the must-have brand in the equine industry. Today our products are used worldwide by some of the world’s prestigious riders competing around the globe. However, since our products are so long-lasting, they are also used by amateur riders for every-day training.
Since Thomas had just spent three years living in China, he moved back in with his parents upon his return to Belgium. His office was at his parents’ home and his stock was kept in a small 100m2 warehouse in Ronse. In this small warehouse, Thomas did everything himself, labeling the boxes, shipping, etc. He did this for four years. As a result, his focus was no longer on selling his products.
To shift this focus, he had to professionalize a lot. In 2014, he hired a first employee. In 2015, a second employee followed. Around this time, the pattern of growth began to become clear. Thomas entered a partnership with Lieven Hendrickx. Together with Lieven, Thomas was at various horse events across Europe every weekend. Later, the company moved to the Parkstraat in Ronse. An office with a 300 m2 warehouse.
2013
In 2013, Thomas got to know Claudi at Badminton Horse Trials 2013, where Claudi was groom to Michael Jung. After several years of keeping in touch, Thomas and Claudi officially began a relationship. Claudi was still working part time with Michael at the time of the move, the other half of her time was spent as an order picker in the Parkstraat. After her time as an order picker, Claudi started focusing on sales in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This is how Claudi built up the German market. After her sales position, Claudi went on to focus entirely on product development.
2017
For Christmas 2017, we introduced our first dog coat. We can’t ignore this was an immediate success. This success was mostly to our expertise in the development, production and branding of the Horsewear collection. The Dogwear Collection is all about having the best products for your dog in terms of quality and style, while keeping the wellbeing of the dog first and foremost.
Three years after the launch of the Dogwear Collection, the Grooming Deluxe Collection was launched. This collection ranges from brushes to stable accessories. These products are anatomically designed to offer premium comfort and quality.
