Kentucky Horsewear

What Kentucky Horsewear does

Kentucky Horsewear is a Belgian premium equestrian equipment and apparel company operated by Global International Products NV, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Ronse, Belgium. The company sells horse equipment (rugs, saddle pads, leg protection, fly protection, halters, girths) and rider apparel (breeches, show jackets, riding gloves, show shirts) under the Kentucky Horsewear brand, with three sister brands: Velari (spurs, bits, whips), Grooming Deluxe (care products, grooming tools, supplements), and Dyon (bridlework and leather goods). The portfolio is anchored by functional product features including 3D Air Flow shock-absorbing leg protection, sheepskin comfort accessories, Fishbone competition saddle pads, and a made-to-measure orthopedic riding boot service.

The business operates a multi-channel GTM combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce with worldwide shipping (priced in EUR, USD, CHF, DKK, SEK, GBP), eight company-owned Kentucky Stores across Belgium and Sweden with services such as personal shopping and custom boot fitting, a B2B wholesale webshop for independent retailers, and experiential marketing via Kentucky On Tour at major equestrian events. Brand visibility is reinforced by an ambassador roster of Olympic-level riders including Henrik von Eckermann, Taizo Sugitani, Felix Vogg, Olivier Philippaerts, Emilie Conter, and Constant van Paesschen, and by content platforms such as Kentucky Academy, Kentucky Magazine, and a Kentucky Pre-Loved second-hand program.

Monetization is overwhelmingly product-based, with unit pricing across individual SKUs, a B2B wholesale stream, ancillary services (arena rental at €75/hour, custom boots on consultation-based pricing), and ticketed experiential offerings. End customers are largely long-tail individual horse owners and riders across show jumping, dressage, and eventing, alongside an opportunistic dog-owner segment; B2B serves independent equestrian retailers. No revenue, funding, or external investor data is disclosed; the company appears family-owned with no PE/VC backing identified.

Name

Kentucky Horsewear

Legal name

Global International Products NV

Website

https://kentucky-horsewear.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kentucky Horsewear is a Belgian premium equestrian equipment and apparel company, selling horse rugs, saddle pads, leg protection, and rider apparel across D2C e-commerce, eight physical Kentucky Stores in Belgium and Sweden, and a B2B wholesale channel, serving individual riders, horse owners, and independent retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equestrian Equipment & Apparel

NAICS

Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (316), Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (31699)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Sport/Show Horse Training & Performance Programs (AFAEAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Equine Nutrition & Therapeutic Diets (HLAMAHAE)

Keywords

• Equestrian equipment
• Horse riding apparel
• Saddle pads rugs
• Riding boots breeches
• Equestrian accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Ronse

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct B2C E-commerce: Products sold directly to consumers through the kentucky-horsewear.com e-commerce platform with worldwide shipping
2. Physical Retail Stores: Products sold through company-owned Kentucky Stores with personal shopping services and product experience
3. B2B Wholesale: Products sold to independent retailers through the B2B webshop (b2b.kentucky-horsewear.com)
4. Service Revenue: Revenue from services including riding arena rental, custom boot fitting appointments, and personal shopping sessions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Kentucky Horsewear is a Belgian equestrian brand that designs, manufactures, and sells protective and comfort gear for horses (turnout rugs, saddle pads, fly protection, leg protection), rider apparel (breeches, show jackets, riding boots), and dog accessories. It operates four labels (Kentucky Horsewear, Velari, Grooming Deluxe, Dyon) and distributes through e-commerce, physical retail stores in Belgium and Sweden, and B2B wholesale channels.

Product overview

Kentucky Horsewear is an equestrian lifestyle company operating multiple brands across the horse, rider, and dog care market segments. The portfolio consists of the core Kentucky Horsewear brand (premium horse rugs, saddle pads, fly protection, leg protection, rider apparel including breeches, show jackets, riding gloves for women/men/kids, and dog wear), four sub-brands (Grooming Deluxe for care products/supplements, Dy'on for bridlework/leather goods, Velari for bits/spurs/whips), physical Kentucky Store retail locations offering fitting services and custom orthopedic riding boots, the Kentucky Academy educational platform, Kentucky Magazine content, Kentucky On Tour mobile retail, Kentucky Pre-Loved second-hand program, and a B2B webshop for retailers. The company is headquartered in Belgium with international shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Velari: Premium equestrian equipment brand specializing in spurs, bits (stainless steel, sweet iron, sweet copper, flex), and whips (jumping and dressage whips).
• Grooming Deluxe
• Dyon

Products and services

• Horse Turnout Rugs Protective rugs/blankets for horses, covering turnout and stable use across seasons and weather conditions; sold to horse owners via e-commerce, retail stores, and wholesale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kentucky Riding Arena: 110m x 60m premium training facility

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EquinsicoreOthersPartnership with Equinsi for Kentucky Arena facility management and booking services. The Kentucky Arena (110m x 60m) is bookable through equinsi.be/kentucky/ for training sessions.
• Stephex StablescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Stephex Stables, one of Belgium's leading show jumping stables. Ambassador Emilie Conter rides for Stephex Stables and represents Kentucky in competition.
• Pladutse StudminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Pladutse Stud for product testing center and breeding station operations, supporting product development and quality assurance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Spooks Equestrian: German equestrian fashion and equipment brand targeting a younger, lifestyle-oriented rider segment. Overlaps with Kentucky's rider apparel and accessories categories with a comparable DTC-led, social-media-driven go-to-market motion.

Direct peers

• Samshield: Premium equestrian helmet, apparel, and accessories brand competing in the same premium rider equipment category as Kentucky Horsewear. Comparable DTC-led model and strong ambassador positioning in show jumping.
• LeMieux: UK-based premium equestrian brand specializing in saddle pads, horse boots, and rider apparel. Closest direct competitor to Kentucky Horsewear's core product portfolio, with similar DTC e-commerce, B2B wholesale, and sponsored-athlete marketing approach.
• Animo: Italian premium equestrian apparel brand competing directly with Kentucky's rider apparel range (show jackets, breeches, competition wear). Similar DTC + retail + B2B model with strong European retail presence.
• HV Polo: International equestrian apparel and lifestyle brand offering breeches, show jackets, and accessories. Comparable premium positioning, DTC + retail distribution, and brand-led marketing in show jumping/dressage.
• Eskadron: German premium equestrian equipment brand (rugs, saddle pads, leg protection, halters) under the Pikeur group. Comparable in premium positioning, comprehensive horse equipment range, and European retail/wholesale distribution.
• Horseware Ireland: Irish premium equestrian equipment brand (Rambo, Amigo, Rhino lines) competing head-to-head with Kentucky Horsewear in horse rugs, blankets, and stable/turnout gear. Highly comparable in product mix, distribution model (DTC + retail + B2B), and premium positioning, with longer brand history and broader global footprint.
• Cavalleria Toscana: Italian premium equestrian apparel brand competing directly with Kentucky's rider apparel lines (breeches, show jackets). Comparable premium pricing strategy, DTC + retail distribution, and ambassador-led marketing.
• Equi-Theme: French equestrian equipment and apparel brand offering rugs, saddle pads, rider apparel, and accessories. Comparable multi-category approach to Kentucky Horsewear with similar premium positioning in continental Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Pikeur: Established German equestrian apparel and equipment manufacturer (parent of Eskadron) with broader product portfolio and longer heritage. Overlaps with Kentucky's rider apparel and horse equipment lines but at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KentuckyHorsewear/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/kentucky.horsewear
• Instagraminstagram.com/kentucky_horsewear
• Pinterestpinterest.com/kentucky_horsewear
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-horsewear

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky Horsewear