Behind the scenes of our partnership with This Esme...

We recently announced a collaboration with vlogger and influencer Esme Higgs - known as This Esme on You Tube - and in this blog we’re taking you behind the scenes of our partnership! We first met the lovely Esme at Spoga Horse in Germany earlier this year, and we’re thrilled that she’s helping us spread the word about our quick-release safety reins.

If you’re a horse rider in Britain who loves social media, you’ll almost certainly know who Esme is! Esme first started sharing videos documenting her horsey life in 2015 and she’s now one of the biggest influencers in the equestrian world with more than a million followers. She shares a mix of tutorials, horse care videos and vlogs about her horses (Mickey, Joey, Casper and Duke) and her life. Esme works with lots of well-known brands in the equestrian space, is an ambassador for the working horse and donkey charity Brooke and is expanding into the beauty, fashion and fitness sectors.

Growing up on social media

Esme grew up in the spotlight of social media, with her fans witnessing her transformation from a horse-mad young rider to the confident young woman she is today. She first started her YouTube channel because she wanted to film her lessons and competition rounds, but her phone kept running out of storage. YouTube gave her a free place to store and document them, and that led to her first followers. We love it when problem solving and a good dose of initiative come together and lead to exciting things!

Innovating to solve a problem

Those of you who know our back story will be aware that our reins were developed because our founder Laurie saw that there was a real need for reins that release if a rider or horse gets caught in them. A lifelong rider and mum of an aspiring show jumper, she had seen a few incidents where children got tangled in the reins as they fell. There was one particular accident which meant Laurie knew she had to act. A child came off their pony and as she fell, the reins tangled around their neck. Thankfully, between the girl’s mother and Laurie, they managed to catch the pony and release the child with no more than a few burns, but it left everyone very shaken.

Reins that offer safety and style

That moment inspired Laurie to take her quick-release reins from an idea to a real product. Just like Esme, she’d seen a problem and developed a solution. Her design, which was then developed and tested in connection with a team from AMRC Cymru, part of the University of Sheffield, is perfect for riders of all ages and levels. The quick-release connector is incredibly clever, so much so that Laurie has patented it! Our reins are made from high quality leather and are available with a range of grip styles. That means there’s no need to compromise on style or safety - you can absolutely have both.

We’re thrilled that Esme is now part of the FR Vincitore family. We know that her involvement will help raise our profile even further, so that more people of all ages can ride more safely. Plus, we know that Esme will be safe when she’s the saddle, whether she’s creating her videos, riding for fun or out competing. Esme has already created some wonderful videos for us, so make sure you follow her on Instagram  and check out her YouTube to take a look for yourself!