How FR Vincitore Was Born
While running her equestrian business Laurie Williams, founder of FR Vincitore and with a BSc in Equine Science, saw riders becoming entangled in their reins while falling and when operating gates while mounted. After speaking to parents and instructors who’d experienced the same thing, Laurie realised conventional reins were an issue that could and should be improved.
“As a rider of 32 years, and mum to a super keen young showjumper, I’ve seen lots of incidents where reins got tangled, often endangering both horse and rider. But the one that sticks with me is seeing a little girl get entangled in her reins, and they wrapped around her neck. The reins refused to break, it was terrifying. I managed to grab the pony while her mum grabbed her. She was shaken and left with burns around her neck. There had to be a way of making them safer, so I began thinking to design reins with a quick-release system. I wanted a simple, light-weight solution that separated the reins in an emergency, allowing both horse and rider to be easily freed from dangerous, dangling reins.
