🎙 Meet Sébastien Mugnier, CEO and co-founder of Equi-bride.
👉 At 23, he founded his company to meet the equipment needs of endurance riders, just like him.
After some heroic beginnings, the team, led by Sébastien and Pauline, took off near Fougères (Ille-et-Vilaine).
What’s your background leading up to the creation of Equi-bride?
I’m originally from Fougères in Ille-et-Vilaine and started riding horses at the age of ten. I got into endurance because it was the passion of the owners at the riding center where I trained. After reaching an international level, I prioritized my business studies, which led me to start my career in large-scale retail. But I was far from my passion for animals… So, at 23, I created Equi-bride to meet the equipment needs of endurance riders like myself.
A time when you were working two jobs at once.
My days started at 4 a.m. in the store, and by 2 p.m., I would begin my second day. On weekends, I was traveling for competitions. We stored our stock wherever we could: my bedroom, the garage, my parents’ living room... Then came the inevitable decision. I quit my job as a department manager to dive into the work that made me happy. A while later, the team came together, and we moved into an 800 m² space in Lécousse, just outside Fougères. In 2011, my wife Pauline and I founded SP France to offer a French brand of high-end, custom-made bridles made from Biothane®, an innovative material that replaces leather. We equipped the French endurance team, then other national teams, and our products began to establish themselves.
Steady growth until COVID, then the need to reinvent. Everything stopped overnight.
No more competitions, fewer orders, and the inability to work normally due to lockdowns. I remember my banker telling me it would be more reasonable to cut our losses… For me, that wasn’t an option. So, we rolled up our sleeves and bet everything on online sales and building an engaged community on social media. We brought in digital expertise and, to expand our customer base, two new team members who are also riders — one in competitions and the other in show jumping. I was convinced e-commerce was the solution, and time has proven me right.
How is the 2007 customer different from the 2024 customer?
They’re more fickle. They can buy from you or someone else. To capture their attention, you need to keep things dynamic, diversify channels, and be ultra-responsive because social media doesn’t have opening hours. That’s also why Equi-bride doesn’t do entry-level products, where customers get used to discounts, and volume trumps margin. One of our unique features is being a one-stop shop for stables, especially new ones. One quote, one contact.
How did the connection with Ekkia happen?
When I was 14 or 15, I did an internship at an equestrian store as part of my vocational studies. That’s the first time I crossed paths with Alain Delahaye. Thirty years later, he’s still my Ekkia contact! What I appreciate is the responsiveness – we place daily orders and receive them the next day – and the reliability; everything runs like clockwork. We visited the headquarters in Haguenau a year ago, and I was impressed by the organization and professionalism of the place. Everything is smooth, just like our orders.
What has been your most important encounter in your journey?
I think of the people I met at the riding center where I started — Chênedet — who really sparked my passion. They gave me a love for endurance and a certain strength of character. But the most important encounter has been with my wife, Pauline. Since we met at the riding center when we were 18, this journey has been shared. Without each other, we wouldn’t have made it.
Your motto?
Unity is strength… “Teamwork and collaboration can achieve wonders” – Mattie Stepanek
Ekkia in one word?
Proximity and reliability.
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