One of the supporters of La Irenita G Squared, Husk, talked with PoloHUB about the brand beginnings.
Interview with the founder of Husk Polo: Louise Butcher.
Tell us about your beginnings with polo?
I’m actually a dressage rider! I worked in pharmaceuticals before hand! I left to care for my children and my horse reacted to her own sweat through protective boots, which left scars on her legs, so decided to make something to protect her without damaging her again.
I started selling my first prototype on Facebook and a British polo player found them and wanted to try them. Within a few months Jacinto Crotto saw the boots during Prince of wales match and took at photo and sent it to Jorge MacDonough. As you probably know, Jorge had been passionately trying to educate polo players about the risks of bandages and insulating boots, and was looking for boots that looked like a honeycomb cage! He flew to uk to meet me and saw the boots that we in his imagination! So he and his family worked alongside me to design the boots we have today. Sadly Jorge passed away a year before we launched the final design, so his family gave us Irenita name and logo to put on the boots in memory of Jorge and his passion for horse welfare.
Why you thought of something to protect the legs of horses?
I always have said that the boots are a tool to change behaviour of the human, to be more compassionate toward the horse, what if gifts to us, and to consider its welfare before how it looks.
I am very self critical! Which is a blessing and a nightmare in one!
How did you advise yourself in the early days?
So I coach myself in the sense that I am always looking for the next improvement, I never stop seeking to improve. I also firmly believe that everyone can teach you something, so it’s very important to listen to every side of a story, good and ugly to help shape you and your business. The Mac Donough family of course have been incredible, always there to give advice and support. We look out for one another!
What feedback do you have from players who use husk?
The players that use HUSK are very passionate about them, which is wonderful. All of our players have come forward to us to ask to be involved. They understand the importance of protecting horses for the long term, they are on board fully with what we are trying to achieve, and want to be a part of the future of horse welfare projects like HUSK. They see that their horses suffer less injury, they witness improved performance, they see the value in the boots for sure! And are very loyal to HUSK.
How do you see the future of horse care or new equine protection elements?
The future for horse care is going to become more and more important in the future as we see the rise in animal welfare activists and so on. I see many more horse care products joining the market, but what I think is missing is a deeper understanding of horse health and how we humans affect it. We are now embarking on a programme of studies alongside vets, osteopaths & chiropractors to look further into this relating to heat of legs.
Thank you very much Louise for the interview.
Find more info in Husk Official Account on Instagram