Horse sense sees equine accessories firm ride out storm

Tom MacGuinness of Horseware Products: ‘In the early days, I wouldn’t have made it without help from Enterprise Ireland’ Pic: Barry Cronin

Tom MacGuinness established Horseware Products in Co Louth in 1985 in the depths of a gruelling recession. Thirty-four years on, the company has grown to employ 750 people in Ireland and overseas, with sales topping €45 million annually.

According to MacGuinness, Horseware Products is now the biggest manufacturer of horse blankets in the world, producing close to one million products per year. It’s a far cry from his early experience starting out as ...