For beauty expert Jessica Andrews, equestrian underwear designed to flatter, fit and offer comfort to women in the saddle just made sense. She took matters into her own hands and founded Eques Pante.
With over 20 years of experience in the personal care industry, her expertise lay in making women feel confident and beautiful. The events leading up to launching her apparel business, Eques Pante, were influenced by stillness. Andrews followed her instincts, allowing her equestrian experiences to take the reins.
Beauty & Horses
Born and raised in London, England, Andrews moved to Los Angeles, Calif., in 2005, pursuing her hair stylist dreams. She gradually built her beauty business, providing makeup and hair styling services to the entertainment industry. Soon enough she had developed a long list of clients, from celebrities and producers to other influential women.
A horse girl from an early age, Andrews started riding at age 11. In her childhood, she could be found gallivanting through the English countryside aboard her pony, Pepper. She took the train by herself every weekend into Oxfordshire to spend time with him.
This strong dedication at an early age showed how much horses meant to her. Fast forwarding to adulthood and her new life in Los Angeles, Andrews found herself horseless, unsure about her future. Eventually she found her stride again, and began taking lessons at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center and beyond.
Changed by a Horse
One day she met Nahlea, a life-changing red filly that had been on a truck bound for slaughter until an equine rescue intervened, pulling her from the situation. Malnourished and unhandled, Nahlea didn’t have an easy start to life.
But there was something about the mare that captivated Andrews from the fateful moment she met her in a dusty Southern California lot. Nahlea was uneasy from her past, and trust wasn’t something she willingly gave out at first.
“It took me a while to gain her trust,” says Andrews. “I went slow, meeting her twice a day for short periods. Once I gained her trust, she followed me everywhere. We went for hand-walks in the hills and through forests; it was one of my favorite times with her.”
Mentally, Nahlea bloomed, but she needed to have surgery for osteochondrosis in her stifles. When she returned from a successful surgery and rehab, Nahlea was ready to start her riding career.
Andrews sought out a dressage trainer and began advancing her skills, spending hours in the saddle riding various warmbloods. Her seat and knowledge progressed, along with a new awareness of rider rashes and hot spots from long hours in the saddle.
It was then Andrews began trying different undergarments, searching for something that could help meet the demands of life in the saddle.
“I just felt like we needed something really custom for our sport, because every sport has an underwear!”
The Pandemic Idea that Led to Eques Pante
In the spring of 2020, Andrews was out of work due to the pandemic. Her creative mindset never stopped, and she began sketching and creating Eques Pante.
A passion for practical products and entrepreneurship was in Andrews’ blood. At one point, she wanted to make a hairbrush, but it never came to fruition because of cost and design challenges. When it came to Eques Pante, it felt easier, as if this product was meant to be.
“I had a little bit of an issue finding a factory that wanted to do something completely custom,” Andrews says. “Then I found a really great guy, and he helped me with everything through the entire design process.”
A year later, Eques Pante was launched in February of 2021, just a month after Andrews relocated to Colorado. Covid had inspired changes, and she was ready to embrace them.
Andrews has worn all the hats: she was the product tester, the fit model, the designer, and the brains behind the operation. There has been an amazing response to the brand, despite it being brand new. Andrews says the typical first-time customer is skeptical at first, but then impressed.
Goodbye Nahlea
2023 began with the heartbreaking and unexpected passing of Nahlea. The mare shaped much of Andrews’ life and the decisions she made along the way throughout the creation of Eques Pante.
“It was one of the hardest, saddest days I have been through,” she says. “That day, I said goodbye to my great friend and adventure partner for over eight years. [Nahlea] wasn’t an easy ride, and without her, I probably wouldn’t have sought to advance my riding skills and had a need to create Eques Pante.”
Moving forward, Andrews plans on continuing to introduce the world to Eques Pante. The brand was invented out of necessity, and Nahlea’s memory will always live on through this special company.
Find Eques Pante online at equespante.com and Instagram @equespante.
This article about Eques Pante appeared in the May 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
