Whinny Equestrian

Jun 10

Whinny Equestrian creates equestrian apparel designed to help young plus-size riders feel comfortable, confident, and competition-ready. The brand offers extended-size jodhpurs, shirts, and show coats that combine performance, durability, and a polished appearance for the show ring.

The Designer: Heather Boldin

Whinny Equestrian was founded by Heather Boldin after she struggled to find age-appropriate, well-fitting show clothing for her young plus-size daughter. What began as a personal challenge highlighted a broader need within the equestrian industry and inspired Heather to create a brand focused on serving young riders who were often overlooked by traditional sizing and fit options.

Driven by the belief that every child deserves to feel confident in the ring, Heather turned that experience into a mission to create apparel that helps young equestrians look and feel their best.

The Challenge

Before working with MADE Apparel Services, Heather had been working with another apparel development company that managed the project through multiple subcontractors, including a project manager, pattern maker, and sample maker.

A key challenge was that no single person owned the entire development process from pattern creation through sample production. This made it difficult to identify and resolve issues before samples reached the client, resulting in repeated revisions that were not moving the collection forward as intended.

Heather needed a more streamlined approach that would improve communication, accountability, and problem-solving throughout product development.

The Goal

After experiencing ongoing development challenges with a previous provider, Heather wanted to regain momentum and move the Whinny Equestrian collection toward production. She needed a clearer development process, more effective communication, and confidence that product revisions were being accurately implemented so the collection could progress successfully toward manufacturing.

The Project

MADE Apparel Services joined the project after the initial development work had already begun.

The existing patterns were reviewed and revised, fit issues were addressed, grading was reworked, and updated samples were developed. The project focused on creating a clearer development process with direct communication and faster problem-solving throughout the sampling and revision phases.

The Process

The development process included:

Reviewing the existing patterns
Addressing fit concerns
Revising grading that was not producing consistent results
Creating updated samples
Refining product specifications
Moving the collection forward into production readiness

Outcomes

The Whinny Equestrian collection was successfully brought back on track through revised patterns, improved fit, and updated grading. Following the development phase, Heather moved into manufacturing with a cut-and-sew business local to the Seattle, WA area.

Conclusion

Whinny Equestrian's project highlights the importance of clear communication during product development. When multiple parties are involved in pattern making, sampling, and project management, important details can be lost between revisions.

By simplifying communication and working directly with a single contractor throughout the development process, the project was able to overcome earlier challenges and move toward production.

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