Snug-Gear™ Ltd is a company run by two directors,
John Robinson and Alison Holmes.

I am the creator of the Snug, this seasons best new product. I was a sole trader for 14 yrs in the commercial vehicle business and I have been involved with horses since childhood. I currently have an older spotted mare, Cree, who I have shared my life with for over 13 yrs.

During last winter I was becoming increasingly put off riding out in the cold due to my ears and head bearing the brunt of the weather. You can wrap up everywhere, your legs, body, hands and even your horse, but there was nothing I had come across to protect your ears and face when out riding on winter days. I was hacking out with Cree on yet another very cold day last winter. It was bitterly cold, windy and raining, horrible! I was absolutely fed up with my ears being cold and even becoming painful, and my lips becoming sore and chapped and for me, it was definitely taking the pleasure out of exercising and having fun with ‘the love of my life’. In my mind I knew exactly what I needed and I wanted to buy, a Snug. That night I searched all over the internet and I searched every equine supplier, but could not find the item I wanted to buy. I was amazed, and disappointed.

I resigned to buying a fleece head band worn under my hat but it just slipped down over my eyes. Then I tried a lycra balaclava worn under my hat but it made my hat too tight and gave me a headache, plus I didn’t like it being skin tight to my face, especially when it became wet with rain.

Still with my perfect design in mind, I had no choice. During another unpleasant hack out I realised I had to make my own Snug and quickly began designing how to tailor it in my head.

In my younger days I frequently altered dresses and ‘night life wear’, I had also made winter coats for my dogs, accessories for my horses and always been the clothes seamstress for my friends. So, I wasn’t unfamiliar with a sewing machine and had a fair idea how I was going to tailor my design using my own hat as the model. I cut up an old fleece jumper and set to work. I created the first ever SNUG, and it was fantastic! It instantly took away all the harshness of my winter riding.

Cree lives on quite a busy and friendly livery yard and my fellow horsey friends at the yard were all very impressed with my new riding accessory. They all wanted me to make them one and offered to pay me too! Even riders I didn’t know who I came across while out riding were stopping me and asking me where I had purchased such a great hat cover. I knew then that many horse riders would want and appreciate my design.

I already knew John through mutual friends. So I made a phone call, grabbed my Snug™ and we had a chat about it over a cup of coffee, the rest, as we say, is history.

I am an engineer and designer by trade, but over the last eight years I have been acting as a consultant in the area of New Product Development and Intellectual Property Management.

Alison contacted me to discuss her new hat cover idea, I knew instantly that it would be a big hit, so we decided to pool our resources and set up Snug-Gear Ltd to bring the Snug™ to market, and commercial fruition.

We paid a great deal of time and attention to the individual panel design, ensuring that the Snug fits great, and works well, no matter what kind of hat you are wearing. The name Snug came about because it is…. just that.

Following on from the Snug, we intend to bring to market a range of complimentary products, using the company ethos of Design, Style, Quality, Innovation and Value as our watchwords.