About us
My name is Fenne Hooymans, owner of the online store Becidor equestrian products. I started the webshop Becidor in 2009 to make horse-friendly products more accessible to equestrians. Products that enhance the welfare of horses are not always easily available in "regular" equestrian stores. A happy, healthy horse means a happy owner, right?
In 1997, I got my first pony, Joopie. In 2002, after Joopie's passing, I welcomed a young and energetic Haflinger mare named Cinthia. We were advised to ride her on the bit by pulling hard on the reins and applying strong leg pressure, as she might otherwise be too strong for me. Not knowing better, I followed this advice. Naturally, Cinthia became frustrated and resorted to bucking me off. Soon, I was hesitant to ride her. My father saw no other solution than to take riding lessons himself and teach me at home based on what he learned at the riding school. The difference was that I had to ride without a saddle and with a stable halter as a bitless bridle to prevent me from pulling hard on Cinthia's mouth again.
Everyone learns through trial and error. Fortunately, this was my first experience with bitless and bareback riding. A treeless saddle followed later. In 2008, I saw a call from Barefoot for new retailers and decided to email them. In 2009, I started Becidor. At that time, I was still attending art school but decided in 2010 to switch to a bachelor's degree in Equine Business Management, and in 2011, I also pursued instructor training. In 2012, I interned at the Natural Horsemanship stable and Curly Horse breeding farm Curly Gestüt Wolf in Germany. In 2015, I graduated on the topic of "improving welfare and education in the equine sector." Since then, I have been working full-time with the Becidor webshop. It's my personal mission to improve the welfare of horses through the products in my webshop, and I'm also happy to think along with you if you have a problem with your horse or pony. Of course, if you have a welfare-related question, feel free to email or call me. Need advice? Then go to our contact page.
Cinthia lived with us until her sudden death in December 2019. We enjoyed her immensely, and over the years, she truly became our family's "home, garden, and kitchen horse." Twenty-two years still feels far too young. Cinthia is the logo of Becidor and will remain so. Together with her and my father's five other horses, I tested almost all products. This allows me to provide good advice in various situations, as they are six completely different horses. Products that don't meet quality standards are not included in the assortment or are removed promptly. In addition to quality, I also strive to make my business sustainable.
Recycling
New packaging may look nice, but it almost always ends up in your paper waste bin. Therefore, I reuse as much packaging material as possible—boxes and filling materials. Only the tape is new. All our waste is separated so it can be recycled.
Production in Europe
This doesn't yet apply to all products in the assortment, but more and more, I now select new collections based on products produced in Europe and mention this with the products. Production in Europe means shorter transport distances and thus less environmental impact. It also offers more certainty about the working conditions of the people who made the product.
Certification
In June 2019, I had the webshop certified by the WebwinkelKeur foundation. They check whether the webshop meets all legal requirements and represents the interests of customers. The webshop passed the inspection with flying colors and is now allowed to carry the WebwinkelKeur certification.
Below is some information about my horses; you'll also find their opinions on the products here and there on the website. You can also follow their box-free, bitless, iron-free, and treeless adventures on my Instagram account, where they regularly appear.
My Current Horses
Luna
I bought Luna in May 2010. She's a New Forest mare born in 2004. She's a D-pony, and I bought her to ride and sell again after the summer. However, Luna was trailer-trained but suddenly wasn't anymore in the presence of potential buyers. I still don't know exactly why. So she stayed and won my heart. As a result, I sold my then-current horse. Luna is a super fine and sensitive pony; I only have to think, and she already knows what to do. However, she is also sensitive to stress, which is still a challenge, even in her housing. Therefore, since August 2024, she lives with my father again, where she used to live, because she wasn't comfortable at my home (the wide surroundings stress her). As a result, Luna is semi-retired, as it's unfortunately not possible to ride her now that she lives with my father.
Vosje
Vosje is our former reserve Haflinger and officially my father's. She was born in 2007. Vosje has been part of our horse collection since October 2016. We bought her because Cinthia was getting older, and my father wanted a second, younger reserve driving horse so we wouldn't be without a driving horse if Cinthia became lame (which we always anticipated). She's a great-niece of Cinthia. I would have liked her to remain a reserve forever, but she now performs excellently as our main driving horse and even pulled the carriage for my sister's wedding instead of Cinthia. Vosje is the first horse I've never ridden with a bit, so you learn to collaborate well from the start with a bitless bridle.
Keessie
Keessie is the first foal of Noor, my former Appaloosa mare. I crossed Noor with a pinto Curly Horse, and Keessie is the first result. He was born on May 17, 2017; I was there :) Kees grew up in a nature reserve with other young stallions, where I visited him regularly. Since spring 2020, he's been back home. He's being trained slowly because he can't handle too many new tasks at once; he always needs some time to think about it. Currently, we can walk and trot and go for an hour-long trail ride.
Vlipo
Vlipo was born on June 11, 2018, at 3:30 AM. I was present for his birth, as I sleep in the stable when the mares are heavily pregnant. Vlipo's mother is Vosje, and his father is the same stallion as Keessie's father. Vlipo didn't inherit his father's spots or curls. He looks more like a chic Haflinger and will be a large size because his father is 1.62m tall. Like Keessie, Vlipo enjoyed two years of freedom in the nature reserve and has been back home since February 2021. Officially, Vlipo belongs to my father, not me. However, he lived with me for many years and did various groundwork exercises with me. Since August 2024, he lives with my father, who has started training him as a driving horse, and he's picking it up very well!
Corine
Last but not least, Corine. Corine was born on June 11, 2018, at 5:30 PM—14 hours after Vlipo. She's Vlipo's half-sister and Keessie's full sister. However, she's a bit more spirited than Keessie and has a huge dislike for insects. She didn't inherit curls or spots either but did get one spot from Noortje. Corine has a groundwork foundation, and I hope to start her riding training in the summer of 2025. In 2026, I might consider breeding her again with a Curly stallion.