JANINA KULMALA
Entrepreneur, bit fitting professional, equine health advisor, certified masseuse
Janina is originally from Tampere and transitioned from a career in finance to her passion, horses, in 2021 when she founded Equiara Oy with her family. Horses have been a significant part of her life for over 25 years, and in her younger years, she actively competed in show jumping at regional and national levels, as well as road and track cycling, becoming a multiple Finnish champion. She also has a competitive sports background in co-ed cheerleading. Competitive sports have always been close to her heart, and this is one of the main reasons why she moved into the equine industry – to improve the well-being of horses, especially in competitive sports. She has sought knowledge from the best professionals in the field, including national team level coaches, veterinarians, and top-tier equine healthcare professionals, applying this knowledge to the very complex rehabilitation and illness situations of her own horses. Her experience in rehabilitating her own horses further fueled her desire to deepen her expertise and study more about bits, equine oral health, equine diseases, and to complement her knowledge of human anatomy with that of horses and dogs.
Janina continues to actively pursue her hobbies alongside her work, training with her own horses, of which she currently has four in her stable. She hopes to continue her show jumping hobby in the future through her first FWB foal, which will be born in spring 2026. Her own horses are all show jumping bred and come from very different backgrounds, which enhances her expertise every day. Her family also includes her partner, a small American Shepherd named Milo, and a Jack Russell Terrier named Peppi. In her free time away from horses, Janina enjoys exercising in the forest, attending dog training sessions, and doing supplementary workouts.
In addition to her work in the equine industry, Janina also works as an entrepreneur on the human side as a masseuse, laser and cold therapist, and occasionally takes on projects in her former profession as a communications, event production, and marketing professional.
Her professional strengths include a holistic understanding of the horse and rider, as well as improving their subtle interactions to ensure that performances and training sessions are as successful as possible, especially in goal-oriented training and competitive sports. Her sports and coaching background strongly supports her knowledge of anatomy and bits in this regard. She also has a particular fondness for "special" horses in every way, for whom relaxation and working with bits are mentally challenging. Her goal is to further educate herself in managing problematic situations for horses and riders, as well as in groundwork skills, alongside her bit fitting training.
TRAINING AND COURSES
PRO HEVTN Equine Health Advisor, including studies in equine anatomy and diseases (total 300h)
Tampere School of Sports Massage - trained masseur, specializing in athletes
Varala Sports Institute - basic education in sports instruction, qualifications as an athletics coach, children's sports instructor, and FISAF group fitness instructor
University of Eastern Finland - basic studies in business and advanced studies in management
Other important courses:
Gillian Higgings, Anatomy in Action
Gillian Higgings, Sacroiliac Ligaments and the Iliopsoas Muscle Group
Gillian Higgings, Horse Massage Course
Gillian Higgings, Pilates for Horses
Gillian Higgings, Head Anatomy
EL, DVM, IVAS vet Olaf Waltering, Laser therapy treatment
Love the horse first and the sport second
Equiara is a family business born out of a love for horses, improving their well-being, and especially helping horse owners with challenging bit issues. Although Janina is the driving force behind the company's daily operations, Equiara's important support team also includes other family members: her mother, partner, brother, and father.
Equiara's story began in 2021 with e-commerce, and quickly, driven by customer wishes and Janina's horse's tragic dental illness, the focus shifted more towards bit expertise. The show jumper, bought as a competition partner, had, unbeknownst to anyone, suffered from a massive dental tumor that also inflamed the entire jawbone and 6 teeth. This event was the most saddening and challenging experience in Janina's horse history, and it greatly influenced the company's operations towards the bit business. Her personal experience with the difficult resolution of bit problems, feeling "alone" with bit issues, and their concrete impact on a horse's health led Janina, after her horse was euthanized, to become even more interested in studying horse anatomy, dental diseases, and rehabilitation.
Over these nearly 5 years, the company has evolved significantly, increasingly developing its bit expertise, which Janina now feels is her most important area of knowledge and experience. We are pleased to say that we are currently Finland's leading bit fitting company, and we have had the privilege of sharing in our customers' joys, sorrows, successes, and failures. Horses have taught us an immense amount during this journey, both about how to develop our skills daily and how every day we learn that we know less about horses and their spiritual world than we think. Working with horses is a gift that keeps you humble, because the one who knows the most is the one who knows they don't know everything.
In the future, we will expand the company's development even more towards human development, training, and concrete teaching, alongside bit fitting appointments – and we hope that in 5 years, we will look back on this journey happily, having achieved even greater concrete change in horse welfare, the connection between riders and horses, and a more responsible horse industry in this society.
Vision
Equiara is a leading expert concept in equine welfare, where performance and well-being always go hand in hand.
Mission
To change the way riders think about equipment – moving away from trend-based choices towards an individual understanding based on the horse's anatomy and function, which improves the horse's well-being.
1️⃣ Help riders make better choices
We help riders choose the right equipment for their horse – based on knowledge, experience, and individual needs.
2️⃣ Improve equine welfare through equipment
We make equine welfare tangible in everyday life – with the right bits, suitable bridles, and understandable expert content.
3️⃣ Eliminate uncertainty
We clarify the equipment jungle and remove guesswork from equipment choices.
4️⃣ Combine expertise and product selection
We offer products that are both biomechanically sound and thoughtfully designed for the horse's health.
5️⃣ Support riders who invest in equine welfare
We support competitive riders and ambitious hobbyists in improving horse performance ethically and sustainably.