Our Story: 60 years innovation

1959, the early years

Creation

The Paskacheval brand was born in 1959 near Craon, in Mayenne. Many trainers and horse breeders were found in this part of France. At that time, Paskacheval was very closely tied to horse racing. The first production site was located near the Craon racecourse.

But why was the name Paskacheval chosen? Quite simply, this name was inspired by the founder’s name, Bernard Pasquier. He would also lend his name to the company that created the Paskacheval brand: Paskanimal.

Driven by innovation

Mr. Pasquier, the founder, had a degree in pharmacy. More than anything, he was driven by the desire to innovate and to formulate products that were more efficient than the competition. From the very beginning, Paskacheval has been designing and producing nutritional supplements and care products for horses.

With an average of 5 innovations per year, it is clear that innovation is still deeply rooted in the brand's DNA today. The latest products released in 2019: Naturaderm, Naturaderm liquid and Summer Shampoo.

These products are still well known today

The formulations have been refined, tested in the field and improved, yet the main goal is still the same. Certain products already existed in the 1960s! In terms of nutrition, mineral supplements were designed using the cold granulation process: Granuchoc inspired the current Paskamine product. In terms of animal rearing, the 912 doses, multivitamin supplements for foals are now called Paskatonic 912. The 12-25-3 product inspired the Paskabreeding and Paskaplusvit is now called Paskatonic.

In terms of skincare, the famous Paskasept cream is now called Paskadouce. Already, this was an essential product for all trainers who took their horses to the Gros Bois training centre and to frozen racetracks in Mayenne during winter.

The 80s and 90s

This was a difficult period for Paskacheval. Mr Pasquier, the founder, died during the Paris horse show in 1986. Following this event, the brand would stay in the family. The founder's wife took over. His son then picked up the reigns in the 1990s. During that period, competition became stiffer. Food manufacturers starting making wholemeal products and began using supplements.

Changes in the logo and labels

Between 1959 and today, the logos have changed a lot. But one element has stayed the same: the horse's head.

Logo changes

Label changes

Conquering the world

2001: second wind and growth

The year 2001 is an important date for Paskacheval. This is when Paskacheval was integrated into the Techna group. The product range is undergoing significant changes based on the scientific contribution of the Group, as well as the combination of skills and manufacturing tools. And this is only the beginning.

Who is Techna? Techna is an independent French company with 300 employees that was founded in 1964 and specialises in animal and plant nutrition.

Closer to sport horses

Historically, Paskacheval was very involved in the racing world. In the 2000s, the rise of sport horses and the addition of new personnel to the team resulted in the expansion of the brand to new domains. Care products are being developed. Shampoos and conditioners are now part of the product line. The packaging is changing. Products are packaged to better suit the needs of riders (spray, bottle with applicator, gel).

Products were mostly marketing for direct sales or mail order. Product distribution is now moving towards saddleries so as to be nearer to riders.

2005 : Get the closest to your horses' needs

Paskacheval continues to innovate and develop precision nutrition with the creation of rationing software and customised supplements: ADIA (Analysis of Deficits and Intake Interactions). The first step is to carry out a detailed audit: blood tests, ration analyses and integration of customer expectations. The customised supplement is then formulated by our experts and then manufactured at our production site. The last phase consists of supporting our customers in monitoring and optimising these formulas. Today, we are able to optimise the formulation of our products from the Paskacheval range to increase efficiency based on over 10,000 analysed data.

We moved sites to increase production

As production began to increase, the Mayenne premises in Craon were starting to become too small. As a result, Paskacheval moved in 2009 to support this growth in activity. Manufacturing now takes place in Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe, near Angers. This production site for the Techna group is able to produce higher volumes while being much more efficient and more precise.

At this site, the Group's experts have perfected the manufacturing process for herbal products. From the very start: maceration of the plants, formulation, manufacturing then packaging in the appropriate delivery forms.

International Development

At the same time, Paskacheval is developing its international presence. European countries include Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands and Germany. The company is also expanding into Northern Africa and the Middle East.

In France, Paskacheval is also further expanding its field presence through several new recruitments. In addition to the saddlery network, technical advisers are present on a day-to-day basis alongside customers in order to better respond to their concerns and provide an increasingly personalised offer (ADIA) for breeders, trainers and stables.