Riding gear that keeps up! Swedish equestrians and Team H&M athletes Malin Baryard-Johnsson and Nicole Holmén on what they actually wear to work

H&M does not recruit new team riders often. Malin Baryard-Johnsson was the first rider to be sponsored by H&M in 1996, joined by Peder Fredricson in 2003 and then later on by the Belgian twins Nicola Philippaerts and Olivier Philippaerts in 2015. So an announcement at this summer's Falsterbo Horse Show had the equestrian circuit a-buzz with excitement: after 10 years, a new rider has joined Team H&M– and Nicole Holmén is not here to horse around.

We meet the 31 year-old Swedish rider in a sun-lit stable in Falsterbo. Dust motes oscillate through the barn and the smell of hay, horses, and saddle leather fill the air. Sheep bleat in the green paddock outside, mirroring the nervous excitement Holmén is undoubtedly feeling herself. After all, she is still adjusting to the shape of it. "It's honestly a huge honour," she says. "H&M has such a strong history in the sport, and to be the first rider to join in a decade is something I'm incredibly proud of. It feels like a milestone." The launch, she admits, took some absorbing. "It's surreal. Walking in and realising I was standing alongside riders I've admired since I was a child was incredibly special. It reminded me how far I've come, but it also motivates me even more for what's ahead."

Holmén's route here has been long and winding. "I've loved horses for as long as I can remember," she says. "Growing up, I was happiest at the stable." These days that stable is Grevlundagården, Fredricson's yard on Österlen, where she trains and competes the young horses. Ask what has kept her in a sport this demanding and the answer is the demand itself. "You never stop learning. Every horse is different, every day brings a new challenge, and success only comes through trust, patience and teamwork with your horse."

Baryard-Johnsson joined Team H&M the year Holmén was learning to walk, and 30 years on, her assessment of the arrangement is disarmingly unvarnished. "The past 30 years have been amazing in so many ways," she says. "Being part of the team for so long has truly helped me through both success and disappointment."

The sport around her has transformed – she notes that "to be at the top today you have to be good at everything, and the team around the rider is so important" – but her fundamentals haven't budged an inch. "The only way to make it to the top is to become one with your horse. You have to get to know the horse inside out and really learn to listen." She's quick to welcome her new teammate: "I'm really happy to have Nicole joining the team. I think she is a great role model and rider. My best advice? Keep working hard, and enjoy the ride."

In order to enjoy the ride, the wardrobe is key. Which is, neatly, where All In Equestrian comes: H&M's own equestrian apparel line, developed hand-in-hand with the same riders it sponsors. The collection – named after H&M All In, one of the greatest horses in the equestrian sport – was built to combat the same long-held grievance both riders have experienced. "I've often felt that riders have had to choose between performance and style," says Holmén. "Sometimes clothing looks great but doesn't perform, or it performs well but doesn't make you feel confident. I think modern riders deserve both."

In the saddle, your gear will be unforgiving: "When you're competing, you don't want to think about what you're wearing. You want garments that move with you, feel comfortable, and perform in every situation," says Holmén. "Small details such as the fit, the breathability, and the freedom of movement make a much bigger difference than people might realise." Baryard-Johnsson, who has worn three decades' worth of team kit and remembers competing in blazers straight off the high-street rail, agrees.

The proof of great garments, however, is whether you're happy to wear it off the yard too. Holmén's default is the collection's sweatshirt. "It is incredibly comfortable, clean, elevated, easy to style; whether I'm travelling, grabbing a coffee or heading to the stable, it's the kind of piece I'd naturally reach for," she says. Baryard-Johnsson's All In tops, on the other hand, have annexed her gym rotation altogether. "The material, the fitting, the technical benefits. I think we've managed to get everything in with All In Equestrian," says Baryard-Johnsson. "And the great design, of course. Who doesn't want to look good as well?"