Two Horses is not a hair salon like the others. It's a space that above all wants your well-being and where you can be yourself without fear of judgment. Sara-Isobel Mulder, owner and founder of Two Horses, shared with us the motivations behind the creation of this unique salon that has become a must-visit on Plaza St-Hubert.

The Two Horses team consists of 15 stylists, as well as two adorable dogs. It offers various hair services, such as cuts, balayage, coloring, perms, root touch-ups, and much more.

However, what matters most to the salon’s founder and owner, Sara-Isobel Mulder, is that clients feel safe. “I want them to feel like they can be 100% themselves, that they can show up however they want, whether they’re dressed as a clown or in pajamas. I want people to feel comfortable and at home,” she says.

She also explains that the salon is inclusive, fun, safe, and dog-friendly. In addition, Two Horses offers gender‑neutral pricing based on hair length, density, or health.

“I know this is new for many salons, but we’ve been neutral since we opened in 2013. Everything is based on services.”

For the past year, the owner has been offering confidential appointments on Mondays for all Muslim women, whether they wear the hijab, niqab, or burqa.

“We installed privacy screens and keep the door locked so the space is reserved for women, and it’s wonderful.”

“A month ago, I welcomed two women from New York who can’t get their hair done there. One of them had never had a professional haircut. She was 42. She cried, and then I cried too,” she recalls emotionally.

The inclusive salon, unlike traditional ones, aims to offer a safe environment for everyone. It is partly because of her own experiences in the industry that Sara-Isobel decided to change things.

After graduating in hairstyling from Collège Lasalle in 2004, she began working in various salons for a few years.

“I really hated it […] the way they were run, their very old‑school approach to how people were paid and how clients were treated.”

“I think many of us who work at Two Horses have always been the outsiders in our industries, and we felt really uncomfortable in many of the spaces where we worked.”

For her, traditional hair salons can be “quite stifling and a bit uptight, even conservative.” The goal here was to create a space where everyone would feel welcome and safe — “a space that feels like your own living room, where people want to come and spend time. Our prices are very fair, we offer sliding‑scale pricing, we do a lot of charity work and volunteer work, and we manage to make people feel comfortable.”

“Here, everyone is unapologetically themselves,” she sums up.

Sara-Isobel explains that good conditions apply not only to clients but also to the members of the Two Horses team. “Here, stylists have the option to be either employees or independent workers.” For her, it was important that everyone be well paid and have access to health care.

“Since we opened, full‑time work has been four days a week. I think five days is far too much. This is an industry where burnout is endemic,” says the owner, who has also experienced burnout herself. “I don’t want anyone to go through that.”

By giving them this independence, stylists can set their own schedules and are even encouraged to pursue careers outside the studio.

“Two Horses has been a sort of landing platform for people who came here, built their clientele — whether in tattooing, hair, or nails — and then opened their own shop. And that’s pretty impressive. That’s what I love about this place,” says Sara-Isobel Mulder.

She adds, “La Plaza holds a very special place in my heart. It’s the only place where you can buy a dildo, a telescope, and get a haircut on the same street.”

She believes the neighbourhood is a great representation of Montreal and of people who express themselves without shame — “which isn’t the case in many cities. People here really have their own style, and it’s very inspiring.”

Two Horses is open on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for confidential appointments, and from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for everyone. To learn more about the salon and view the different pricing options, click here.