Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Olympians endorse mum’s saddle comfort innovation
A single mum who won an international innovation award for creating a revolutionary product for horse riders has gained backing from Olympic medallists.
Helen Ross, who was born in Ireland and now lives in Canterbury, spent years researching and inventing a cloth that would sit under the saddle on a horse to relieve the pressure from its back and to improve comfort.
The mum-of-two’s sons, Henry and Hugo, were an inspiration to her when she was creating the brand for her company, HRP Equestrian.
The logo is a horse with a broken tail. Helen says it symbolises Hugo’s rare lung condition.
“It means that something broken can be beautiful like my Hugo. It’s a beacon of hope,” Miss Ross said.
“Hugo was born with tracheobronchomalacia – a lung diesease where his air pipes are narrow and floppy and can cause his airways to collapse.
“It’s at its worst when he is lying down.
“Every night I would sit up with Hugo in bed and hold him upright so he wouldn’t suffocate.”
It was during these tough days that Helen began creating the saddle pad.
She took the idea to scientist and equine consultant Dr David Marlin and commissioned him, along with university lecturers, to research the project.
The study showed there was sig
‘Lucinda was one of my idols growing up. It makes me really proud’
nificantly less pressure exerted on a horse’s back with the winged design saddle pad than with a conventional alternative.
The winged saddle pad won a British Equestrian Tade Association international innovation award, and Olympic riders Jock Paget and Lucinda Fredericks have signed sponsorship deals with HRP Equestrian for this year.
Miss Ross, 36, said: “Lucinda was one of my idols growing up. It makes me feel really proud.
“It was an overwhelming moment when I saw a feature on the saddle pad in Horse and Hound magazine. I am really grateful.
“Looking back, I’m proud to have created something innovative.
“It’s not how many times you get knocked down. It’s how many times you can get yourself back up.”