Helen Ross, founder of HRP Equestrian, and inventor of the award-winning HRP Wing saddle pads, has found herself in an intense dispute with a fellow equestrian brand over a copycat saddle pad design. 

Le Mieux recently began advertising a ‘classic’ saddle pad, which bared a very close resemblance to HRP Equestrian’s wing saddle pad design. 

Ross, who put herself through university as a single mum, has vowed to launch legal actions to protect her Wing Saddle Pads that drastically reduce the pressure along a horse’s back.

“My innovative HRP wing design have obviously caught the attention of other manufacturers of saddle pads, as it appears that a number of new saddle pads bearing a similar design to the HRP wing design have been launched,” said Ross, from Kent, whose product won the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) Innovation Awards in 2016.

“I would like to make it clear to the industry that the wing saddle pad designs are the subject of pending patent applications.”

The 37-year-old former model, who has two young sons, added: “I am very proud of my wing designs and will fight to protect my inventions.

“My company, HRP Equestrian, is the only legitimate manufacturer and seller of the winged saddle pads which have done so much for the health and welfare of horses and our lawyers have already issued legal notice letters all the top saddle pad manufactures warning them to stop infringing our IP rights”. 

HRP Equestrian has won multiple international awards for this product and has worked closely with Hartpury University and the University of Kent.