About Farthings Original Pony Pads®

Hi, I am Jackie Broughton, a qualified Master Saddler and Harness Maker, and Side Saddle specialist. I have been in this wonderful business for over 40 years, opening Farthing Saddlery about 30 years ago. 

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I live and work in East Sussex, not far from my family home, and all the places I used to ride when I was a child. Always bareback round the local fields and woods and along the main roads which were quiet then – definitely a thing of the past, sadly!  

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I always wanted to work with horses, so when I finished school, I went up to Oxfordshire to do a course on “Stud and Stable Husbandry”. Part of the course included tack and leatherwork repairs and making a simple In-Hand bridle – I was hooked!! I went on to gain all my qualifications in Saddlery and Harness making, and ended up running my own Saddlery business and small livery yard here at Rushford Farm. 

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I've found over the years that ponies/cobs etc seem to be getting wider and wider and saddles to fit them properly were getting more and more scarce.

 

So, I decided to try and do something about it. 

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A soft pad, that looks like a proper saddle, cut on a curve from front to back, so it sits perfectly into the pony's back (taking the pressure off the withers) rather than just perch on top like traditional pads.  Being completely soft, they just mould into shape, and fit even if the pony expands a bit! The girth straps are also set a bit further forward, closer to the girth groove, to help keep the saddle from slipping.

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The seat is also shaped for the rider, with a padded pommel and cantle.  Helping to create a close contact with the horse, and gives the feeling on riding bareback but with the security of stirrups and knee blocks!! They help to create a deeper more secure seat. 

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So there it was, The Original "Posh Pony Pad" for Portly Ponies! One of the first saddles went to a lady and her Dartmoor pony – about 10 years ago. Then I was lucky enough to have Kizzy and Ettie trial one for a couple of weeks.  After which they did a little review for me. The pads really took off from there, and I started getting orders from all over the world. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​