The Northwest is a hotbed of equestrian product innovation—with companies like Kerrits Equestrian Apparel (started in Hood River, OR/now based out of Bingen, WA); Ansur Saddlery out of Washougal, WA; and FITS (Fun in the Saddle), based in Portland, OR. Now on the rise is Flex Equestrian, owned by Tracy Frankel, managed in Portland with production and manufacturing in Vancouver, WA.

Mystical-thinkers might call it a vortex. Whatever the reason, it’s exciting to see innovative new approaches taken to traditional equestrian equipment. In this article, we’ll learn more about Flex Equestrian’s product line and their developer, Tracy Frankel.

Flex Equestrian began when Tracy took it upon herself to rethink the saddle pad. An amateur dressage rider and competitor, Tracy hoped to give her horse a softer, more comfortable ride. The sheepskin pad she was using (whose brand shall remain nameless) made no appreciable difference. “It didn’t feel different, whether I used the pad or not, in terms of the ride,” Tracy said. She tried cutting and resizing store-bought pads, hoping to see an improvement—to no avail.

That’s when Tracy decided to design her own pad, to create a saddle pad that reduced pressure points, didn’t slip, and improved the fit of the saddle. If she could make the horse more comfortable, Tracy reasoned, the horse should be able to relax and move more freely.

“One day I was in a Bed, Bath, & Beyond store,” Tracy said, “and I saw these memory foam bathmats. There were about the shape and size of a saddle pad, which caught my attention.” Tracy bought a bath mat, cut it up, and test rode it as a saddle pad. She immediately liked the feel of the memory foam and the way it fit the contour of the horse’s back. “I felt I was on to something,” she said. She purchased a memory-foam mattress topper from Costco, which gave her more foam material to work with. She cut it and made a template with two panels. Pleased with the result, “I started looking for people to help,” Tracy said.

Tracy had ample business experience—having founded and run Pizzicato Pizza with her husband, Marc, since 1989.The couple expanded the restaurant into several locations over the years and added two new ventures: Sal’s Italian Kitchen and Lovejoy Bakers. While years of management made Tracy confident she could take on the new project and make it successful—she needed a whole new set of players and skills to manufacture and distribute a consumer product.

Putting together a team was harder than she expected. “I used my contacts,” Tracy said. “Ad designers referred manufacturing designers, and finally led to my team.” Critical to the Flex team are Will Macia, a Vancouver-based manufacturer; Lead Designer Sam Garrison; and Pattern Maker Malgasia Kuleszka.

Going from a concept to a working prototype took one year. Tracy tested the original prototype for several months (using her saddle and the Flex Pad on her three horses). “There are lots of different foam densitities and variations in foam density,” she said. “I knew how much I wanted the foam to compress, so it was just a matter of finding the right foam.”

Later, Tracy sent several prototypes into the community. Sherwood, Oregon-based dressage trainer and competitor Brooke Voldbaek and her assistant trainer, Sarah Gammie, were among the original test riders. “I wanted professionals, who ride four to five horses a day to test ride the pad,” Tracy said. “Just as important, I wanted dedicated amateurs. The sort who know one horse inside/out.” In the feedback phase, Tracy enlisted upper-level trainer/competitor Jessica Wisdom, known for her sucess with North Forks Cardi.

The test riders gave feedback to help fine-tune the product. In response to rider input, “We adjusted the fit, overall dimension, and made changes to decrease slipping,” Tracy said.

As she builds a solid customer base, Tracy is keeping a close eye on the manufacturing process, wanting to feel confident in the quality of each and every pad. She is happy to have production in Vancouver, WA at Will Macia’s The Last U.S. Bag Company. Manufacturing in the U.S. means a smaller profit margin on her end but allows Tracy to have a direct hand in her product’s development. Plus, there’s the satisfaction of keeping things local.

Tracy is intentionally growing the business slowly, not wanting demand to outpace manufacturing at this point. “I want to make sure we can deliver high-quality product by producing in relatively small increments.”

Trainer referrals are an important part of Tracy’s marketing strategy. “Dressage people are reticent to try something new,” Tracy said. “They prefer referrals from a trainer or a trusted friend. Word of mouth referrals are the best advertising.” (Recently, Gold Medallist Michael Etherly contacted Tracy to request a Flex Pad.) Tracy is also promoting the business through her website: www.fexequestrian.com; using search engine optimization; and by taking the Flex Pad to shows.

Shortly, Tracy plans to begin testing a new, ultra-light girth. The Flex Barely There girth is the same width as a traditional girth, but is thin, super strong, lightweight, and breathable. “It’s designed to be more comfortable for the horse and encourage freedom of movement. It doesn’t use traditional elastic, but offers stretch that helps the horse move more freely,” Tracy said. She’ll begin testing the new girth on her own horses, which include a Third Level competitor and two Training Level horses she is bringing along.

For 2012, Tracy plans an innovative new turnout blanket. Her design will start from scratch. “Most blankets today are a sheet of material draped over the horse. The design hasn’t changed significantly over the years. With all of the technical advances we’ve made in garments for humans, I think we can do better with horse blankets.”

Tracy plans a blanket that will provide warmth, protection from the elements, and real freedom of movement. “A good blanket should look at how a horse moves,” she said. “Technical in nature, and fitting the horse like a garment. You’re making outerware for a living, breathing and bucking creature!”

Tracy brings a sense of excitement to her work. When asked how she finds the time to ride her horses, manage her restaurant businesses, plus develop Flex Equestrian, she answers without hestitation, “Because I love it!” With Tracy’s mix of innovation and enthusiasm, watching Flex Equestrian grow and bring new products to market will be a treat. The fact that they’re being designed, tested, and manufactured in our own backyard makes the process all the more rewarding.

For more information about Flex Equestrian visit www.flexequestrian.com