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In the many years I have been in the equestrian world, I have ALWAYS thought that a good saddle pad is like a good pair of shoes. The only two things that matter is that it looks AMAZING and it fits comfortably. Put those elements together and you find one of the many ways that Equestrians have been known to express themselves. A rider’s saddle pad is a direct reflection of their style!
Laughing Mare on Etsy, owned by Cara Drouin out of sunny California provides handcrafted pieces of art featured on colorful and comfortable saddle pads!
Each of the cotton batik medallions (one piece on each side of the pad) are drawn by hand with melted wax, so each piece is different!
The medallions are treated with UV resistant laundry product set by heat, and renewing the UV resistance every few washings is recommended by Cara. I honestly have not laundered the pad since our little equestrian has been using it. I wipe it clean with warm water if needed, and it is stored in our climate controlled tack room. In all honestly the pad wipes clean VERY well compared to other pads we have owned.
The pad that we reviewed was a FULL size Lami Cell basic all purpose pad, contoured to fit PERFECTLY. Our little equestrian is learning how to tack up her own horse, and in the past she has struggled with pad placement. This pad was the FIRST pad she was able to line up and place perfect every time with the cut back style it sits exactly where it needs to be on the wither / spine of Toby, our AQHA gelding. Cara also offers Dressage and AP Jumping pads as well! The pad itself is 5mm high density foam, 100% cotton construction and anti sweat mesh lining.
Each pad is customized individually, and the pads that are available are listed on the Laughing Mare Etsy page. The descriptions are easy to read, the colors are varied, and the designs are organized into collections based on the “theme” of the Batik design. (Our pad was classified as Summer of Love) I was extremely impressed with the application of the batik to the pad, and the durability of the overall product. You can tell Cara takes great pride in her artwork and each individual piece that she produces reflects that pride!
Ellie is so thrilled with the design, in her own words ” It is cute, sassy, and colorful! Everyone will notice me in the arena.. ” I often catch her admiring the batik medallions, and standing back to look at her gelding covered in pink tack. (He looks quite handsome in pink at least.)
We recommend Laughing Mare to any young (or old) equestrian looking to brighten up their tack collection!
