Sustainability in Equestrian Industry: Behind the Scenes at DOCCARI Equestrian

Sustainability in Equestrian Industry: Behind the Scenes at DOCCARI Equestrian

In today's world, sustainability is becoming a critical concern, not only in the fashion industry but increasingly in the equestrian sector as well. There's a growing perception that some equestrian businesses might be adopting sustainability as a superficial trend, rather than making genuine, meaningful changes. At DOCCARI Equestrian, we want to break through this skepticism by offering transparency into our production process, particularly how we handle the creation of saddle pads and the management of leftover materials, allowing you to form your own informed opinion.

The reality is that every product—whether in fashion or equestrian equipment—inevitably generates waste. The key difference lies in how each company chooses to manage this waste. For small businesses like ours, minimizing waste isn't just an environmental concern; it's an economic necessity. That's why we’re committed to creating products in a way that reduces waste.

Let’s take a closer look at our production process. It all begins with the careful selection of materials, which we strive to source locally whenever possible. For many of our limited-edition saddle pads, we incorporate leftover fabrics from local stores, resulting in unique, one-of-a-kind designs that also contribute to sustainability.

Each saddle pad is cut individually, ensuring that only the necessary amount of material is used. After the base panel of the saddle pad is sewn, we cut out its precise shape. The only waste generated, is the trimmed edges. But even this material doesn’t go to waste.

(Leftover material from saddle pad)

Since the excess material is soft and pliable, we find creative ways to repurpose it. By cutting it into smaller pieces, we can use it as filling for other products. 

(Leftover material, cutted into small pieces)

For example, we sew covers from suitable fabrics, fill them with our repurposed material, and create comfortable, durable beds for dogs, cats and other animals. 

(Sewing fabric cover for dog bed)

(Dog bed filled with leftover material - for one medium sized bed we use waste material from approximately 5 - 8 saddle pads)

These beds are not just a byproduct—they are well-loved by the animals that use them.
(Here you can see our friend enjoying his new bed 🥰)


This is just one of the ways we’re reducing waste in our production process. Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond material usage; it includes the implementation of energy-efficient machinery, recyclable packaging, and other  practices.

Follow us on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes from saddle pad production.

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