The Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) Unlocking Ambition Enterprise Fellowship scheme is supporting 20 established entrepreneurs to help accelerate the growth of their business and develop their potential as leaders. We're bringing you profiles of each of this year's cohort.
Orrin Equestrian Products Ltd
Orrin Equestrian Products Ltd is aiming to redefine the horse saddle market with its innovative and uniquely designed carbon fibre saddle.
Based near Lairg in the Highlands and founded by entrepreneur Anna Renouf, the company’s Orrin Saddle product combines the latest scientific equipment and knowledge with equine and rider biomechanics to improve saddle fit and performance. It is designed to absorb the movement of the rider and distribute the pressure more evenly across the horse’s back. With adjustable width and angle, it is the first and only saddle on the market to offer such adaptability.
Renouf said: “My ambition for the company is to build a global, market-leading saddle brand which reduces the percentage of horses injured due to poor saddle fit. I also want to improve education around saddle fitting and how it can impact on the horse, both physically and mentally.”
Through the support of the year-long Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Unlocking Ambition Enterprise Fellowship, funded by the Scottish Government, Renouf has been able to refine and perfect the science behind the product and implement testing of a working model in a live situation.
In addition, valuable insight was gathered through a focus group made up of industry experts, a professional show jumper and a spinal therapist.
Renouf said: “My biggest challenge has been the development of the saddle. After many months of work, I realised there was a technical problem with part of the design, and if we had continued, it would have been detrimental to the finished product.
"I therefore had to take several steps back, which was time-consuming. The RSE Fellowship enabled me to take this time to re-evaluate and to secure the input of users and relevant experts. What we have now is ultimately a much better finished design.”
Last year, Orrin Equestrian Products was nominated for Best New Business at the Highland Business Women Awards.
Renouf added: “In the last year, I have learned so much about product development and improved my commercial and business skills. The additional knowledge means I am more confident now about taking the business forward and achieving the next milestones.”
