Bringing a Different Approach to Equine Gear
When I developed the Mountain Ridge Gear modular pommel bag, I wasn't simply looking at existing equine products and trying to make another version of them.
I was bringing ideas from a completely different world.
Before introducing the design, I spent considerable time researching what was already available in the equine market. I couldn't find another manufacturer incorporating military-style MOLLE modularity into a pommel bag the way we were proposing to do it.
That made sense to me because my perspective was somewhat different. I was already familiar with MOLLE and military equipment from my time in the Air Force, and Mountain Ridge Gear had years of experience building heavy-duty sewn gear before we ever became an equine-focused company.
When I began designing equine equipment, I naturally gravitated toward the materials and manufacturing methods I already trusted. Military equipment is expected to endure abrasion, weather, heavy loads, repeated use, and extremely demanding environments.
My thinking was pretty simple:
If these materials and construction methods were good enough for equipment used in combat environments, they were certainly worth bringing into the equine world.
That philosophy led us to materials such as heavy-duty Cordura®, quality webbing and hardware, and eventually the MOLLE system used on our customizable pommel bags.
The MOLLE concept was particularly appealing because I didn't want Mountain Ridge Gear deciding what every rider needed to carry. Riders have different needs. A trail rider, hunter, rancher, outfitter, and recreational rider may all want something different within easy reach.
So we built a platform and let the rider decide.
Customers can configure the system with different MOLLE-compatible pouches and accessories according to what they carry. One available option is a pistol holster. MOLLE has a long history of securing equipment in demanding military environments, although anyone carrying a firearm should still use an appropriate retention holster and verify that the complete setup is securely attached before riding.
We also addressed another issue I saw with pommel bags: how they hang against the rider.
Instead of designing the two sides to simply hang straight down from the saddle horn, we gave our pommel bag a curved shape that follows the front of the saddle. That helps keep the bags from laying against the rider's legs.
None of these decisions were made simply to make the product look different.
They came from asking the same question that has driven so much of what we do at Mountain Ridge Gear:
Is there a better way to build it?
When we introduced this system, I believed we were bringing something genuinely different to the equine market. After researching what was available at the time, I couldn't find anyone else combining military-style modularity, materials, and design concepts in a pommel bag in quite the same way.
That willingness to look outside the traditional equine industry for better solutions has become an important part of how Mountain Ridge Gear designs equipment today.
