This is a 23 inch fender that is 10 1/4″ wide. I use a wider pattern for tall customers so that the fender width looks balanced against the longer length. Most of my customers these days are folks that I don’t have the luxury of meeting face to face to write the order. I rely […]
Therapy
This is a common view of my shop. There is some music on the Bose, a couple dogs for company, morning sun streaming in, and a fender to flower carve in front of me. Life is pretty good when you’re blessed with work that is also your therapy. The saddle I am working on here […]
The Ground Seat
Saddle makers are often asked what a person should look for in a comfortable saddle. Though it is a fair question, a simple answer is tough to come by. The key lies in what is called the ground seat. Although many riders are unfamiliar with how the ground seat is constructed and how it works, […]
For the Collector
Since the founding of the TCAA in 1998, I have built nearly twenty unique, collector category saddles for an average price of nearly $30,000, all of which have been collaborations with some very good silversmiths (Scott Hardy, Mark Drain, Mark Dahl, R. Schaezlein & Son) Almost all of them took over a year from the […]
Thoughts on Craftsmanship
Over the years, I have approached fine craftsmanship as a process…a journey of refinement. There has been an ongoing, deliberate effort to make the next saddle better than the last. It is a study of integrating function and art, the two ideals at the heart of fine craftsmanship. This commitment has required a certain amount […]
Keeping Your Saddle Clean
Better horsemanship begins with paying careful attention to details. One of those details that figure into the larger picture is adequate care and maintenance of the one thing you use every time you swing a leg over your horse: your saddle. The quality of care you give your saddle should match the quality of care […]