Emma Hamilton Leatherwork

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Emma Hamilton Leatherwork SMS Qualified Saddler
Bespoke bridles, bridle fitting, leatherwork &repairs
Dyslexic ADHD & Autistic
(4)

Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddler
Dyslexic, ADHD and Autistic

And here's the finished bridle from my last post, it turned out just how I had hoped and it fits just right, I'm really ...
11/06/2024

And here's the finished bridle from my last post, it turned out just how I had hoped and it fits just right, I'm really pleased with it. Hopefully I will get some photos of it in action soon that I can share.

The handsome highland I made this for is hoping to get out and about with his mum doing some longer distance rides and hacking over the summer. He's fairly young and still learning lots about being a ridden horse but they make a great partnership and I can't wait to see what they get up to. His mum has been so considerate of his needs and has made sure all his equipment fits correctly and he is happy and confident with how she trains and manages him. I love working with such caring owners, it means that what I do is just the icing on the cake to achieving a happy ridden partnership 😊

This boy has quite a prominent TMJ which is the big jaw joint you can see above a horse's eye so I had to make sure the headpiece I made for him kept the side straps back enough to avoid rubbing this sensitive area. I also always make sure that the buckles on the side of the bridle are not too high up, they should be level with the horse's eye as this also means they won't rub the TMJ.

I'm currently working on an interesting bespoke bridle for a client who is just starting out doing endurance rides. Afte...
01/06/2024

I'm currently working on an interesting bespoke bridle for a client who is just starting out doing endurance rides. After discussing exactly what they needed and having a good think about how I would make a bridle to fit their needs, I've come up with a design that is part bridle and part headcollar to easily allow for leading/tying during stop offs on rides. It will also have clips on the cheekpieces to easily allow the bit to be removed. I'm including a padded anatomical headpiece shaped to this horses individual shape to ensure he is nice and comfortable on long rides. I can't wait to see it finished 🥰

A simple wee repair to a keeper on this throatlash, now it's as good as new 🥰Now the weather is getting so nice, if you'...
27/05/2024

A simple wee repair to a keeper on this throatlash, now it's as good as new 🥰

Now the weather is getting so nice, if you're out and about with your horse a bit more it's a good idea to check over your tack to see if there is and torn leather or loose stitching. Your safety is so important and often repairs like this won't cost much at all and will save you having to buy a new part or full new bridle.

If you have some tack that needs repaired, send me a message to see if I'm able to help. I can carry out repairs on bridles, breastplates, stirrup leathers etc. and can accept items in the post. (I don't take in saddles for work)

I just realised that I haven't posted in almost a month, I've been so busy the last few weeks. Skye is doing AMAZING, I'...
25/05/2024

I just realised that I haven't posted in almost a month, I've been so busy the last few weeks. Skye is doing AMAZING, I'm so proud of both of us getting to where we are now. Skye is now relaxed about leading up to the gate, being tied outside with some hay to munch and getting her feet picked out. It doesn't sound like much but I was reflecting on how stressful it used to be and how much easier these things are now 😊 She's also picked up the bitless bridle cues so well, I only have to use the slightest cue with the reins to ask her to stop/turn and she seems to be really enjoying it. She's had her saddle on a couple of times too so I think next I'll work on getting her confident with me standing up on a mounting block as when we did used to ride, she was a bit anxious around the mounting block and me getting on board.

I've been doing ok but unfortunately at my recent appointment to check my ADHD medication, my blood pressure was a bit high so my dose has been reduced. I was really upset at first as I felt like I was doing so great and having to reduce my dose felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me. I'm still adjusting to how this feels and what my capacity is but it's going alright so far. Hopefully I can get used to this as my new normal moving forward and I can get settled down into more of a routine and feel more confident to work towards my goals 😊

I've been busy behind the scenes making some design changes to my business branding and my website to better reflect me ...
23/04/2024

I've been busy behind the scenes making some design changes to my business branding and my website to better reflect me as a person and a business. I've also updated some of the info on my website to hopefully make it nice and clear what services I offer and how to go about arranging for me to carry out a piece of work for you. The link to my website is in my page bio or click the link below if you want to check it out and let me know what you think 😊

www.emmahamiltonleatherwork.co.uk

Skye has been doing so well over the last few months, I've really noticed a change in her behaviour, she is so much calm...
18/04/2024

Skye has been doing so well over the last few months, I've really noticed a change in her behaviour, she is so much calmer and better able to cope with things that she used to find really stressful. She is even able to calm herself down if something spooks her and she is way less reactive. I'm so proud of how far we have both come together. I've learnt so much from her and things I've been learning about myself, my ADHD and my mental health have helped me to better understand her 😊.

We haven't gone for a ride for at least a year and a half, neither of us were ready for riding up till now but with us both doing much better mentally and emotionally I felt I would take the first step to potentially work towards riding. I decided to add extra rings to her noseband so I can use it as a sidepull bitless bridle to see what Skye thinks (I still need to come up with a solution to hold the cheekpiece straps securely). I do have a bit for her that she did find comfortable but I want to take a different approach this time, really take our time and listen to how Skye is doing every step of the way. We may go back to using the bit but I want to try something different for restarting her so she associates riding with feeling happier and more relaxed.

As far as I know, she's never been ridden bitless before so I knew I would need to teach her what the rein signals mean before even thinking about getting on board. For our first session on the ground, she did brilliantly. She really quickly picked up what I was asking her and was turning and stopping with very light rein aids. I've been using clicker training with Skye for a while and it has been working brilliantly for us for all kinds of things. Although we are different species, clicker training is a language that we can both understand. Skye really clearly understands when I tell her she's done something right and I'm sure she has learnt things much more quickly.

Just received my SMS Qualified Saddler membership renewal certificate for 2024. I'm super proud to be a member of the So...
14/04/2024

Just received my SMS Qualified Saddler membership renewal certificate for 2024. I'm super proud to be a member of the Society of Master Saddlers and to be part of such an amazing community of talented saddlery makers and fitters. The SMS are such a fantastic organisation promoting a high standard in the quality of handmade saddlery and saddlery fitting as well as educating the public of how working with a highly skilled SMS member will ensure their horse is happy, comfortable and can perform at their best. I'm really proud to have become a Qualified Saddler after working hard during my 3 year apprenticeship with Laura Nickel at Amayzing Saddlery and achieving my saddle and bridle making qualifications. It gives me real confidence to know that my saddlery work meets the high standards required to pass the City & Guilds exams as these are assessed by Master Saddlers with years of experience in the trade. I feel so proud to be able to display the SMS badge for my clients to see 🥰

I have been having a good think about how my business works for me and how I feel about the different types of work I ta...
07/04/2024

I have been having a good think about how my business works for me and how I feel about the different types of work I take on. Since my ADHD diagnosis nearly a year ago, I've learnt so much about how my brain works and have gotten much better at recognising when I am struggling and accepting the things I find difficult or stressful.

I wanted to give you all an update about some of the changes I have decided to make to my business moving forward to help keep it manageable for me now I have a much better understanding of how my ADHD and my mental health affects me.

I will be continuing to do tack repairs and making bespoke bridles and other items of tack

I will continue to offer bridle fitting appointments but will regularly check to make sure that I have enough capacity to book clients for appointments

I will decide on a case-by-case basis if I will accept an item for repair, particularly for larger or more complex repairs

I will no longer be doing any work on saddles or any boot alterations/repairs

My decision to take on pieces of work depends on so many factors that affect how challenging the work will be. I may decide on certain occasions to not accept a certain item that I have accepted previously or I may take on more challenging work depending on how I am feeling or my current workload. My capacity can vary day-to-day due to my ADHD symptoms and so I want to be mindful of this so I can better manage my workload and avoid wearing myself out.

Thank you to all my clients who have been so kind and supportive of me and my work and for your lovely messages and comments on my social media posts. I am feeling really good about the decisions I have made for my business and feel these are the right changes for me to make at this point of my life. I could never completely stop making things, especially leatherworking, and so I hope that taking a little step back means that I can continue to run my business and who knows, maybe in the future I will feel ready to jump back into it head first.

Hi everyone, that's me back in the workshop after my time off. I'm feeling really rested, rejuvenated and ready to get b...
01/04/2024

Hi everyone, that's me back in the workshop after my time off. I'm feeling really rested, rejuvenated and ready to get back to doing some leatherwork. I'm going to do another post in the next few days explaining a few of the small changes I'm going to make to my business moving forward.

Thanks again to everyone who has been so kind and supportive of me and my business over the years, it really means a lot 🥰

I wanted to let you all know that I've decided to take a wee break until the end of march. This is to allow me to spend ...
04/03/2024

I wanted to let you all know that I've decided to take a wee break until the end of march. This is to allow me to spend time focusing on myself, my future and the future of Emma Hamilton leatherwork. I'm planning to be back to my usual opening hours in April. I will not be responding to any new emails or messages until then, I will still reply to messages from clients regarding ongoing orders. Thanks for your understanding 🥰

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my business since I opened in April 2022. It has been a journey full of ups and downs, I've learnt so much and been able to work on so many exciting and interesting items for you. I'm so grateful that you have put your trust in me to make your horse's new bridle, bring your idea to life or repair your precious item.

As some of you know, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD in April 2023 after struggling with a whole range of things since starting primary school over 20 years ago. My ADHD diagnosis has been life changing and has massively helped to improve my mental health and my outlook on life. I have also been taking medication which is helping me so much with loads of things in my day-to-day life, even some things I didn't know were a struggle for me before.

Over the past year, I have been coming to terms with my diagnosis and been working through all the emotions that have come with this. The years of life just being one long struggle without knowing why, my low self-esteem, beating myself up over everything I found difficult, feeling like an outsider and not fitting in socially. I also have lots of complex feelings about the years of not being believed or supported by teachers or healthcare professionals. I am so frustrated about how I was let down for so long and how different my life could have been if I'd been able to understand myself earlier and get the support I needed in school, university and work. I am beginning to feel more at peace, as through this process I have learnt so much about myself, my emotions and my outlook on the world. I can't go back and change my past, but I can start to look ahead to what my life can be moving forward.

Continued in comments...

This wallet was in recently for some much needed TLC. It has lots of sentimental value to the client so they really hope...
29/02/2024

This wallet was in recently for some much needed TLC. It has lots of sentimental value to the client so they really hoped I'd be able to help so they could continue using it. I replaced the worn leather on the spine and on the side of the inner coin pocket, I also added some new leather binding around the outer edges where this had worn away. A good condition and a little stain really brought it back to life 😊 Luckily most of the leather was in good enough condition so I was able to repair the damaged parts and didn't run the risk of causing further damage as I worked on it.

A pair of Ariat Torridon men's country boots I recently had in to make narrower for the client. Really pleased with how ...
07/02/2024

A pair of Ariat Torridon men's country boots I recently had in to make narrower for the client. Really pleased with how they turned out, Ariat is one of my favourite brands of boots to work on as they use really strong and sturdy leather and often they are constructed in a way that is simpler to alter. So many manufacturers nowadays don't seem to consider how their products might need to be repaired/altered in the future, they would much prefer the customer to throw away their old boots and pay for brand new ones.

I was really glad to be able to alter these to fit the client much better so they can continue to wear their much loved boots 😊

I received some lovely feedback from a client who had sent me their handbag to be altered, I'm so pleased that I was abl...
26/01/2024

I received some lovely feedback from a client who had sent me their handbag to be altered, I'm so pleased that I was able to help 😊

This lovely handbag was in the workshop to have some alterations done to the straps. The client had received it for Chri...
18/01/2024

This lovely handbag was in the workshop to have some alterations done to the straps. The client had received it for Christmas and loved the bag but wasn't a fan of the backpack straps, I altered it so it now has a single cross-body strap. I was really pleased with how it turned out and the client was delighted that I was able to alter it for her.

There are all sorts of things I'm able to alter or repair, I really enjoy the challenge of working out the best way to work on an item to get it how the client would like. Do get in touch if you have an item in need of work to see if I can help

A simple wee repair I carried out for a client recently, the leather holding this D-ring had torn so I replaced it with ...
05/01/2024

A simple wee repair I carried out for a client recently, the leather holding this D-ring had torn so I replaced it with some new leather and stitched it in place following the existing holes to keep it as strong as possible.

I really enjoy doing simple repairs like this that fix up something that has become un-usable so it can have many more years of use.

I hope you all had a lovely festive period and wishing you a happy New year!!! I had a really relaxing time with family ...
02/01/2024

I hope you all had a lovely festive period and wishing you a happy New year!!! I had a really relaxing time with family with some beautiful snowy walks and lots of knitting. I'm now back in the workshop, thanks to everyone who sent me a message being patient whilst I took some time off.

I've been feeling much better recently as I was finally able to get the dose of my ADHD medication that I need at a local pharmacy, hopefully that will be the shortage starting to be over and I won't need to worry about it anymore. I'm feeling much more peaceful and am feeling in a good place mentally and emotionally to think ahead a bit more at what I want my life to look like moving forward. It's so exciting to finally feel like I'm not just in survival mode, feeling much more recovered from my burnout and to be able to look towards the future 😊 I've got lots of ideas for my business and my leatherwork as well as loads of other ideas. I will keep you all posted if I plan on making any changes but for now I'm going to continue with my business as I enjoy it so much.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, peaceful and fulfilled 2024

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and all the best for the new year 🎄🦌☃️🌟 I will reply to any messages w...
22/12/2023

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and all the best for the new year 🎄🦌☃️🌟 I will reply to any messages when I am back on Tuesday the 2nd of January

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you all know how I'm doing as I realised I haven't posted on here for nearly a month!...
15/12/2023

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you all know how I'm doing as I realised I haven't posted on here for nearly a month! I've been taking things a bit slower over the past few weeks as I was really struggling with trying to reduce my ADHD medication dose to get my supply to last as long as possible as there is still hardly any medication available in my area. After phoning at least 30 pharmacies the other day, I was only able to get 14 individual capsules of the dose I need. Despite this, I was very excited as this was the first prescription I was able to fulfill that the NHS have paid for, woohoo!!! I have enough medication to last me until the 1st of January if I take my full dose, hopefully in a week or so more will become available.

It's been really rubbish having no real idea when medication will become available again, the manufacturer is being very vague and the NHS/government aren't being very helpful either. I feel so fortunate that I have been able to get some medication so I haven't yet been stuck without it as many people haven't been able to get any at all. I just hope that once this shortage is resolved, the manufacturer will make sure it doesn't happen again as I just want to be able to get on with my life without this worry hanging over me.

I have been feeling a bit better again the last couple of weeks but the stress has really taken it out of me, I've been feeling really tired and even had a rash on my hands which I think was caused by me feeling so stressed. Anyway, I have been doing bits and pieces of leatherwork and lots of knitting, crochet and sewing making some cute decorations as gifts which has helped me to get into the festive spirit. I hope you're all looking forward to Christmas and hope everyone affected by the medication shortage are doing ok, sending love and hugs

To go with his new noseband to replace the one damaged by a dog attack (see my previous post) I also made a set of reins...
17/11/2023

To go with his new noseband to replace the one damaged by a dog attack (see my previous post) I also made a set of reins to match. These have flexible rubber grips with leather strips stitched on for added grip. I was also asked to do buckle billets rather than my usual billet hooks to make the reins easier for the owner to attach to the bit.

Wishing you both lots of happy riding that is hopefully less eventful.

I recently made a new noseband for this lovely boy who sadly was attacked by a group of dogs at Mugdock Country Park. Th...
17/11/2023

I recently made a new noseband for this lovely boy who sadly was attacked by a group of dogs at Mugdock Country Park. Thankfully him and his young rider were both ok but one of the dogs managed to bite his noseband causing it to break.

I was asked to share some links to news articles about the incident which hopefully will raise awareness about this issue and for some good to come out of this. I have heard several similar stories from people who have been attacked by out of control dogs when out riding. Dog owners really need to be more aware of this and certain owners need to be more responsible for their dogs behaviour. When we are out riding our horses, we have them under control, other users of public spaces should do the same with their animals so everyone can be out to enjoy the countryside.

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/23848586.mums-warning-teen-horse-attacked-dogs-near-glasgow/?ref=fbm

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/teenager-horse-attacked-english-bull-31110237?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

I finally had my appointment with an NHS psychiatrist on Tuesday and they agree with my private ADHD diagnosis and the N...
16/11/2023

I finally had my appointment with an NHS psychiatrist on Tuesday and they agree with my private ADHD diagnosis and the NHS will cover the cost of my medication moving forward. This finally marks the end of my nearly 20 year journey to get the NHS to acknowledge my issues. Despite the outcome of the appointment being what I had hoped for, the person that I saw was not very kind or understanding and seemed to have no idea just how hard of a time I've had living with undiagnosed ADHD and with the NHS previously not validating my issues which has been something that it has taken me a long time to deal with. I have only recently been able to fully accept myself for who I am, to believe myself about my challenges and to be able to live my life without shame. I think some people have no idea what it is like finding so many things in life hard, trying to express that but being told that I was wrong, there was nothing different about me that could be causing my challenges. For years I internalised this as feeling shame for not being able to do things that I thought I should be able to and for finding things hard as I believed I had no reason to be struggling. ADHD symptoms are hard enough to deal with without the extra layer of gaslighting and shame.

I have been assessed several times from the start of primary school for dyslexia, autism and other issues with my only diagnosis up until this year being dyslexia. Reading through my various reports, there is a clear theme of my ADHD symptoms being noticed but nobody recognising that I actually had ADHD.

The NHS system for ADHD assessment and treatment is broken. It is shocking for me to have such clear symptoms but to have been missed by so many professionals for so long. There is not enough funding, there is inadequate training for professionals working in the field and the screening and diagnosis process is inaccessible for many people. In the past I have under-reported my symptoms on forms and struggled to express myself at appointments as I didn't know how severe my challenges were and struggle to put my thoughts into words which I think have contributed to me slipping through the net.

Continued in comments:

Here's a bridle I made recently for the lovely Molly. This is a super simple bridle with a plain browband and noseband b...
09/11/2023

Here's a bridle I made recently for the lovely Molly. This is a super simple bridle with a plain browband and noseband but with my custom anatomical headpiece. This is probably the most popular style of bridle that I make as it keeps with a more traditional look but ensures the horse's comfort. It was a bit of a wet and windy day so Molly was not keen to pose for a photo but she did look much happier being ridden in her new bridle 😊

There are so many anatomical bridles available to buy nowadays, it's great that owners are becoming more aware of how their bridle fits their horse but unfortunately bridle manufacturers have seen a new area of the market that has become available and are making all kinds of designs of bridles. Many of these bridles have been designed to look fancy but are often over complicated and haven't been designed with the horse's comfort in mind. It saddens me to see owners who think they are doing the best for their horse but are drawn in by flashy marketing claims that aren't backed up by anything. This is not the case for all bridle manufacturers as there are bridles available that have been designed for the comfort of the horse and based on current scientific knowledge. It makes me so happy to see more and more horse owners becoming aware of the importance of a well fitting bridle and are getting bridle fitters out to see their horse and I hope this trend continues.

I love making bespoke bridle for clients but understand that not everyone has the budget for a hand made bridle. My goal is to ensure that your horse can have a well-fitting bridle regardless of your budget. As well as fully bespoke bridles, I can also alter bridles and make individual parts to help keep it more affordable for you. Please do get in touch if you would like to book a bridle fitting appointment or to discuss bridle alterations or ordering a bespoke bridle. I am based just north of Glasgow and will travel up to 2 hours away, appointments start at £35 per horse. Fully bespoke bridles range from around £160 - £250 with alterations and bridle parts from around £30 - £100.

I'm going to need to take it a bit easier over the next few weeks as unfortunately there is a shortage of the medication...
06/11/2023

I'm going to need to take it a bit easier over the next few weeks as unfortunately there is a shortage of the medication I take for my ADHD. This is a worldwide issue with many ADHD medications and the manufacturers are not giving us any real idea of when stock will be available again. I am rationing my medication to give me as many days as possible on my medication but this means that there will be days where my medication effects will wear off earlier in the afternoon so I won't be able to get as much work done. I may need to increase wait times for orders if I get busier or may need to extend time estimates for orders being ready. I might also sometimes take longer to reply to messages as this can sometimes be really difficult for me depending on how I am feeling.

Unfortunately, even if I extend the number of days on my medication, I may not be able to get my prescription straight away when I run out so I may need to take a break from my business for a wee while. Hopefully it won't come to that and medication stock levels will be back to normal soon.

I am so frustrated as I have finally found something that helps me feel so much better in myself, feel less anxious and to be able to do the things that I want to do without feeling exhausted all the time. I have learnt from experience that if I push myself too much when I don't have help from my medication it is not sustainable for me and I will likely have a major burnout again. I am still recovering from burnout from living life as an undiagnosed ADHDer for so many years without treatment or professional support so I am taking each day as it comes and learning to accept that I have limits that I need to respect.

Hustle culture has become such a common mindset in our society, especially for people who run their own business. Some people are able to work long hours and sustain that for a long period but for me, having ADHD makes that impossible. For my business to work long term and for my physical and mental health I need to carefully manage my work hours and my energy levels. Thanks everyone for your kind comments and support, I really appreciate it 😊😊😊

Thanks everyone for the lovely birthday messages, I had a fab birthday!!! It was a gorgeous day so I went out for a walk...
01/11/2023

Thanks everyone for the lovely birthday messages, I had a fab birthday!!! It was a gorgeous day so I went out for a walk at Loch Ard with my parents which is one of my favourite places for a walk, the autumn colours were just perfect with the sun shining. I've been enjoying lots of tasty treats this weekend including a huge chocolate fudge cake.

I've been doing lots of crochet recently and just finished my rainbow granny square blanket which I love so much. My mum helped me do my hair again and I went for pink dye which turned out amazing but a little brighter than I was expecting 😂 I really love it though. I realised that I dyed my hair pink around my birthday last year so maybe that's becoming a tradition for me.

I am back in the workshop for a quieter week this week so I can get in with some orders but still have time for some fun plans for other things I want to do

It's my birthday today!!! I'm taking today off so will reply to any messages tomorrow, thanks everyone 😊😊😊
30/10/2023

It's my birthday today!!! I'm taking today off so will reply to any messages tomorrow, thanks everyone 😊😊😊

This week I was tasked with repairing this lovely dog collar. Unfortunately the original leather was too damaged to repa...
26/10/2023

This week I was tasked with repairing this lovely dog collar. Unfortunately the original leather was too damaged to repair (see the last 2 photos) but I was able to re-use the blue lining leather and the brass buckle and name plate. The client also asked me to make a matching lead and I'm really pleased with how this set turned out.

I love how much variety I have with my business, there is something new with every order I work on. I also love how versatile bridle leather is and how my saddlery skills that I've learnt can be applied to so many different things.

Although I mainly focus on equestrian items, I can make and repair all sorts of things, do get in touch if you have something you would like made or that needs repaired to see if I can help

Here's Mylo wearing his new sidepull bridle, doesn't he look smart 😊 Wishing him and his mum lots of happy rides togethe...
18/10/2023

Here's Mylo wearing his new sidepull bridle, doesn't he look smart 😊 Wishing him and his mum lots of happy rides together.

I have been making more bitless bridles recently, it's brilliant to see owners willing to try a new approach for their bridle to make sure their horse is comfortable and their communication is effective. I feel that no bridle (bitted or bitless) is better than another, the most important thing is that the bridle fits the horse and works well for what kind of riding you do together.

There are some bit and bridle styles that I definitely wouldn't choose to fit due to the extreme forces they can apply, but any bridle can be harsh if the rider needs to use stronger aids to communicate with their horse either due to lack of rider/horse training or the horse being stressed or in pain. My goal is to use as simple a bridle and bit as possible that allows the horse and rider to work well together and to ensure they are both safe and comfortable.

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Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
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