A D Saddlery

08/08/2024

Commonwealth Junior Amateur Invitational and Colonial Classic qualifiers! Who wants a small sponsor banner to hang in your barn? PM me and I will get one to you before the show.

07/27/2024

This should sound pretty familiar to most of my clients. My TB owners are very familiar with my long vs short tree points discussion!

07/18/2024

Every time I get feedback like this it puts a huge smile on my face. Congratulations Emma and Lucas, and thank you to all of my clients who trust me to help their horses be their best.

07/16/2024

Seen in my travels this week…I realize it’s “just a lesson saddle” but there are well trained saddlers out there like myself who would love to do a nice job on your equipment. Shoe repair and “harness” shops don’t care what the job looks like, or if it’s SAFE, and if you’re paying for it, why not pay for quality work?

07/13/2024

Hand stitched vs machine stitched.

07/11/2024

Sorry I have been social media absent for a while. The new farm/haul in facility for fittings has been keeping me busy!
Here is an example of my detail neuroses…the previous noseband billet had been size stamped, so naturally I had to stamp the repaired billet as well. Cracked billets will tear eventually. I can replace them easily. Reach out if you have a well loved bridle that needs some attention!

06/18/2024

Photos don’t do this justice, it was much more obvious in person! Interesting find on a western saddle today.
Rider complains of saddle being tight on the horse’s one shoulder, unwillingness to move laterally under saddle, and bodyworker found soreness in one shoulder. Horse’s shoulders show no appreciable asymmetry. Upon inspection, this saddle has one side of the skirt and shearling attached higher than the other in the gullet. Likely a factory defect as the saddle was purchased new and had no accidents or drops/falls or modifications.
Client was VERY appreciative of a fitter who is also a working saddler, who can see issues like this because of proper saddlery training including knowing how to build and repair. Horse moves freely laterally almost immediately after switching to a different saddle that fits properly.
These are the tiny victories that keep me going out to fitting appointments. 💕

05/23/2024

Better than new, I used heavier hide than before. It won’t break in the same place again.

05/22/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/wmabCPkKLTZmuoce/?

Search “Find A Member” to find a SMS fitter near you.

🤔 Do you know if your saddle fitter is qualified? 🤔
The Society of Master Saddlers run the only industry recognised saddle fitting courses.
By using an SMS qualified saddle fitter you ensure that the fitter has at least 3 years worth of experience and has been fully assessed.
There are a few other saddle fitting courses available but none of these involve the quality of training or assessment that the SMS provide and there is no governing body regulating the advice they provide. You therefore cannot be sure that they are providing factual and relevant information.

To check if your saddle fitter is SMS qualified simply go to the SMS website (https://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk)
and type the fitters name into the search bar on the home page.

05/21/2024

Every stitch by hand. Replacement billet on a fully stitched martingale.

05/18/2024

Replacement dee ring on a Micklem bridle.

05/18/2024

If the holes in the platforms are stretched or torn like these, have them replaced. You should never see this much movement in your hook studs. This is an accident waiting to happen.

05/18/2024

This is a safety PSA, if the hook studs on your reins have stretched out holes and wiggle this easily, have them repaired. These are unsafe, and the hook studs will pull through sooner than later. Not what we want to happen when trying to stop a 1000 # animal.

05/18/2024

Before and after of torn up rein lacing

05/12/2024

At last count, 7 horses that I fit saddles for were champion at shows yesterday. That’s fantastic, guys!!!

05/09/2024

Re lacing a pair of high end reins. One continuous piece of rein lacing vs two spliced together. You don’t see that much anymore since hides have become so expensive and most strap goods are now assembled in India. One continuous piece is safer, more correct, and better craftsmanship.

05/08/2024

Re lacing reins. Extra “fiddly”.

05/06/2024

It’s been a while since I posted repairs. I have been busy with some BIG THINGS in the works for AD Saddlery, including the option of a haul in facility for saddle fitting! Can’t wait to show you more!

04/23/2024

A bent stirrup bar is actually a really big deal. This one twisted hard enough to shear the rivets on several parts of the tree. Likely was a stirrup that caught on a stall door or gate. Run up your stirrups as soon as you dismount to avoid this issue.

04/23/2024

Set of 4 absolutely immaculate Jimmy’s 20th Century sheepskin lined equitation boots. Average horse size. $295

04/23/2024

18” Narrow Amerigo Pinerolo dressage. Excellent condition $1795

04/23/2024

Bruno Delgrange Virtuose 18/5A $3400 immaculate condition, 4.5” gullet
Bruno Delgrange Partition 17/3A $1800 excellent condition 4.25” gullet

04/20/2024

Anyone ever had a pair of glasses that digs in behind your ears? Be very careful of the words “ergonomic” or “anatomic” when it comes to tack. Three sizes of bridle crown cannot possibly be a good fit for the entire equine population. The browband is pulled down here to show how poorly this “anatomical” crown actually fits this horse’s anatomy.

04/19/2024

Do your horse’s back a favour and use one every day. What makes our pad so much better than its rivals is its unique ability to cushion and protect – in such a super-thin package. It creates a maximum bearing surface under the points of the tree without altering the saddle fit. Available in a...

04/18/2024

04/16/2024

Building from a bare tree gives you a much deeper understanding of design, form and functionality. It’s also incredibly difficult. This is two days progress

04/15/2024

While saddle fitting is still in its infancy, it is at least gaining traction. I am humbled and saddened by how little we know about true equine craniofacial anatomy in the tack business. I am lucky to have one of the world’s foremost TRULY anatomical bridlemakers as a mentor. I can promise you I will be 100% dedicated to this, and we WILL get better. Don’t believe a mass manufactured bridle labeled as “anatomical”. Most are not made for the horse’s comfort, just for gimmicks and sales.

04/10/2024

Actually working on a piece for myself today. The color scheme should give that away.

04/07/2024

Might have gone a little overboard with this one but why not? Completely remade this all but dead 30ish year old Crosby crank noseband. There was the option of splices/reinforcements or doing it to make it beautiful again. I chose the latter. I also reinforced the places it broke before. It won’t break there again in the next 30 years!

04/05/2024

The tiniest little custom girth for a leadline saddle is headed to its new home today. Every single one of the stitches was hand stitched. No wonder I have Aleve for breakfast most days 😂