Lula

Hi all, thanks for your advice, I will look into the links / names given straight away! I have a very small amount of leatherworking experience, I went to a saddlery taster week course over here & made a belt & a rolled bridle by hand, just to give me an idea in what's involved & to see whether I was capable & if I enjoyed it, which I thoroughly did! The instructors comments were very encouaging as well, which was great. I would have prefered to go & be taught by a good saddle maker, as you have the option of asking questions, plus they can put you right if they see you are doing something wrong! But if the Jeremiah Watt dvd is very explanitory, hopefully I'll be ok (fingers crossed!), plus I have you guys if I really get stuck which is great!! My Husband is also very interested in saddlery but more towards the Tree Making, (he does allot of Carpentry) which would be great if he could learn somewhere as I can't seem to locate any traditional Western Tree Makers in Europe (does anyone know of any?)! Thanks Again!

Hi all, firstly I am so glad I stumbled across this great forum!!! I have been quietly reading your posts for the last few days, trying to learn as much as I can before posting! I have wanted to learn the art of saddle making for the last 3 years, with the aim of becoming a saddler but have been going around in circles not knowing which is the best route for me to go down! I live in France (but am British) & have a young son, so going away to do a live in course isn't an option for me. There aren't many Western Saddle Makers in France (or the UK) & the 2 that I have found do not offer lessons / courses. I had thought before finding this forum that my only option was to go across to Canada / USA & go to a saddle school for a 3-4 week course but I have got some concerns in the back of my mind about this!! Plus it is a considerable financial outlay & on my return I would still have all the tools etc to buy!! From what I have read here, the general advice seems to be not to go to a saddle school in the first instance & to make your own saddle using reference material, the most recommened being Al Stohlmans "Encyclopedia of Saddle Making" volumes 1-3 books & Jeremiah Watt's The Art of Saddle Making" DVD (please correct me if I am wrong!). I understand that they tell you what tools & materials are required, do they also explain the principles of fitting the tree to a horse? I don't have any tools at the moment, can anyone recommend a manufacturer of good quality tools please & give me an idea as to how much it will cost to kit myself out with the basic tools required to make a saddle? I believe that there is a Tandy Warehouse in the UK, do they supply quality tools? Does anyone know of any other suppliers in Europe for good quality tools & leather, trees etc? Sorry for the questions but I am completely new to Saddle Making & want to get the best start possible. Any replies will be greatly appreciated.