Hello,
My interest in saddles has been many years' long. Started when I bought my first custom hand built saddle in 1997, which sadly was far from my last. Saddles bought and sold that did not fit well, each time trusting the next saddlemaker was the one who would get it right, sometimes waiting over 12 months to see the results. Let me say a couple of them did do pretty well, but looking back I can see that I could have invested in saddle school, set up a shop and learned the trade with all the time and money invested in saddles that had to be resold. I am still going through sorting out what works and what doesn't in saddle trees and some of the saddlemakers I have dealt with all had good intentions but in the end seemed more fascinated by their topnotch leather work than in choosing a tree that would fit my horse(s). I've also had trouble finding a saddle on the market that had exactly the features I wanted in seat style, rigging, stirrup placement, etc.... seems the trends do not match what I'm looking for.
Here I am now approaching the age of 56 but still feeling mighty young ;-) and I can't let go of the idea that I'd like to learn to make my own saddle. I have never even done so much as run a single stitch through a piece of leather, nor tapped a single stamp of a design. But I have excellent hand - eye coordination and have not disappointed myself when setting about to learn something new, be it sculpting, designing, drawing, etc. I have supported our family for many years in my own business in more than one field and so I have confidence that I can devote myself to an intense learning curve.
Soooo... I have been reading websites till I'm cross-eyed, including this one, working to formulate opinions on the best books, DVD's, schools, tools and materials. I had a heart to heart talk with my husband and after his observing this interest was only gaining momentum as time passed, said "Let's sell our California home and property and move to the midwest" (where he ultimately wants to live) and with the extra funds we'd make, set me up in a shop where I could practice saddle and bridle making between stints of education. It's a mighty tantalizing carrot he's hanging out in front of me.
I guess with all this interest and self-professed confidence, I'm still a little shy about asking questions... wondering why I didn't know this was what I wanted to do when I was much younger. I thought I'd introduce myself and let y'all meet an ol gal who isn't even qualified to be a rank beginner, but is getting ready to dive in... oh, and are there any midwest towns you might recommend over others, hehe.
Thanks for all the input here. I have been soaking up the knowledge sometimes while my dishes are soaking in the sink till the soapy water turns cold.
YellowDun
