kseidel

I grew up in Cody, Wyoming, working in the boot shop at12 years old. I bought my first stitcher at 13 and started making saddles for a local saddle shop at age 14. After finishing school I traveled the western United States from saddle shop to saddle shop learning and developing new skills. I have been privileged to study under dozens of saddlemakers, some masters and some not as advanced. As my skills developed, I was able to pick and choose shops where I wanted to work to learn different styles of saddles for different disciplines as well as the nuances of equipment used in different geographic areas. Most towns had several saddlemakers, and I tried to befriend and learn as much from each one as possible.

I have also always had a love of horses and ridden for trainers, packers, dude ranches, and cow outfits along the way. These experiences have given me the opportunity to study saddles in action; not only mine, but others, and to test the performance of different methods of construction, as well as the comfort and performance of the various riders and horses in vastly different situations. They have proven to be invaluable in troubleshooting problems in the years to follow.

Since 1994 my wife, Lisa, and I have owned and operated a retail store and saddle shop in Cody Wyoming. Seidel's Saddlery is an upscale western store in the historic downtown district next to Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel. We have a diverse and wealthy clientele of executives and celebrities, as well as working cowboys and ranchers. About one third of our production is selling to the collector market, the two thirds to working cowboys. We specialize in highly decorated items heavily tooled, and mounted with silver and gold. No matter how fancy an item may be, I hold fast to the principle that performance is paramount.