Riding saddles for horses have been around for centuries, although they looked vastly different from the modern saddle we have come to know today. Dating back more than 2000 years, the saddle was a piece of cloth secured with a surcingle — a strap that goes around the horse’s midsection.
Modern saddles have evolved significantly and now include solid structures for stability and many more features to ensure safety and comfort while riding.
With the evolution of different types of horseback riding — dressage, jumping and show — saddles have had to evolve as well. Presently, there are many different types of saddles, all made to assist the rider in the best manner possible.
However, with the development of the different types of saddles, saddle-makers have had to adjust as it was common for them to specialize in making only one kind of saddle.
Stan Groff is a saddle-maker with 55 years of experience. Based in High River, Alta., he focuses on repairing western saddles and practising his leather carving and stamping skills.
“People say it’s a dying trade, but it’s not,” says Groff. “There’s a lot of saddle people around. The big issue is that not too many of them have a storefront.”
Saddle-making isn’t something that one can learn within a few days. It’s a complicated process that can take up to four weeks for Groff. But after he ran six months behind on orders, he decided to stop making saddles and focus on repairing them.
Groff still works in the equine field, although he stepped away from making saddles three years ago. He still makes reins, bridles, halters and other horseback riding equipment. He also makes leather album covers with floral designs, a practice he refers to as “flowering.”
Groff reflects on saddle-making and when he started making them: “You have to be pretty passionate… it’s not a trade where you’re going to get rich.”