Jo the Saddler

Jo the Saddler Master Saddler and Harness Maker offering leather repairs and bespoke items in Wilts/Glos.

When everything falls into place… 🙌A panicked phone call on Thursday morning:“The pad straps have torn through… and we’r...
05/07/2026

When everything falls into place… 🙌

A panicked phone call on Thursday morning:
“The pad straps have torn through… and we’re showing on Saturday!”

Cue a bit of teamwork and a lot of good timing.

✔️ The right leather was already on the shelf.
✔️ The kids were at school and preschool, so I had time to cut and prepare the new straps.
✔️ My amazing dad was free to collect the pad.
✔️ Friday’s diary worked in our favour, so I was already in Gloucestershire to strip the pad down, replace the worn straps and rebuild it.
✔️ Dad then delivered it while I was doing the school run.

Sometimes everything just falls into place.

The best part? The lovely horse and harness went on to win their class at the show! 🏆

There’s nothing better than knowing a last-minute repair helped get horse and turnout safely back in the ring.

Teamwork really does make the dream work. ❤️

Have you ever had one of those last-minute saves before a show? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments! 👇

☀️ Hope you’re all surviving this heat! ☀️With the schools shut and temperatures soaring, keeping the kids occupied and ...
24/06/2026

☀️ Hope you’re all surviving this heat! ☀️

With the schools shut and temperatures soaring, keeping the kids occupied and still is a mission. 🧵

Apparently keyrings hanging off school bags are the thing these days, but the cheap ones never seem to last five minutes. So rather than buying another one, I thought we’d make one that might actually survive the school year!

It’s never too early to learn that making something by hand takes time, patience, and a bit of determination—but the end result is worth it.

Who knows, I might have some competition in the workshop before long! ❤️

Today’s quality control officer is conducting a thorough inspection of my work. Results pending. 🐈‍⬛
01/06/2026

Today’s quality control officer is conducting a thorough inspection of my work. Results pending. 🐈‍⬛

22/05/2026

From a clean work bench… to a rosette-winning finish ✨

It’s always difficult to capture every single stage of a project when you’re deep in the creative zone, focused on the making process and solving problems as you go. But I hope this video gives a little insight into what goes into creating something that is truly handmade.

Every pattern, every cut, every stitch, every adjustment — all done by hand with care, patience, and a vision in mind from start to finish.

Seeing this Belgian Draft Show Set go from an idea on the bench to proudly worn in the ring makes all the hard work worth it 🏵️

Big news… the workshop is moving! 📦🔧After 14 years in my tiny little workshop, the time has finally come for an upgrade....
17/05/2026

Big news… the workshop is moving! 📦🔧

After 14 years in my tiny little workshop, the time has finally come for an upgrade. I’ve started packing everything up and honestly… how on earth did I fit so much into one small room?! Every shelf, drawer and corner seems to have been hiding something.

It’s been an amazing space that’s seen countless projects, plenty of creativity, and probably far more tools than it was ever designed to hold.

But don’t panic — I’m not going far! The new workshop is only 5 minutes down the road, so it’s the same work, just with a bit more breathing room.

So far it’s taken 4 car loads to move everything! Extra 💪 from Dad and James, and some very important child entertainment duties from Mum while we loaded and unloaded. A massive thank you to you all — couldn’t have done it without you.

New space, new adventures… watch this space.







That fuzzy feeling inside when you get the message saying your work has arrived safely… and then the customer sends a ph...
16/05/2026

That fuzzy feeling inside when you get the message saying your work has arrived safely… and then the customer sends a photo from the first try on.

Seeing something you’ve spent hours designing, pattern making, and carefully crafting finally sitting on the horse it was made for is the best feeling. And doesn’t he look incredible in his new show set!

Moments like this make all the hard work worth it.












Update on the home-grown rye straw experiment for my collar making…Well… it turns out we may have grown the wrong thing!...
06/05/2026

Update on the home-grown rye straw experiment for my collar making…

Well… it turns out we may have grown the wrong thing! 🤦‍♂️ Instead of cereal rye (which is what we actually need for the straw), it looks like we have a nice crop of rye grass.
But we do have one correct plant about 4foot tall 🥳 which means it will grow in our part of the country.

But it’s all part of the learning process when you start experimenting with growing your own materials.

So the plan now is to take what we’ve learned and have another go in October with a right seed.

Trial, error, and a bit of patience — but hopefully one step closer to home-grown straw for my collar making. 🌾

A few pictures of saddles being worked on over the last few weeks, getting them all ready for a summer of fun in the sad...
04/05/2026

A few pictures of saddles being worked on over the last few weeks, getting them all ready for a summer of fun in the saddle. 🐎

There’s always a lot going on behind the scenes to keep saddles safe, comfortable and working as they should.

Clockwise from the top:
• Old and new girth straps – replacing worn ones to keep everything secure
• Old flocking coming out of a panel… often in big lumps like this!
• New pure sheep’s wool ready to go back in
• Topping up the flocking through the slits in the top of the panel
• Stitching on brand new girth straps

A good check-over and maintenance can make a huge difference to both horse and rider. ✨

I’m stepping a little outside my comfort zone and working with white leather… eek! As if that wasn’t nerve-wracking enou...
27/04/2026

I’m stepping a little outside my comfort zone and working with white leather… eek! As if that wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, I’m pairing it with some absolutely stunning patent leather.

Here’s a little sneak peek of a sample I’ve been working on…

If it turns out the way I’m imagining, it’s going to be epic.

Watch this space. 👀✨









Address

Trowbridge

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Jo the Saddler posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Jo the Saddler:

Shortcuts

Share