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I Passed My Last Saddler Exam
I passed the exam! It has been a whole four years in the making and a lot of blood, sweat and tears have been shed, but it was worth every minute of it.
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Training Week 1 – Saddle Making Level 3
I'm away at the Saddlery Training Centre in Salisbury this week and started to make my level 3 Saddle...
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The Blog has a Makeover
For some time now I’ve been looking into changing the style of my blog. I guess I never really liked it the last time I gave it a new look and I think I did it to impress others more than for myself which resulted in me not liking it 100%. So I decided to change it again, after all, this blog is about ME and not them so I should choose a style that I am happy with which is why I took it back to what I feel is a more simple, fresh and classy looking style. What do you think? Did my plan work? UPDATES Every time…
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Why I abandoned my Social Media Accounts.
I did something a little bit extraordinary last week, which would either liberate you or put you into turmoil; I abandoned the social media accounts for Heels To Horses. Why did I start the social media accounts? Pretty much since the day I launched the Heels To Horses blog site in May 2016, I have posted via social media as a way to grow the followers to my blog site, and to help reach as many people as possible who may be interested in my journey. This was done via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The Problem: As well as these social media accounts I also started social media accounts for…
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Saddler Training: The What, The Where and The How!
Since I started blogging (in 2016), about my journey to becoming a Saddler, I have been asked on many occasions how I found the saddler training; so I thought I’d write a post about it. Firstly, I did what most people must do…I searched for Google! I don’t know about you but since the Internet has become THE place to be, whenever I need a question answering and I don’t have direct access to an expert, then I always look up Google. Research So, I searched for ‘Saddler Training’ and the results gave me three options: Saddlery and Leatherwork @ Capel Manor College Saddlery Training Centre, and Training via the…
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Saddle Making Training – Week 1
Back in November (2017) I attended another training session at the Saddlery Training Centre in Salisbury...to embark upon the Level 2 Saddle Making training. According to the City and Guilds Level 2 Saddlery specification I am required to make a pony saddle using a wooden saddle tree. The seat must be pigskin or hide, the skirts and flaps must be solid with knee rolls and gussets being optional. The panel should be a Continental or Saumur type and the filling should be wool only. Here is my 16.5" pony saddle wooden tree that I was welcomed with...
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SMS Saddlery Competition
On Monday last week (5th February ’18), my husband and I travelled down to London to attend the Society of Master Saddlers National Saddlery Competition evening presentation as earlier this year I had submitted an entry form. It is one of the most anticipated events of a Saddler’s diary especially if they have entered one or more of the various classes that are suitable for varying skills from Trainee/Apprentice Saddler to Master Saddler. I had originally entered three classes: Class 2b – double bridle made to Level 3 specification; Class 4 – Leather Girth and Class 5 – A monkey/grab (Oh Sh!t) strap. When it came to the final day…
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Wearing More Than One Hat…
The time has come to spill the beans on an additional path of my journey I am about to start treading. Most of you will be familiar with this blog through my transition from a corporate office job to a qualified Saddler. Ultimately it still is but since my journey started in 2015 so much has happened and although I am still on track to qualify as a saddler I have unintentionally added another string to my bow which I feel will give me a wider variety of experiences as well as expand on my self development and networking circles. Have you heard of the phrase “Which hat will you…
