Western Saddle Making Course
Okanagan
Saddlery’s Saddle Making Course is for anyone with the
desire to learn the craft of Saddle Making. You will learn under the
guidance of an experienced Saddle Maker and be well on your way
to acquiring the skills that are necessary to begin a career in the trade
of creating fine hand crafted saddles.
The three-week program is held in a
working saddlery. The Shop is
well equipped, brightly lit, and has a quiet, pleasant atmosphere.
Classes are limited to one student at a time to ensure you get the
individual attention needed to build your skill level. We will take
you through each step in the process of making a Western Saddle.
The student will design, cut, shape, and fit each individual piece,
under my direction using premium grade skirting leather and
sheepskin. I will explain each step as we go, and at the same time
explain what happens if you use different methods and short-cuts in
your saddle making. In the course I put a lot of emphases on fitting
the saddle to the type of horses you ride so the horse will be as
comfortable as possible. This makes a huge difference to the way
the horse will react to being ridden.
I use a tree made of wood with a Rawhide cover or a Ultra hide cover,
Ultra hide is a very strong man made fiber that is unaffected by climate
conditions and warpage in damp conditions.
The course is taught on a one on
one bases, you will not be just one in a
crowd assembling a pre-cut and pre-designed saddle, the Course will
revolve around your particular needs. Whether you want to be a
Professional Saddle Maker, or are interested in making a saddle for your
own use you will find this course very informative, and you will come away
with a new understanding of Horses and Saddles along with a Saddle that
you can be proud of in any company.
The saddle
will be built on the tree of the student’s choice, with an
attractive basket weave pattern stamped on the corners of the skirts.
When you speak to other
Companies regarding the courses they give you
will normally find that you will do your course on a tree that they specify and
not on a tree of your choice along with a pre-cut and pre-designed patterns
that they supply. I teach you how to make your own patterns so you can make
patterns for different types of saddles I put a lot of emphases on you being
able to design and make saddles of other types after you leave the course and
are on your own. When you go to my web site you will see that all the saddles
are of different patterns and styles that suite the students that made them, not
just a set pattern that is convenient for me to use for teaching purposes.
All the
materials needed to build a saddle are included in the tuition fee. We
will provide the use of our shop tools. All you need to bring is a notebook and
the desire to learn the art of saddle building. I will photograph each stage of
your saddle’s progress and build a photo library on a CD for you to take home
as a visual record of you lesson.
Although the student will do
95% of the work and leave with a top quality
saddle, it must be understood that this is an introduction to saddle making.
Only constant practice and dedication can make you a craftsman.
Learn to turn this into a
custom built saddle
like the one below.
Leather Braiding
School
My
Braiding Course is run over a 3 week period working 5 hours per
day 5 days per week.
In this braiding course I take you through the cutting of leather thongs
and there preparation prier to braiding this is something that most people do
not understand, even a most of people that have done a lot of braiding. They
think that the thongs just have to be cut to width, a very big mistake. Good
braiding can not be done with thongs that have not been properly prepared.
We will than learn to do 8 strand round braid over a core without the
braid spiraling (the braid must run in a straight line)
You will learn to do a rollback and splice at the end of a braided piece in order
to form a loop.
We will then learn to tie a foundation knot, learn to expand this foundation
knot in circumference so it will cover any size of braided work.
Then learn to expand the foundation
knot lengthwise to any length that might
be needed.
After this has been mastered you will learn to put different colored
interweaves in your knots.
Then we will learn to do the ground work under the
knot, that is to build the foundation under the knot so the knot will stay in
place on the work and have a good appealing finished shape.
We will be making a braided eight-strand headstall using Kangaroo thongs that
you will cut along with horse-hair tassels that you will take home with you after
you complete the course.
I will supply
all needed tools & leather to complete the course and
can supply you with your own tools after the course if wanted.
After all this has been mastered you will be well on your way to becoming a braider,
but (only constant practice and dedication will make you a craftsman)
The Headstall that you will make and
take home
with you is pictured in the photo below.
1. When should I get
instruction? In the beginning it is important to avoid
learning bad habits, to avoid trial and error, and most importantly to achieve early
success.
Secondly; When you have been working for
some time and
You want to improve your skill level,
You want to improve the look of your work.
You are needing to expand your knowledge in a particular aria.
2.When is the best time to
take a course; Instruction dates are set when
most convenient for the student and Bob.
3. Accommodations;
There is a variety of motels within 20 minutes of the shop
4. How many hours per day?
Saddle Making Course, 7 hours per day, 5 days per week
for 3 weeks.
Braiding Course, 5 hours per day, 5 days per
week for 3 weeks.
Working longer hours braiding tends to be less productive as you lose concentration.
5. Where are we located?
We are in the central interior of B.C. Canada around
300 miles east of Vancouver. We are about 2 1/2 hours east of the US border at Oravile,
Washington
8. What criteria is needed
to attend; My Saddle Making or Braiding courses
are for anyone with the desire to learn the craft of Saddle Making or Braiding.
9. What materials or
tools should I bring; I supply all materials
and tools
for the courses. I will take digital photos as you work and copy them to a CD for you to
use as a
reference as you work in the future. You will need a note book.
To
see some of my past students
Click Here |
