Designed to Ride. Built to Last.
At Bison Saddlery we combine English craftsmanship with European elegance reflecting the true art of English saddlery in our custom English saddles. Our saddles continue to be painstakingly handmade on custom built trees, covered in the world’s finest leather and flocked with 100% virgin wool to maximize your horse’s comfort and fit.
Our traditional methods take longer and require a higher degree of craftsmanship, but once you sit in a Bison Saddlery saddle, we know you will agree that the results clearly reflect those qualities.
Our commitment to such quality and detail is second to none.
All of the leathers used in our custom English saddles are imported from England, France, Germany, or Italy, which are from European cattle and tanned in their respective countries. The hardware used in the manufacture of English saddles and tack is also typically imported from either England or Germany. The majority of the work is done by hand, including much of the stitching. All edges are also creased, burnished, and dyed by hand.
At Bison Saddlery we take pride in hand-crafting custom English saddles for any riding age, skill level, and discipline.
If you are interested in purchasing or learning more about our custom English saddles or other leather products, please contact us. We welcome the opportunity to work with you!
The Custom Saddle Process
Bison Saddlery has designed its English saddle fitting process to be as simple and foolproof as possible. We begin with a conversation—what you need, want, like, dislike. If the horse is located within traveling distance, Steve will come out to your barn to take the necessary measurements, confer with the owner/rider and explain the proper fit. When the tree has been prepared and the seat has been webbed and flocked (foam rubber or other synthetics are not used), but before any leather has been attached, he will return with the tree in order to check the fit of both the tree and the seat. If the tree is fitting properly, the saddle is surcingled onto the horse with a set of temporary panels, stirrup leathers and irons. The rider can then sit in the saddle, work the horse and check the fit of the seat. If the rider expresses a need to have it altered, Steve can work it onsite until the fit is “just right”. The saddle is then taken to completion.
When an in-person fitting is not an option, we provide you with detailed fitting instructions to walk you through the process of making the necessary templates to send us. Back at our workshop we use these templates to determine the configuration of the tree, the size and shape of the seat, skirts and flaps. Patterns are then made, fitted, refined and then transferred to the leather of your choice. These pieces are then cut and attached to the prepared tree. Our goal is to achieve perfect balance by combining the fit with a properly constructed seat. Each saddle is specifically tailored to each individual rider and horse.
Pricing and Deposit Policy
Once all of the details are worked out on your custom saddle, we can provide you with an estimate of the final cost. At this time a 50% deposit is required. When the item is finished you will be notified of the final cost and the item will be shipped upon receipt of payment. Orders for goods paid by personal checks will be held until the check clears. Please allow a minimum of 20 weeks for delivery of custom saddles.