As we all know, the state of the economy at the moment has left us in some tough times. A good many of us are not willing to let this keep us from owning and riding horses, though; we have just found ways to save our hard-earned money so that we can keep spending it on our equine companions. One often unconsidered way to save money is through saddle repair.

Saddle maintenance can mean many things – cleaning and conditioning are two major components. There are other ways of maintaining a saddle, though, such as replacing worn billets, seats, or flaps, and replacing stitching that has come loose before it progresses to a much larger (and harder to repair) hole. All of these can be replaced easily by a saddler at a cost much smaller than the eventual replacement of the saddle. By taking care of these minor issues you may spend a little, but the ability to keep your saddle instead of buying a new one is a much larger saving in the long run.

Saddlers Row just happens to have a Master Saddler on staff full-time. His name is Michael Dainton, and has just recently joined us here in the Chicago area (we did have a previous saddler but she is no longer with our store). Michael is truly a Master at working with saddles and other leather tack, and can repair or replace many things that you would previously not consider fixable, as well as provide some saddle tree alterations and saddle reflocking. The best way to find out is to either call him here at the store (888-710-7171 is the toll-free number) or contact him through email (service@saddlersrow.com or mastersaddler@saddlersrow.com) and ask. If you are too far away to visit us in person, we will gladly accept a shipped-in item for Michael to alter or repair.

So next time you go out to the barn and tack up your horse, give your saddle a quick once-over and make sure that it doesn’t need any minor maintenance that you could save you major money in the future.