Jo the Saddler

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

✨ I was recently asked if I could make bling browbands for heavy horses…The answer is a big shiny YES! ✨Any excuse to ge...
30/09/2025

✨ I was recently asked if I could make bling browbands for heavy horses…
The answer is a big shiny YES! ✨
Any excuse to get the bling out 💎🐴

Now the real question is… what colour should I use? 🤔✨
Drop your ideas below ⬇️

22/09/2025

Had such a great time yesterday with my show stand at the Wessex Heavy Horse Show 🐴✨
It was lovely meeting so many people throughout the day!

Huge well done to all the competitors – it really does take a whole team and days of hard work (and a lot of brass polishing!) to get these gentle giants ready for the ring. 👏

So proud to be part of the Nupend Shires team and to see all three horses looking absolutely fabulous. 💙

A big thank you to Christine for being my amazing show stand crew on the day – couldn’t have done it without you! 🙌

And a special thank you to Heavy Horse Crafts for making the wonderful flights and mane roll that completed the centrepiece of my stand – looking forward to our next collaboration! ✨

Getting a bit creative in the workshop this week, adding some colour to my bridle work and making sure everything’s read...
05/09/2025

Getting a bit creative in the workshop this week, adding some colour to my bridle work and making sure everything’s ready for my stand at the Wessex Heavy Horse Show & Country Fair. Excited to share what I’ve been working on – come along and take a look! 🐴✨

👋 Come and see me at the Wessex Heavy Horse Show & Country Fair on Sunday 21st September 2025 at Turnpike Showground!It’...
20/08/2025

👋 Come and see me at the Wessex Heavy Horse Show & Country Fair on Sunday 21st September 2025 at Turnpike Showground!

It’s my first event in a while, and I’m really looking forward to getting back out there. I’ll be showing my work and would love to chat with you about harness, leather, and the craft. You can also watch me demonstrate the skills that go into traditional leatherwork.

It’s set to be a brilliant day with plenty to see and do for the whole family — so if you’re there, make sure to pop by and say hello!

✨ Handmade for Poppy ✨Here’s Poppy showing off her brand new handmade bridle, crafted from traditional English bridle le...
19/08/2025

✨ Handmade for Poppy ✨

Here’s Poppy showing off her brand new handmade bridle, crafted from traditional English bridle leather. Every piece was carefully cut, edged, stitched, and finished by hand—made to be both strong and elegant.

It’s such a rewarding feeling seeing her wear something I made just for her. This leather will only get softer and more beautiful with time, and I can’t wait to watch it develop alongside her. ❤️

🎶✨ The accordion back in the workshop! ✨🎶Earlier this summer i crafted a custom strap, and now it’s returned to have a m...
18/08/2025

🎶✨ The accordion back in the workshop! ✨🎶

Earlier this summer i crafted a custom strap, and now it’s returned to have a matching shoulder strap to complete the set. There’s nothing better than seeing it all together and matching.

When a customer tells me they are putting something in the post to me. It's pony power all the way to the post office. ...
14/08/2025

When a customer tells me they are putting something in the post to me. It's pony power all the way to the post office.

School’s out for summer!Which means Mum-Juggling is officially at 💯% capacity.Between snacks, screen time negotiations, ...
28/07/2025

School’s out for summer!
Which means Mum-Juggling is officially at 💯% capacity.
Between snacks, screen time negotiations, and finding missing shoes for impromptu adventures… I’m basically running a circus with no rehearsal 😂🎪

But you know what?
It’s kind of the best chaos—especially when they want to “do what Mum does.” Watching them copy me, is heart-melting and scary all at the same time. But Graces hand eye coordination with a hammer and punch is incredible for a 5 year old.

Here’s to messy houses, full hearts, and summer memories in the making ☀️💪

✨ 10 Years Ago ✨I can’t believe it’s been a whole decade since I made this bridle for Zippy. Still one of my favorite pi...
23/07/2025

✨ 10 Years Ago ✨
I can’t believe it’s been a whole decade since I made this bridle for Zippy. Still one of my favorite pieces—so much time, care, and love went into every stitch.

There’s something really special about creating something by hand that becomes part of a horse’s journey, and what a journey Zippy and his owners have been on, showing, ROR, dressage, been on magazine front covers and so much more. Looking back, it reminds me how far I’ve come and how much I still love this craft.

Here’s to the leather, the lessons, and the horses that make it all worth it. 🐎💫

Precision matters.Cutting a straight edge on a hide of bridle leather takes more than a steady hand — it takes patience,...
08/07/2025

Precision matters.

Cutting a straight edge on a hide of bridle leather takes more than a steady hand — it takes patience, focus, and respect for the material. Every detail counts when you’re working with quality leather, and it all starts with a clean, true edge.

No shortcuts. Just craftsmanship.

I’ve just received a fresh shipment of top-quality materials, ready for some exciting new projects! Here’s what’s arrive...
02/07/2025

I’ve just received a fresh shipment of top-quality materials, ready for some exciting new projects! Here’s what’s arrived:

Sedgewicks black leather bridle hide
Red shoulder leather
Biothane webbing
Shiny stainless steel buckles
Brass clinchers
Tiger thread and Linen stitching thread

Stay tuned to see what these turn into.

Part 1 of this winters harness project.Spent some time fine-tuning a second-hand set of harness to get it show ring read...
27/06/2025

Part 1 of this winters harness project.
Spent some time fine-tuning a second-hand set of harness to get it show ring ready. One of the trickier parts was sourcing and fitting a matching set of bobbled edge beehive rosettes — not an easy task, since they’re no longer made. With a bit of patience (and a bit of luck), managed to find just the right ones. Always satisfying to have it all matching.

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