Hey! Thanks for dropping in.
I’m guessing being as you’re here that you want to find out a little more about me?
Well, I’m Clair, and I live in a little village, called Enville, in the county of South Staffordshire, with my husband, two teenagers, three dogs and a cat.
I got into horse riding when I was around eight years old. I spent my childhood riding or loaning other peoples horses, then my dream of owning my own happened when I was 30 years old. Sadly, I had to give him up and now I currently don’t ride at all.
My hair has seen more colour changes than I care to mention. I love chocolate, Chinese food, and reading or watching Period Drama’s, all things Viking or our historical histories (not particularly in that order).
How It All Started
At 14 years old, I worked at the local riding stables at weekends and school holidays. At 16 yrs old, I started an Office Junior role. Working my way up the Corporate ladder over a period of 20 years, I finally become an Office Business Manager and PA.
I’ve lived abroad; partly training to become a dance teacher, obtained a BA Hons Degree in Business Management; qualified as a Seamstress and Pattern Maker; retrained to become a Fully Qualified Beautician and owned five businesses.
“You could say I’ve been a jack of all trades and a master of none“
In 2015, after feeling lost and unhappy with my corporate job, having a young family and no vision for the future, I chose to go on a Basic Leather work course at Saddlers Den in Southport, run by Master Saddler Chris Taylor, and the rest they say is history.
I quickly fell in love with the creative and physical effort that being a leather worker demanded. I knew if I could learn these new skills I could make something of myself and shape a new future with less stress, more freedom but most of all I could work round my young family and do a job around horses, that I could actually love.
Being me, I don’t do anything by half (my family just rolled their eyes at that statement), and I decided if I was going to do leather work, then I was going to be the best at it, and that meant training to become a fully qualified saddler. So, I enrolled at the Saddlery Training Centre in Salisbury under the instruction of Master Saddler Mark Romain.
My Achievements
It’s been a very long and bumpy road getting here. I’ve self funded my way throughout it with just a little help here and there. I’ve spent £1000s on training courses, tools and materials. There has been much blood (saddler knives and awls are sharp, not to mention the pesky needles), sweat and tears…oh so many tears, but I am proud to say that I am now a fully qualified Saddler and Bridlemaker, registered with the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS).
I’ve won an award at the National Saddlery Competition (2020) for the Level 3 saddle I made, I’ve become a Scholar with the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (2020) training with Master Saddler Frances Roche, from Windsor & Henley Bridles and earlier this year I qualified as a City & Guilds Bridle Fitter (2023).
Now
Now, I specialise in hand making bespoke bridles and promoting correct bridle fit for the benefit of the horse. I also produce an exquisite gift collection that have an equestrian twist to them.
Feel free to browse around this site and if you have any questions at all or just fancy a chat, then please do contact me directly.