A Journey in Saddlery

Have you ever wondered how the Master Saddlers and skilled craftsmen and women of today started out in their chosen career? Here we talk to Kate Hardt about her journey into the saddlery world.

KATE HARDT - A JOURNEY IN SADDLERY

Like so many horse-mad teenagers, Kate Hardt was determined to find a career that fulfilled her dream to work in a job connected to her favourite pastime. Kate had started to ride at the tender age of four-years-old and developed a passion for all things saddlery, stripping her first saddle at just 13-years-old. Said Kate: “I so wanted to be a saddler and saved up £5.00 to buy a saddle with a broken tree just so I could take it apart and marvel at how everything came together for the finished product. “I was really lucky at the time as I was doing a lot of riding on my 13.2hh jumping pony, Jamie, who was palomino and such a star. She wouldn’t go in a trailer so I had to hack her to shows with my mum following in the car behind with her lights on, they were fun but crazy days.” Aged 16, Staffordshire-based Kate left school and secured herself a job as an apprentice at H. Wooley & Sons, a wellestablished saddlers based in Uttoxeter. Kate remembers fondly: “I was their first female member of staff and the team were highly skilled and had years of experience and knowledge that I was fortunate to learn from. The head of the family was Bert Wooley, who was a saddler during World War I and II. He also worked on the Queen’s side-saddles and was very well known in the industry. Bert’s son, Andy was in charge and it was a small family business that had a lot of passion for saddlery and the skills required. I stayed at H. Wooley & Sons for about three years but I was not allowed to take any qualifications, as I would have been seen as a competitor to them at the time. I was working on saddles, bridles, harness and military saddlery and kit, as we worked for every mounted police branch in the UK. Without doubt I really loved the job and learning the skills required to be a saddler. The team were fantastic to work with and what they taught me in both saddlery and life skills definitely helped set me up for later years. This was borne out by me winning a second in the Young Craftsman of the Year awards at Staffordshire County Show for a stallion bridle I made while working there.” Wanting to branch out and gain further knowledge in all areas of saddlery, Kate left H. Wooley & Sons to further her career at Hulland Saddlery, running the shop at Marchington Equestrian Centre and working as their in-house saddler for saddlery repair at their shop at Hulland Ward. Adds Kate: “I was really keen to learn all aspects of the trade and spent about two years at Marchington, which eventually became Field House Equestrian. It was then that my career took something of a change as I moved closer to home and worked at GEC (General Electric Company) in Stone where I got their highest ever recorded dexterity test at my interview I think due to all the intricate sewing I did as a saddler.” During her time at GEC, Kate also enrolled as a Special Police Constable, a role she did for two years until she finally went full-time in the police force for 20 years working in traffic on motorway patrol. Said Kate: “I always felt joining the police force was a calling and originally thought I would do 10 years, being my tenure of post, in traffic before applying for the mounted police, but they disbanded the mounted branch just as I joined traffic and before I had a chance.” During her time with Staffordshire Police Kate revived Horse Watch and used her saddlery skills in developing an awardwinning saddlery security-marking scheme that was rolled out across several UK police forces. She explains: “For most of my service in the police force I used to ride for friends as the job was so busy I never felt I could devote enough time to having my own horse, however in 2006 we bought our own horses again. After 20 years of service I felt I had done my bit and moved back to my first love saddlery. Even throughout the years in the police, I would often go to Walsall to see friends I had made, to look at new developments and techniques in the industry, so making the decision to go back into saddlery came very easily.” About eight years ago, Kate started her own business and attended further training courses. “I had kept my hand in doing bits of saddlery for friends and family over the years and was really keen to get back to having more time to develop my saddlery skills.