Leather Working With Jasmine Beagle
This article has taken me on a photographic journey through past and present. Interestingly when it comes to the art of leather working practiced by Jasmine Beagle, designer and co-creator of NZ Equine Boutique these two go hand in hand. When I went to visit jasmine to find out more about her work, she was mid process of stitching a gorgeous hand-made leather Bridle. I learnt that they solely create high quality handmade Equine gear for horses.
Jasmine’s love of all things horsey started at a young age with the purchase of her first pony “Tina” at age 8 from then on she
Jasmine at Work
stated “She had caught the bug, and lived with it ever since”.
Her love and
passion for horses has been lifelong but her desire to create good quality horse gear is a relatively new venture. This is a venture she hopes will be profitable as the demand for well-made gear, as for everything these days is high with people tired of purchasing low quality, foreign made Equine gear that isn’t itself particularly cheap considering it is made from “very low quality leather”.
When asked what sets her work and brand apart Jasmine directed me to come to her workbench to inspect a cheap, Chinese made bridle and compare it next to one of hers. The quality difference is astounding Leather working tools
the equine industries horse gear, which Is generally sourced from India or China where the treatment of animals for leather and the treatment of the leather after the animal is slaughtered are often not of a good standard with abuse of the animals and slack pollution regulations.
The business that Jasmine purchases her leather from couldn’t be more different from that. The business of J & E Sedgwick & Co. Ltd was founded in 1900 by James and Emmanuel Sedgwick who quickly began supplying leather to the equestrian trade. The company bases its early success on the established UK market, but in recent years has expanded into the growing export market, supplying its products worldwide. Sedgwick’s has always prided itself on the
and no wonder as I went on to investigate where she sources her leather from which is some of the finest quality leather that money can buy.
The NZ Equine Boutique purchases all their leather from Sedgwick Bridle Leather of England and other components they use NZ Wool, American Cotton (Organic is used where possible), buckles and fittings produced at Abbey of England's own Foundry these are to name a few.
This is a great contrast to the leather that is used in making a large proportion of
Cutting a leather strip
Jasmine and Tucker
consistently high quality of its finished
examined the bridle and I was able to
leather. Partly, this has been achieved by the
admire Jasmines work up close.
sourcing of high quality hides, but also in maintaining the skills of expert leather
Jasmine intends for this business to
makers who finish the leather by hand.
continue to grow and believes that the
Many of these skills utilized at the beginning
demand is definitely there for high quality
of the century are still used today. Quoting
horse products that are well made. A final
directly from their website they state that
quote from their website,
“English leather enjoys a reputation of being the finest in the world and we are delighted to report that J & E Sedgwick enters its second century of existence well prepared to play a significant role in maintaining that position.”
Jasmine, an avid animal lover states that the way she can best respect that animals life that was taken is to make beautiful gear that is made to last not for its profit. She tells me that the combination of her long term career with horses and her degree in fine arts has made and oddly compatible marriage with each other to allow her the experience and creativity to make, not only sturdy long lasting gear, but also gear that looks really good. She took me out to meet one of her horses and to show me one of her bridles when it is serving its intended purpose.
This part of the process was one of the
Jasmine at her workbench
best she told me, to see the fruit of all that
“Our items are made with care and
hard labour and hours of stitching fitted on
integrity and are made to last.”
to a horse; it makes it all worth it. Tucker her horse, stood obligingly still as we