SADDLERY: ORIGIN, MATERIALS, TOOLS, PRODUCTS - DUDAS - 2025

The saddlery and harness is the office that deals with the preparation of tack and fittings in general animal chair and shot. Among the products they make are, for example, halters, straps, reins, muzzles, collars, gamarras, cinchuelos or saddles.

The word "saddlery" comes from "saddlery", a kind of belt or belt that hung from the sword. For his part, the person who practices this profession is known as a "saddler", and is defined as a craftsman who is trained to execute a wide variety of leather and sole articles, and which are linked to saddle and draft animals.

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It is a completely artisan trade and generally the art of the saddleman is passed from generation to generation among families, with greater occupation of man. Like all work by hand, the price paid for any type of piece can be high, depending on the material used and its level of complexity.

Among the materials that inflate the price the most, is the leather in the first place, followed by the metals that could be placed. In any case, the most expensive thing never ceases to be the craftsman's labor.

Some of the countries that are recognized for their quality in saddlery are those that have a long equestrian tradition, such as Argentina, Chile, Mexico, England or Spain.

Origins of saddlery

The work on leather was born with the first human activities developed in the countryside. The first aborigines and later the peasants were the pioneers in the work on this material, making engravings through heat.

Historians do not agree on dating precisely, for example, when the mount that is placed on horses was created, however there is a record that it was already used in the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC Others, while they point out that the Nomadic Asians were the first to master the technique.

Since then, although the designs and formats have changed over time, what remains unchanged is its artisan character, something characteristic of saddlery.

Materials and tools

Here is the detail of the basic tools that a saddler or saddler uses:

Way table

It must be soft to be able to better treat the materials to be worked and above all make the cuts in a more comfortable way.

Measuring tape

Of course it will be used to take measurements. To this is added a rigid ruler and a metric compass for circular measurements.

Awl

It is a sharp steel point with a triangular shape that is used to pierce the leather or the sole in order to sew with a special thread.

Pin

Also known in some countries as "cutter" (and orally called "cutter"). In particular, those with leaves 20 to 30 centimeters long by 3 or 4 cm wide are used. Its function is to cut the leather or the sole.

Whetstone

Designed to sharpen the different cutting tools that will be used.

Punch

They are similar to the "boring machines", and are used to make holes of a larger size than would result with the aforementioned tool.

Tweezers

They are used during the sewing process. These are pliers specially used to make sewing different pieces of leather or sole easier.

Gooseneck foot

It is used to place and rivet the nails in the soles of the shoes.

Affirmative or tirapie

It is a strip of leather or a very resistant fabric that is placed on the legs of the saddler or saddler the different leathers during the arrangements.

Rasp

It is used to scrape the leather, "polish" it and smooth it when necessary. The traditional rasp (also known as "raspa") has four different kinds of dentates on its two faces.

Awl

It is a very sharp steel point that is not used for drilling, but to mark on the material where the nails will go.

Thread

It is not an ordinary one. It is made with flax or hemp fibers (this is rougher than the first), it can have different thicknesses and is ideal for very resistant seams.

Fish

This is the name of a resin that is mixed with virgin wax or oils. This is used to waterproof and strengthen the thread even more.

Sows

They can be made of pig or wild boar and are key to making the seams, which is why they are used together with the thread.

Rivets

Rivets are often used in saddlery to join two pieces together when no seam is necessary.

The most manufactured items

Among the products most manufactured by saddlers (or saddlers) are saddles, which are of various types: cowgirl or Jerez, mixed cowgirl, Spanish, English, western, Australian or Portuguese saddle, among others.

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Within the world of equestrian there is a wide variety of accessories that complement the horse's saddle to be able to tame the animal with greater ease and comfort (both for human beings and animals).

Among them are the bridles (a series of ribbons that surround the head, forehead and muzzle of the horse), mosqueros (fringes that fall on the animal's forehead), martingales (used so that the head does not lift and the rider does not lose contact with the mouthpiece), gamarras (complement to the latter), baticolas (leather strap where the tail is inserted), cinchuelos (it is a wide leather strap and is placed on the gut towards the front), straps (with which the saddle is fastened and is made of leather), gaiters (protections for the rider's legs), collars, ties or reins (with which the rider commands the horse).

Other uses

The saddlery is also in charge of working on other items functioning as a complement, that is, it is also involved in the completion of objects that have leather as the main material (pillows, covers for shotguns, pocket knives or even for cell phones, soccer balls, upholstery, padding, hoods, etc). In these cases, the item is known as "leather goods" within the world of fashion.

References

1. Saddlery. (2019). Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy. Recovered from: dle.rae.es
2. Aldo Musarra. (2006). "Saddlery and rural shoe store". Recovered from: books.google.it
3. Ana Vázquez Salguero. (2013). "Basic saddlery techniques". Recovered from: books.google.it
4. Joaquín Calderón Toro. (2013). "Repair of saddlery products". Recovered from: books.google.it
5. Matilde Cabezali Hernández. (2013). "Manufacture of saddlery products". Recovered from: books.google.it