Miriam Bowler Saddlery

14/10/2026

Adventuring
And the phone signal is minimal
I'll be back in the workshop after the 22nd

05/10/2026

An Interstate wedding means hubby and I are hopping on a plane and running away for a couple of weeks.
I'll be back in the workshop after the 22nd Oct.
Until then, Pepper is the meet n greet staff, but I'm afraid her repair skills are extremely minimal.

01/10/2026

A bit of nostalgia this week too.
This extremely old saddle came my way.
It's probably around 60 or 70 years old? An example of well made traditional English saddlery, with its original tough pigskin seat and unfussy styling.
However, when we know better, we do better, and we now know that saddles such as this, with these thin compacted panels and narrow spine gullets are really hard on horses. So although this saddle probably hunted its way for years across several English counties and was loved enough that someone bought it with them across the world, it will now most definitely be retired.
There might even be a handbag made of memories in its future...
However, the bit that I love is that namebadge.
Aldridges was my local saddlery as a teenager and I spent happy time wandering it's racks and shelving before it folded and closed when I was around 20yrs old.
I'm glad a little souvenir has worked its way to me.

30/09/2026

This was a challenging creation.
Far blingier than I would usually make and definitely totally unique.

24/09/2026

Neil did a little modelling for me with this lovely cavesson bridle that's gone out this week.

21/09/2026

A busy week of dirty awkward sweary jobs was finished off nicely with this lovely little collar in deep midnight blue patent with a silver lining.
Destined for a very handsome sausage.

17/09/2026

When you've got post office drop offs to make and you want to get horses ridden.
Saddlebags it is.

14/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19WvLUAfcK/
SOUND ON
There's some very good reasons why I don't officially saddlefit.
Happy to do my own. Don't want the responsibility of yours.
But I'm always happy to support those professionals who are brave and dedicated enough to do the immense amount of learning necessary to be able to help people make the best choices for their animals.
It's a really tough gig.

04/09/2026

I realise that sometimes this is inevitable. A change of personal circumstances, no room or money to keep 8 horses who aren't earning their keep etc etc.
But it does make me sad how often people collect a new horse, that they've possibly spent a lot of time shopping for. Get it home, toss it out with 'Kevin' in a strange paddock, buy it new 'clothes', feed it differently , and then take it straight out for adventures.
And expect it to be the same consistent beastie that they rode twice at its previous place.
We ask an unreasonable amount of these animals sometimes.
And can be very quick to blame the horse, or often the previous owner for lieing or doping.

I read somewhere recently that the average horse will have seven different homes in its lifetime.

SEVEN.

And that’s the average...

In my job, I meet horses who are four or five years old and have already had an extraordinary number of homes. And more often than not, somewhere in their history, you’ll find the word ‘naughty’.

Naughty to catch. Naughty to hack. Naughty to mount. Naughty to ride. A ‘naughty’ horse.

But are they naughty?

Or have they simply never had long enough to feel safe?

Horses thrive on familiarity and predictability. Familiar horses, people, surroundings and routines.

And when we sell a horse, we know why.

The horse doesn’t.

One minute he’s in his field with Dave, who he’s spent every waking moment attached to for the last two years. Who’s perfected the art of stealing his fly mask.

The next, some woman he’s never met has put him in a box, driven him three counties away and introduced him to Kevin.

Dave has vanished.

Dinner tastes different.

Kevin is a k**b.

And on Tuesday someone gets on him and seems disappointed that he isn’t immediately living up to the glowing description in his advert.

So perhaps he struggles.

Maybe he’s harder to catch. Anxious when left alone. Tense to ride. Doesn’t want to leave the yard.

‘Naughty.’

So he moves again.

New field. New human. New food. New Kevin.

Of course sometimes horses genuinely aren’t right for their homes, and selling can absolutely be the kindest decision. Obvs.

But sometimes perhaps what a horse needs isn’t another home, rider, bit, saddle or training method.

Perhaps he just needs time.

Time to learn that breakfast happens every morning.

That these horses aren’t disappearing.

That this human keeps coming back.

That the rules aren’t going to change tomorrow.

That he’s allowed to unpack his metaphorical little suitcase.

And maybe, before we ask:

‘What’s wrong with this horse?’

we should occasionally ask:

‘How many times has this horse had to start again?’

Thoughts?

02/09/2026

Saddle stitch with two needles

Have you ever had buckle come off a belt?, or a hem unravel?, or worse, a stirrup buckle come loose from the leather?
That's because all commercially made items are machine stitched, and when a few stitches get pulled or rub away, the whole row just comes unravelled.
Don't get me wrong. Sewing machines are amazing. They have revolutionised the manufacturing industry, allowing products to be mass produced, with consistent regularity and at vastly less cost than the time consuming process of hand stitching.
But when an item is hand stitched, using two needles and a good waxed thread, each stitch zig zags up and down through the material, and locks into place next to its neighbour. Even if half the stitches get rubbed away, the rest of them will hold fast. Making hand stitched saddlery far more durable and safer.
Hand stitched takes longer and will always cost more. But in a world where safety can literally make the difference of life or death in accidents, that quality is worth paying for.