TALES FROM THE TRAILS
It all started back in 1986. Dawn Webber and her husband, Mehrdad Baghai, opened a small tack shop near their home in northern California. Very quickly, they found themselves doing a brisk business in minor saddle repairs. Gradually, it dawned on them that what they were seeing was saddle after saddle that didn’t properly fit the horses. They began not only repairing saddles, but modifying them to improve the fit. By 1995, they were making their own saddles.
JRD Saddlery specializes in handmade, made-to-measure dressage, jumping, cross-country and polo saddles. From tree selection to seat design, gussets and panels, every part of the saddle is tailored to the measurements of each horse and rider to achieve the perfect fit and balance. Saddles must be balanced on the horse’s back, but the seat must also be balanced for the rider.
They can fit anyone, from petite to tall riders, as well as narrow horses, horses with mutton shoulders or wide trapezius muscles, even dressage horses with particularly large movement.
“We have about 30 different laminated wood spring trees,” Dawn said. “That’s the secret to properly fitting a horse, getting the basic tree shape right so the horse has complete freedom of movement.”
They also do saddle fittings and repair: reflock saddles of any age or discipline, putting in new seats, billets, flaps, panels and adjusting trees. One day they reconditioned a 100-year-old cavalry saddle whose panels had been stuffed with horsehair.
Dawn holds down the Wellington shop, located at 11496 Pierson Road, Suite C27, surrounded by racks of saddles. Mehrdad’s workshop, containing rolls of calfskin and buffalo leather, saddle trees, tools and fittings, is up in the loft. She looked around and laughed, saying, “I wear many hats.” She is also regularly in touch with the guys at the barn — she and Mehrdad own 23 polo ponies.
The shop also contains a wall of bridle parts — cheek pieces, cavessons, brow bands, reins — allowing customers to create their own bridles. “Horses’ heads are all different,” Dawn explained. “You can have a wide forehead, long cheeks and dainty muzzle. This lets you mix and match.”
There was also a variety of girths, stirrup leathers and halters, but mostly there were saddles. Lots and lots of saddles.
“We get a lot of business from people with sore horses. We’re going to be starting a readymade line,” Dawn explained. “Some of these are new prototypes, but most are used saddles, which customers have traded in when they order new saddles, and we use them as loaners. When you order a saddle from us, we give you a loaner so you have something to ride in until your saddle is ready.”
In addition to properly fitting the horse and rider, JRD also offers many customizing options, including cantle decorations in a variety of exotic leathers such as stingray, alligator and ostrich, and 20 different piping colors. You can choose the classic design or a trendy new monoflap. A new saddle takes about two to three months to build.
“Because each saddle is tailored to a particular horse, owners sometimes sell the saddle with the horse,” Dawn said. “We also suggest that you have us come out and check your saddle once a year to make sure everything is still fitting properly. Horses can grow and develop, and sometimes we need to adjust something to keep the fit balanced and avoid issues.”
Barbie Asplundh rides dressage and owns three JRD saddles. “I love the way they have a variety of trees to fit my horses’ backs perfectly,” she said. “One of my horses has a very asymmetrical back. I had three different saddle fitters out, but nothing fit. Mehrdad built us the perfect saddle. He’s what makes this company special: his hands, eye and knowledge. I also appreciate having the loaner to ride in until the new saddle is done. Their saddles are very comfortable, and you can have them as plain or blingy as you’d like.”
Dana Fiore is on her second JRD saddle, having sold one when she sold the horse it was built for. “I’m crazy about these saddles,” she said. “They’re so comfortable, and they really last. I’ve had several students and customers ride in mine, and they ask, ‘What type is this?’ The seat has memory foam, so it’s like riding on a supportive couch. They fit like a glove. I’ve ridden in so many saddles where you almost have to fight to keep your position. JRD goes out of their way to ensure a quality fit and comfort. I used to have a lot of lower back, hip and sciatica problems from riding in saddles that didn’t support me properly. All of that was alleviated by my JRD saddle.”
For more information, call (800) 289-8225, or visit www.jrd-tack.com.
