It was the smell of leather which first seduced Patrick Keane: ‘When I left school I knew nothing about it – I’d never even ridden a horse – but when I first walked into the workshop and saw the sights and smells of the trade, I fell in love.’

A seven-year apprenticeship followed, kick-starting a career during which has seen Keane become a multi-award-winning master saddler supplying riders across the world from his Patrick Saddlery workshop. Now, 40 years on, Keane is still just as passionate about his craft as he was on that first day.

Working out of Walsall, the UK’s saddlery capital thanks to its abundance of traditional leather tanneries, Keane and his team of seven make around 400 saddles each year. What differentiates them is the exceptional level of detail – each one is handmade to fit both horse and rider perfectly, and takes between 40 and 50 hours to create.

Orders pour in from across Europe and North America and outstrip supply for Keane’s beautiful personalised saddles. ‘People come to us when they can’t find anything else to fit their horse,’ he explains. ‘When we let someone ride in our saddle for the first time, seeing the smile on their face when they feel the difference makes it all worthwhile.’

Starting at £3,300, Patrick’s saddles are an investment, but one that pays off – a bad saddle can damage a horse’s back, while a good fit can vastly improve their movement. And while each saddle is different thanks to its biometric basis, there are a few projects which stand out in particular.

One of those is Keane’s current project – a drum saddle for the Queen’s Household Cavalry. Testing the master saddler’s craftsmanship to the limit, this is a task undertaken by sight without any previous patterns to follow. ‘These saddles were originally made at my old factory in Barnsley which has now shut down,’ Keane explains.

The drum saddle will demand more time and skill than any other Keane has ever made, but this project will be a summation of his life’s work. ‘My main reason for making the saddle is to keep the skill alive,’ he says. ‘People love English craftsmanship. Passing that skill on will be my legacy.’ Patricksaddlery.com

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