EQUINE
JULY 26, 2018 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 21
Mount Forest shop one of few custom leather western saddle makers in Ontario BY OLIVIA RUTT
MOUNT FOREST - In a small wooden shop, no larger than a single car garage, Steve Close works on making reins for a western bridle. With his glasses low on his nose, he works the leather into shape. Close and his wife Sharri Crowley own Saddle Shack tack shop, a custom western saddle and tack shop north of Mount Forest, one of the few
handmade by Close. There isn’t a lot of stock, because Close makes them individually and most are made to order. The back half of the small shop is where he works. Pieces of leather are piled in every corner, while tools and saddles in various states of completion line the walls. Close started working with leather about 25 years
“I started out just fixing it on my own and tearing it apart. I spent time with a few different saddle makers; the wife of my partner at the time had done some carving and tooling, so she taught me the basics of that, and it just grew from there.” - STEVE CLOSE
saddle makers in Ontario. In the front part of the shop is a store. Along with a few items that horse riders won’t be able to find in too many other places in Ontario, there are leather items like leads, bridles, halters and more, all
ago by repairing saddles for a trail riding club he was a part of and learned a lot of techniques through trial and error. “They’re just isn’t time to be running to get stuff repaired,” he said. “I started out just fixing
Steve Close, co-owner of the Saddle Shack tack shop, works on repairing a leather saddle. As a leather worker, he makes western saddles and other leather western tack. Photos by Olivia Rutt
it on my own and tearing it apart. I spent time with a few different saddle makers; the wife of my partner at the time had done some carving and
tooling, so she taught me the basics of that, and it just grew from there.” Close also read books to learn how to build saddles.
“Probably some of the best books were written before I was born, in terms of technique and education and how to do it and how to measure,”
he said. The couple moved from Elora in 2004 to their CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
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