Richard Castelow’s road to becoming a Master Saddler could easily be chronicled on the silver screen. He joined the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment at age fifteen and by the age of twenty, was selected to join the Household Cavalry Saddle shop in Knightsbridge, London.
After rigorous teaching and training under four different master saddlers, undergoing a sum total process similar in scope to gaining a PhD, Castelow was certified a Master Saddler in 1988. Quickly gaining an outstanding reputation, he was appointed as the first ever Master Saddler to Queen Elizabeth II, based at the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace.
After four years with the Royal Household, Castelow moved to the
United States to use his knowledge and expertise for the benefit of American riders: “What I’ve done is I’ve taken the unique parts of French and German saddles to create an American saddle that is unique to the American market,” comments Castelow. (http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/richard-castelow-creates-saddles-fit-queen).
Where many saddle trees are made of plastic, a material that has very little flexibility, Castelow’s saddles contain five layers of laminated Beachwood to absorb movement. “When I design my saddles, I keep in mind that there are three moving objects, and my job is to eliminate as much movement as I can with the saddle to make the horse, rider and saddle move in harmony,” states Castelow. His dedication to mastering his craft helped him turn a natural talent into a phenomenon and those who ride a Castelow saddle never go back.
To find ranches for sale where you can ride and try out a new Castelow saddle visit www.landbrokermls.com
