SANTA PAULA : Custom Saddle Maker Takes a Different Tack With His Craft

Though Santa Paula saddle maker Jim Kidd says he needs an assistant, he will probably never run an advertisement. Much as he would like to pass on the skills his grandfather taught him during his Colorado boyhood, Kidd doubts that young people today have the patience to tackle the time-consuming art of making saddles by hand.

Kidd has never advertised his wares since he began crafting saddles five years ago in a small room at The Mill, Santa Paula’s historic feed and tack store. His handcrafted saddles have always sold themselves--from the two made during his first year to the 14 completed so far in 1990. With 22 orders waiting, Kidd has a work ahead, he said.

Elaborate designs tooled into the leather add 20 hours of work to the classic stock-seat saddle Kidd can produce in nine days of uninterrupted work. While the price increases accordingly, Kidd estimates that on some days he averages less than minimum wage per hour for his labor-intensive craft. Interest in his individual clients keeps him motivated.

Who needs a handmade saddle these days when so many different styles are available through catalogues and tack stores? Especially since the factory-made article may sell off the rack for a third to half the $1,500 that Kidd charges for his basic, plain-Jane model.

“About 25% of my customers are serious horse-show people,” Kidd said. The rest are ranch foremen, people who ride for pleasure or working cowboys. In most cases, the rider nearly lives in the saddle and custom fit makes an important difference.

“It shouldn’t be painful to go out and ride,” Kidd said. “A saddle should be as comfortable as a shoe that was made just for you.”

Kidd said he never makes a saddle without thoroughly interviewing his clients, searching for clues about riding style and choosing finishing touches for each saddle. Sometimes, he watches his customers in action on their horses.

As the saddle is built, clients visit the shop, where Kidd tailors the seat to the rider. No two saddles are alike, and the stamped designs that finish the product are as individual as the riders. A cowboy’s saddle may be just as fancy as one ordered by a regular on the horse-show circuit because decorative tooling compresses and strengthens leather, he said.

“Making saddles is a personal thing and not to be taken lightly,” Kidd said. He was serious enough about saddlery to give up a secure--if unfulfilling--job in the oil industry and turn a lifelong hobby into a business. Today, at age 42, Kidd’s activities reflect none of his training as a biochemical engineer.

“I used to hang around my grandfather’s shop in the summers,” said Kidd, who rode horses before he started school. “By the time I was 11, he decided I was serious and offered to teach me.”

Kidd built his first complete saddle at age 14, under his mentor’s watchful eye. Detailed notes his grandfather made during a lifetime of saddle making remain an invaluable reference for Kidd.

“And I still use some of his tools,” he said. “Sometimes, when I run into a problem, suddenly a solution comes. It’s like he’s still with me.”