Saddle shop opens in Sisters

Sisters equestrians and others in need of gear repair no longer have to tote their leather goods to another town for fixing. Three Ponies Saddlery, located next to the Sisters Rodeo office on Cascade Avenue, can handle most anything except boots, according to saddler David Holmes and his wife, Dawn.

And if you decide your old saddle has had it, David can make you a new one.

The shop is small but tidy, with an eclectic collection already accumulating. Several saddles are for sale on consignment, a collection of Western bridles and breast collars hangs on the wall next to a case displaying silver belt buckles and wooden boxes. Dawn's saddle sits near the door on a handmade saddle rack. David's skill as a woodworker is evident in the rack and in the handmade boxes for sale in the front case.

"I'll look at nearly any leather item to see if I can do the repair," he said. He makes custom belts and bridles, and any item brought in for repair gets a free clean and conditioning. Prices are moderate, and turnaround time for repairs is swift.

David has an eye for detail, the result of a long career in machine technology. He specialized in robotics in the kitchen cabinet industry and is a self-proclaimed "fixer." He grew up taking things apart, just to see how they worked. His family was relieved when he reached the point of being able to put things back together.

The fascination with detail - and a realization that crawling around in factories setting up machines was taking a toll on his body - led David to look around a saddle shop one day with fresh insight. Dawn, an avid horsewoman, paid a visit to Kevin Urbach's saddle shop in Bend to get some saddle oil. David was taken with the attention to detail he saw in Urbach's work, and it just so happened Urbach was looking for a student.

David signed on and he and Dawn moved to Bend from their home near the McKenzie River. At the conclusion of a year's tutoring, David had built a saddle for Dawn, made especially to fit her and her horse. He'd also learned to diagnose needed repairs and how to use the many tools available to a leather artisan.

The Holmes were surprised at the lack of a saddler in Sisters and decided to set up shop here. David was able to purchase the entire collection of tools used by long-time Madras saddlemaker, Jim Bender, who had passed away.

Three Ponies Saddlery is located at 220 W. Cascade Ave. Call 541-719-0595 for more information.