Hermès is widely known in fashionable circles for its coveted Kelly and Birkin handbags, but the iconic house began with its first client: the horse. In 1837, Thierry Hermès established a harness and saddlery workshop in Paris, which pioneered light, sculpted, yet remarkably durable saddles—a necessity of the day.
Nearly two centuries later, Hermès continues to craft bespoke saddles using its founder’s original techniques—each made start to finish by a single craftsman at the house’s ateliers in Paris and Normandy. Every saddle begins with the horse, meticulously measured for precise fit. Prototypes are then constructed for specific equestrian pursuits, such as dressage and jumping.
It is an art—one that Mr. Hermès perfected in order to forge a seamless connection between the horse and rider. “Ultimately, a good saddle is one that you forget you’re riding,” says Chloé Nobécourt, director of the Hermès equestrian métier. “Sometimes you get the sense that the horse’s legs are almost your own. It’s an incredible feeling.”
While Hermès’s clients include elite equestrians such as Olympic medalists Jérôme Guery and Rodrigo Pessoa, amateurs also love the house’s heritage saddles—perhaps even more than the style set loves their Birkins. Many clients even return to the Paris atelier to trace the origins of their own saddles, which have been recorded in a handwritten ledger since 1909.
Every bespoke commission is crafted at Hermès’s historic workshop at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. At this location and in the Normandy workshop, master saddlemakers spend 25 to 35 hours making a single saddle. The leather is stretched and hammered in place with tacks to ensure a smooth surface. The heritage tools of Mr. Hermès’s establishing trade have not changed over the past 188 years.
All details are handsewn, a skill that requires precision as well as physical strength to pierce the thick leather. The saddles are made from durable cowhide and more supple calfskin to form a beautiful patina over time.