Miriam Bowler Saddlery

06/02/2025

Are your girth points all equal and level?
If they're not, then there will be uneven pressure on your saddle as you girth up, making it very hard to keep your saddle centred, balanced and level, eventually affecting the balance in the saddle panels and flocking. And that affects your body balance and most definately your horses balance and muscle tone.

22/01/2025

Did you know that I don't just 'make stuff'.
Actually a very large part of my working day is often repairs and alterations.
Have you bought an off the peg bridle that you really liked, but it just fits wrong?
Buckles up round the ears, straps too long and flappy etc etc.
I can help alter it so it looks nicer and fits more comfortably.
Bridles that look like the image below just make me cringe.

30/12/2024

Thankyou for all your kind acknowledgements for my last post.
(If you missed it, please go back a day and read it).
Your cooperation and help to keep my work and personal stuff separate is very much appreciated. I'm looking forward to being able to manage and keep track of particularly work messages much more easily going into 2025.
This will make for a happier mummy and a happier wife.
And that makes a happier household.

Wishing you all a peaceful and happy New Year

Miriam

29/12/2024

A long post, but a very important one, so please bear with me and read through.

I hope you've all enjoyed a peaceful Christmas break and are making your plans and resolutions for the New Year.
I'm making some 'housekeeping rules' for the New Year.
I'm sure that many of you won't realise, but I actually have a 'personal' phone number,and a 'work' phone number.
Two different phone numbers.
Same for my Facebook things.
A 'personal' page, and a 'work' page.
The equestrian service I provide means I walk a constant line between 'friends', 'professional services' and a very grey blurry line between the two.
For example; say someone who I know on a personal friends basis, messages me on a Sunday afternoon, or 7pm in the evening, 'am I home?'.
And then they call around to chat about a work job. Tricky huh?
As many of you know, I try to keep a very small and local business, working from home, to fit and suit my life around my family.
This means my work hours are not fixed '9-5 mon-fri'. I can often be found in the workshop finishing off that last minute job on a Sunday or late at night. And that's my choice. And there are some days where I won't be found in the workshop because I have other plans for that day.
I really believe in good personal customer service.
If you have a genuine 'help!' emergency, I will do whatever I can to get a job done and get you and your horse back on schedule for that weekend show etc.
However, and this is the really important bit. I am very unlikely to answer work related messages and phone calls out of normally accepted working hours. If you message me late in the evening or Sundays, I will get straight back to you next day. I really need to be able to give my own family my attention in the evenings and weekends, so I'm not likely to want to be waiting around for someone to collect/drop off repairs or chat work jobs.

If you've stayed with me for the read this long, Thankyou.
Now I'm asking you to check your contacts list for me.
What phone number are you using for me?
Ending in '742' is a work number
Ending in '626' is a personal number
Messaging contact
Are you sending things to Miriam Bowler Saddlery or Miriam Bowler?
Keeping messages to my work contact details helps me hugely to keep track of work jobs instead of hunting back through lots of different personal and work points of contacts.

Thankyou all for your custom and of course, for your friendship during 2024.
Please help me to go into 2025 respecting the difference between the two so that I don't have to get cranky with that very blurry grey line.

Wishing you all a peaceful and successful 2025

Miriam

09/12/2024

Need a little Christmas pressie for your pup?
Or someone else's pup?
I have just these three sets of collar and lead ready to go.
Made of a sturdy but soft and flexible black leather. Soft on your hands but still strong.
Green stitched collar is 36-48cm
Red stitched collar is 28-40cm
Blue stitched collar is 29-41cm

(I may have a couple of other sizes somewhere if these sizes don't suit, so do ask me)

All measured tightest to longest hole.

Leads measure 140cm with a ring in the hand grip, making it easy to tether the dog round something and clip it up.

$50 each set

I'm happy to post for $15 express post so it'll be there for Christmas.

27/11/2024

When the power is out for hours and hours. It doesn't stop the production of traditional handcrafted leather work. No power tools required for any of the processes. Although some more light for stitching would definitely be a bonus.
Summer Storms. Trees down. Chiltern smashed.

22/11/2024

So you may remember how I'm not a fan of 'sticky' riding pants? I'm sure they wear leather seats.
Endurance riders do so many KMs they are right up there as some of the most balanced riders with the hardest working kit.
This little Australian company designs and makes excellent riding tights, made to stand up to hard wear, with fit and comfort as priority. No sticky seat. And with 2 excellent size phone pockets!
Go support a small Australian business.

Australian Equine Endurance Clothing

21/11/2024

When it's 6.30pm and it's been a long day and you really just wanna spend 10 minutes with your ponies and then find some dinner.
But the bottom falls out of your boys carseat and he's panicking cause he needs the car for work tomorrow.
I'm quite certain emergency car seat repairs wasn't covered in the 4 year saddlery apprenticeship.
The things we do for our kids.
I did at least get a Thankyou....

15/11/2024

Is it time you checked your girth points?

I'm always happy to take the time to do a quick checkover for anyone who would like me to.
No charge for a social and a safety check.
I'd rather catch a minor job for you, than a major disaster if it's ignored and goes horribly wrong.

31/10/2024

Beautiful Ryder saddles ready to be packed in the car for fittings over the next few days 😍😍

Contact us if you are interested in trying a Ryder. The quality of these saddles is exceptional. We know….you haven’t heard of them but we at Danehill want to change that because we LOVE them and want to share the experience!

Ex-demo saddles from a very reasonable $3k including 7 day trial (conditions apply).

Lucy is happy to point you in the right direction if you are looking for something specific. Call or text her on 0408 305349

No question is a silly one and we actually love talking saddles and saddle fit so you are NOT wasting our time!!!!😁😁

18/10/2024

Christening the new bench top with a bridle.
The old plywood top has weathered a decade of bashing and abuse, and was starting to retaliate with some pretty savage under the fingernails splinters.
Lovely neighbour to the rescue.
Mister Fruns you are a top bloke x

07/10/2024

Found a use for some of that old discarded flocking.
And it seems to have met with approval.

30/09/2024

How cute is this adorable little saddle that's come in for some love and attention?
It's been long out grown by the last little pilots, so it's going to be looking for a new home.
Comes with some very tiny short toddler leathers, plus a longer set with protector sleeves, for growing kids legs, and lightweight irons with toestoppers to keep little feet safe.
Has a girth with it and this lovely little wool blanket, so it's completely ready to pop on and ride.
If you want to be the favourite grandparent or the bestest parent then drop me a message, before it gets listed for general sale.

Sold pending pickup

26/09/2024

Danehill Equestrian is an exciting new saddlery business founded by Lucy Robins, a passionate SMS Qualified Saddle Fitter. ✨

Lucy is very excited to be attending the TTT Dressage event (‘Top Team Trophy’) in November!

She will be bringing a selection of stunning Ryder saddles for everyone to fall in love with, along with plenty of tins of Danehill Leather Balm, available in three beautiful scents to make tack cleaning more enjoyable.

All riders will receive a very cute sample tin of Vanilla Caramel Leather Balm in their goody bags. 🛍️

Lucy will also be on hand for saddle health checks and to answer any of your saddle fitting questions!

𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧:
🏆 Hygain ‘Top Team Trophy’ Dressage 2024

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡?
📆 Friday, 8th November
📆 Saturday, 9th November
📆 Sunday, 10th November

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘?
📍 Elmore Equestrian Park (48 Rosaia Road, Elmore, Victoria)

19/09/2024

Well at least someone appreciates the lumpy old wool innards of two saddles.

08/09/2024

And I'm back in the workshop this week.
Just wading through 2 weeks of backed up messages, texts and emails, before I start the catch up jobs.
If I've missed your message somewhere and you haven't had a reply, feel free to drop me another one.

06/09/2024

A Silver Wedding anniversary has meant the hubby and I took ourselves off for a 2 week roadtrip adventure to warmer regions.
But there were saddlery visits too, with a call in to the tiny museum that is all that's left of The Tenterfield Saddlery, immortalised in song.
And a social visit with the thriving busy business of the lovely Hugh Bloore in Wallabadah.
This bloke really knows his stuff, makes a lovely saddle, and is well worth calling into.
I'll be home this weekend to cheer on my daughter Lily Bowler for her Roller Derby game in Wangaratta on Saturday.
And back in the workshop to catch up with the jobs that I know are waiting for me, on Monday.

16/08/2024