Our story

We’ve been making the finest hand-crafted saddles and equine products since 1981.

Our story begins with our founder Frank Baines started his apprenticeship in 1964 at just 15 years old. Taught by a wonderful, elderly craftsman he learned about the important points of making saddles. When the factory where he was working burned down, he started his own business and began producing saddles in his kitchen with his wife Jane, a leather machinist. The company quickly gained a reputation as one of the world’s finest saddle makers and  moved out of their kitchen to a workshop in Walsall, the beating heart of the leather and saddle making industry. 

Son Garry, and daughter Victoria, joined the business many years later to continue the traditions and are now the Directors of Frank Baines Saddlery.

Our hand-made heritage

Today, we continue our story, celebrating our founding principles. We combine the finest traditions and skills of craftsmanship with luxurious, top quality materials to produce innovative, award winning saddles, loved by riders the world over.

We have no production line at Frank Baines Saddlery; each of our trained and experienced craftspeople takes ownership of the journey using precise measurements from our network of qualified saddle fitters. We have adopted the use of innovative methods & materials but we still custom-make every saddle by hand, from the first cut to the last stitch..

We source only the highest quality raw materials, luxurious leathers, patents, crystals, and welting to ensure all saddles meets our exacting standards and stand the test of time.

Our Values and Mission

Ensuring your horses’ comfort and welfare is our ultimate goal and at the heart of every saddle we make.

Here at Frank Baines, we focus on the perfect fit. We only sell our saddles through our network of Approved Stockists . All of them have met our rigorous requirements and are qualified, saddle fitters. Together, we support you during every stage of your saddle purchase to ensure you get the ultimate fit and cutting edge design.

Our mission is to make you the finest quality saddle that gives you balance, stability, comfort and maximum performance; a saddle that gives you hours of happy riding and stands the test of time. If you wish to bespoke your saddle, why not try our award-winning Build My Baines program here. Continue to follow us and see how our story progresses in the future