40 under 40: Meet Chloe Rutherford

Every Monday, we are celebrating one of our 40 under 40 makers.

This week we are talking to Chloe Rutherford from Three Shires Saddlery. Chloe is a qualified saddler who loves to make bespoke bridles and harnesses.

Let's get to know her with a Q&A session.

Tell us a bit about what you do?

I am a qualified saddler and spend a lot of my time making bridles, specialising in small ponies. I’ve always relished the challenge of renovating leather items, particularly driving harness, including traditional straw-filled collars. I enjoy taking old saddles, often destined for the skip, and upcycling them into handbags using old bridlework for straps and so on.

How did you get into making leather goods?

As a child, I learnt to sew at quite a young age, and one day turned my rocking horse’s bridle into a harness for my dog.  My mum jokingly suggested I could become a saddler and the rest is history. After finishing my A levels I went to Capel Manor college to do the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers’ Diploma in Saddle, Harness and Bridle Making.

What is your favourite product to make?

I find bridles really satisfying to make, and love to receive photos of my customer’s ponies wearing them. 

What do you love most about working with leather?

I love the wide variety of things that you can make, and seeing the whole process from the first cut of the hide to the finishing touches.

What are your next goals?

Now I have done some harness making I’d really like to explore this area of work further, to see if I can develop into this market, particularly focussing on private driving sets and restoration work.

What advice would you give to someone who's thinking about becoming a leather worker or who has just started out?

Most saddlers and leatherworkers are quite approachable and always happy to help newcomers to the industry, so it is worth finding someone local to chat to about their work and for advice.

What does it mean to you to be included in the 40 under 40 list?

It was a real surprise and a great honour to find myself included on the list and to have my work recognised in this way.

How important do you think it is to keep traditional techniques alive in the modern world?

Traditionally leather items, are made with high quality materials using techniques, and often tools, that have been around for 100s of years. Many of the items I am making today such as bridles and harness were originally everyday items and the makers were numerous.  Saddlery and harness making forms part of our cultural heritage, and not only links us to our history but keep it alive.  I find that bespoke items are not only aesthetically pleasing but are frequently of a much higher quality, and are more durable, than top of the range mass-produced items.

What have you done to keep relevant in a digital age?

Whilst my work uses very traditional tools and techniques, most of my business comes from my social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram.

What is the biggest challenge to becoming successful in your discipline?

Even once I finished at Capel Manor, I still had quite a lot of training and exams to complete in order to become a saddler and harness maker.  I was lucky enough to receive funding from QEST, for which I am really grateful as it made a big difference in being able to achieve my goal.
The other challenge is building a successful business in a “throw away society”,  where the skills and craftmanship that go into an item is not always valued.

For more information, please visit www.threeshires-saddlery.com