Ian Hastilow

Ian has been designing, manufacturing and fitting saddles from the late 1970s, opening his own saddlery shop and workshop in 1984.  He is a Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter  and held the post of President of the Society in 2005/2006 he was SMS Saddle Fitting Course Co-ordinator from 2007 until recently.  In 2010 Ian was made a Freeman of The City of London through the Worshipful Company of Saddlers and subsequently a Liveryman.  In 2023 he was awarded a Fellowship of the Society of Master Saddlers for his work for the Society over the last 30 years.  He has been a lecturer and assessor since 2004 and still works on the saddlery courses held every year.  The SMS National Competition is a prestigious competition to enter, Ian has won it twice for a Trade Saddle and has judged on various occasions.

Ian helped setup the North American Saddlery School  in 2006 when he was President of the SMS, writing a large amount of the course content, then teaching it in America.  Lecturing and fitting saddles has taken Ian worldwide.  He is still a manufacturer of bespoke saddles in his own workshop in Wales and fits them across the UK, he is a consultant for saddle tree and panel designs.