Kate Hetherington

Saddler

©Andrew Hobbs

The Horse Whisperer

Kate’s craft is at risk of extinction
Collars and harnesses are still used today for processions
She shares her workshop with the master who taught her

If you want to immerse yourself in an idyllic setting, Kate Hetherington's workshop nestled in the greenery of Exmoor National Park is the right place for you. Assuming that you find it: the streets are nameless and it’s easy to lose yourself in the breathtaking views, the countryside exudes natural beauty, expanses of meadows and a few cottages dotted here and there. In one of which John lives, Kate's mentor, who a few years ago offered for her to share his workshop while keeping two different identities; the craftsman who has won over with his horse collars even the most respected of equestrian enthusiasts, Queen Elizabeth II, and Kate who despite her young age is already known and appreciated throughout the country for her leather accessories, ceremonial harnesses and collars.

Interview

©Andrew Hobbs

©Andrew Hobbs

Why did you stay to work in your master's workshop?: John held out his hand to me at a difficult time. After my internship I found a job at a saddlery, but at the end of the 90s an equine disease put the sector in crisis. Being the last to arrive, I was the first to be sent away. After an experience working alone in my parents' garage, John suggested I returned to work with him.
Why did you choose this profession?: Horses have always been a passion of mine, at 6 years old I already knew how to ride and I had my own pony. Also the help of John, a friend of my parents' friends, was decisive as he has offered to take me on as an apprentice.
What was the most important lesson that John passed on to you?: The sacredness of work and never to be complacent. During the first months of my apprentice, I was even forbidden to speak in the workshop, the level of concentration required was high and you could not break it with useless chatter. At the end of a task, everything had to be perfect.
What experience in recent years has particularly marked you?: A few years ago I went to Central America with a charity to teach my craft to people of Honduras and Nicaragua whose main means of transport is still by horse. I became a teacher of a class of ten who are now pursuing my craft, which the Heritage Craft Association has declared at risk of extinction.

Kate Hetherington is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1996