Shop online this August.  All our bits have been reduced to $35 including Campdraft
with lip in Youth, Ladies and Mens, Roping Spurs and Pro Choice.

Currently we have a massive 30% off all Tekna products.  Only available on current in stock items.  Find a bargain here

We are moving as of July 1, 2011.  Contrary to rumours, we are not closing down, just moving to a new location in Dubbo.
The move should help improve our wait time on saddles and we will be continuing to offer the same product lines.  Stay tuned for further details later in the month.

Have you tried our great range of Leather Care Products?  The Leather Dressing, Conditioner and Oil are made instore from all natural ingredients.  Quality saddlery, although designed to last, must be maintained with a good quality dressing to prevent the leather drying out.

Thanks to all our new followers on Facebook and for those who have joined our mailing list during Autumn.  Nicholas Harvey of South Australia is our lucky winner.  Stay tuned for the winner of our In Store Colouring Competition which will be announced later this week.

Stock fender saddles are now available in store as well as online.  They are a great all day work saddle and available in 15, 16 and 17 inch.  We are also offering packages for these saddles.  Talk to us today about tailoring a saddle package to suit your needs.

Thanks to everyone who has recently joined us on Facebook.  The winner of our Autumn Promotion will be announced on June 1.  Join our Mailing List or find us on Facebook and 'like' us to be in the running for the Pro Choice Boots. 

What a pleasure it was over the weekend to have an up close and personal look at Jim Frecklington's latest carriage, the State Coach Britannia, that has been worked on over the past 6 years.  The workmanship and materials that has gone into this coach is outstanding to say the least.  Listening to Jim explaining the coach in details was truly a memorable experience for our family.  Congratulations to Jim and everyone involved in this project. The coach will soon be taken to London where it will take pride of place amongst the vehicles of State at Buckingham Palace.

For more information on the coach http://www.downau.com/britannia/index.cfm

John has taken out 1st prize at this year's Royal Easter Show.

 Having never entered in anything before at any show, John decided after making a saddle for his 10 year old daughter Belle, that he would enter it into the Australian Stock Saddle category at this year's Royal. 

The saddle features filligary staple plates finished with Belle's initials.  It is sure to be a prized possession within the Lordan family for years to come.

This weekend Campdrafters will be competing at Geurie, east of Dubbo in the Geurie Golden Bit.  Riders in the Open Draft will be in with the chance to win a Lordan saddle along with prize money.
The Ladies Draft is one of the richest in the country.  It promises to be a great weekend with the committee of Guerie showcasing there fabulous grounds and facilities.

A successful day was held last weekend out at Geurie also with the annual Dubbo Dash Barrel Racing.  It is great that Dubbo has these grounds now available to use for these events due to the hard working Geurie Committee.

This week's 7.30 Report on ABC TV covered the tragic story of the death of  a young woman, Sarah Waugh, at a TAFE Riding Course in Dubbo 2 years ago. 

Professor Paul McGreevy is a horse management expert and an advisor to the RSPCA.  He was interviewed in the story and was speaking of the lack of regulation in the horse industry within Australia.
He said 'Outside the racing industry, there are no regulations on the horse industry. There's no register of horses in Australia, there's no register of their history, so it's very difficult to keep track of horses, either good or bad.'

To add to this, I feel it is quite alarming that there are no regulations to the Saddlery Industry in Australia. 
I often witness riders in saddles that are so ill fitting that I am surprised that the horses are able to be controlled at all.  It is equally as important for a saddle to be comfortable for the horse as well as the rider.  If the saddle is hurting a horse than you can't blame the horse for not performing correctly or misbehaving.  The rider needs to be in a balanced position to mainitain full control of a horse.

The way it stands currently, anyone can go and buy saddlery tack that has no standards and instructions on what limitations  the product has.  All riding helmets have Australian Standards that are strictly enforced throughout horse sports in Australia but when it comes to girthing up a horse there are no standards.  Some of the girths on the market are made from the poorest of materials in terms of strength...it astounds me that they are available in our country.  
Poor fitting saddles can make a horse uncooperative and hard to control.   Most riders are not even aware of the damage they are doing to their much loved friend.  Some saddles are so poorly designed that in some cases can cripple a horse or lead to permanent scarring.

I feel deeply saddened every time hear of yet another horse incident ending in tragedy they could have possibly been avoided.


To read the full transcript from ABC's 7.30 Report use this link
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3160944.htm