BELGRADE, Mont. — Passing on wisdom is a tried and tested method of keeping systemically relevant professions healthy and vibrant.
They are particularly relevant when one generation passes on its knowledge and passion to a new, eager-to-learn generation.
It is part of Montana’s western culture, a way of life coupled with hard work and practical know-how.
At the Montana Horseman Saddle Building School near Belgrade, students learn the art of western saddle building.
NBC Montana visited the school where we met students Ben Marich, Debbie Moran and Isaak Trueblood, who are learning the skills of saddle building under the guidance of school founder and master saddle builder Dale Moore.
Dale’s love of saddles began when he was a teenager growing up on a ranch in Oregon.
As a boy, he worked repairing “old, discarded saddles.”
He loved working with leather and he loved horses.
You’d never guess it, but Dale is 92 years old. That’s a lot of institutional knowledge.
“There are just not many people who know so much and are still at it at 92,” Debbie said of her teacher.
Dale’s qualifications as a saddler were enhanced by his years of teaching in Montana. He taught in Helena, where he rose through the ranks and eventually became a school principal.
He then became a school superintendent in Jordan, Montana.
“When I retired,” Dale said, “it occurred to me that maybe someone would be interested in learning my hobby of building a western saddle.”
When Dale and his wife Norma founded the school over 20 years ago, they discovered that there were a lot of students who wanted just that.
“The saddle school started to grow,” Dale said, “and it grew and grew and grew.”
The school teaches students how to build different types of western saddles.
Debbie showed us the Wade saddle she built. The Wade saddle is one of the most common and popular saddles.
“The saddle was designed for the broad-backed Quarter Horses when they became popular,” Dale said. “It lowers the horse’s center of gravity, making it easier to lasso or ride uphill.”
“We study the horses’ physique,” he said, “and try to build a saddle that fits the horse and the rider.”
Students come to the Belgrade school from a wide variety of backgrounds.
But what they probably all have in common is a love of horses and riding.
“We get a lot of young kids coming from ranches,” Dale said.
“I work part-time as a farrier,” says Isaak, “and I also work for various companies on the ranch.”
Isaak, who is taking an advanced saddle building course, builds a swell fork saddle.
“The fork has cambers, unlike a Wade saddle,” said the young man from Kansas. “As for the finish, I’m going to do a rough finish on it.”
Isaac was refining his saddle to make it his own.
“I plan to use this saddle for the ranch,” he said. “Something durable that can be used regularly every day.”
Ben’s saddle will have a smooth finish.
Ben, who is from Utah, enrolled in the school to build a new career.
“I have a semi-truck and I haul dirt in Utah County,” he said. “I’d like to try to get away from that and maybe start making saddles for ranch cowboys.”
Ben has always enjoyed working with leather.
“There are quite a few ranches in Utah and definitely quite a few horses,” he said. “So I think if someone can make a good saddle, they can probably make a living doing it.”
“It’s mostly students who want to start a new career,” said Dale. “And that’s what they’re doing.”
The teacher who taught Ben is Dale’s grandson, Cody McDowell.
Cody follows in his grandfather’s footsteps.
“I want to continue Grandpa’s legacy with the business,” he said, “and also become a saddler and be as good as I can be.”
Cody said his grandfather revealed the magic of leatherworking to him.
“You just take a flat piece of leather,” Cody said, “and basically turn it into a functioning work of art. I think it’s just amazing.”
Luke Downing built his first saddle at school a few years ago.
“In the last nine years,” he said, “I’ve probably made a dozen saddles.”
Luke said he makes saddles in his spare time. He has passed on the skills he learned as a saddle maker to his own family. He just finished a saddle for his granddaughter.
The school has produced several hundred graduates, many of them from all over the world. There have been students from Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Ireland and Norway. And these are just some of the countries.
The Montana Horseman Saddle School is approved for veteran training.
“Many of these students attend our school,” Dale said, “especially those who have worked on ranches and have that background.”
Many are disabled veterans.
Dale said veterans have told him this highly focused, creative work is the best therapy they have found.
The 92-year-old saddle maker said nothing gives him more joy than seeing his students achieve outstanding results.
“The student will react to what he has done,” he said, “and you can see the proud look on his face. That is joy for me.”
The lessons include a four-week intensive program that requires the student’s full attention and time.
Most students live in dormitories set up at the school.
Dale not only learns how to make a saddle, but also passes on his knowledge of the history of the saddle.
In the workroom there are dozens of saddles with their own stories. One of these saddles belongs to a former student who found a saddle made in Montana in Alaska.
“This saddle,” Dale said, “came to Alaska during the gold rush of 1896.”
Dale built many of these saddles. One is in memory of his favorite horses. The saddle is engraved with the faces of Smokey, Jody and Brownie.
But Dale’s very special saddle was made in honor of his late wife, Norma. Dale and Norma were married for 68 years.
There is a saying engraved on this saddle. Dale read it to us: “Riding is flying without wings.”
