The Saddlery Training Centre Ltd

The Saddlery Training Centre was officially opened on Thursday 28th September 2000, by Group Captain Steven Brereton Martin, Clerk to The Saddlers' Company and Chairman of The Saddlery Steering Group.

The centre works in close association with The Saddlers Company, The Society of Master Saddlers and also has strong links with the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA).

The Centre has been approved to deliver the new Modern Apprenticeship Scheme and is an assessment centre for The National Saddlery Skill Assessment and Qualification Scheme for the saddlery trade. The awarding bodies are the City and Guilds of London Institute and The Saddlers' Company. The Society of Master Saddlers administers the scheme.

The Countryside Agency ceased to directly provide training in Saddlery and leatherwork from their workshops in Salisbury at the end of September 2000. At the end of March 2004 they withdrew all funding for their entire craft training programme which included saddlery, as a result the New Entrants Training Scheme is no longer available and Saddlery OPEN courses are no longer subsidised for businesses in rural areas of England.

The Saddlery Training Centre aims to offer a flexible approach to individual training requirements, the new Modern Apprenticeship is designed to replace the New Entrants Training Scheme and our General Saddlery courses cover all of the skills required to work in the trade. If you require help or advice preparing for a City and Guilds skill assessment, or need a special course tailored to your own needs, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We have two specialist consultants, Richard Godden and John McDonald who are experts in the areas of side-saddle and collar/harness making. OPEN courses can be arranged in both disciplines specifically to meet your own needs.

We hope that those of you who have attended courses in the past or are intending to do so in the future, will feel reassured that we are now well established in our workshops in Salisbury. We are well stocked and equipped and aim to provide high quality and flexible training programmes. We look forward to working with you in the future