Sitting High and Handsome
That’s what you do in one of Ben Swanke’s saddles
Ben Swanke of Billings, runs his calloused hands over the back of a newly finished saddle. He smiles with pride as he explains the many steps and individual parts involved in taking it from a wooden “saddle tree,” covered in rawhide, to a finished saddle.
The finished saddle is beautiful. The light-colored, roughout leather across the seat is smooth to the touch, while the extravagantly tooled skirt, polished and darker, offers an eye-appealing contrast. A closer look reveals the methodical attention to detail as each top stitch is precise, and each decorative tooling is carved and pressed with perfection.
Attached to the skirt are saddle strings, dangling from silver conchos that add an ornate functionality to the saddle for a place to tie a saddle bag or a raincoat. Beauty and function are a delicate balance, yet Ben seems to have captured it with ease.
A piece of art, worthy of being a focal point in a home, the saddle will go to a working cowboy, not to be admired, but to be used. And a cowboy knows what he wants in a saddle by the nature of his ride, his build and his horse. The new owner’s name is soon to be added to the long list of satisfied customers that have made use of Ben’s talents for decades to find the perfect saddle.
A Montana native, Ben was raised just outside of Billings and made his first saddle at age 14. Always around horses and saddles, he watched his dad repair the ranch saddles countless times over and began doing it himself at an even younger age.
“I’ve always loved the smell and feel of leather,” Ben says. “I’ve had a curiosity about it forever. I studied old saddles and decided I could make one myself. I learned the hard way, by trial and error, but I stuck to it.”
Ben has been a professional saddle maker for 40 years. In that time, he and his shop have built upwards of 1,500 saddles. Many of his saddles have been passed down to the next generation. “I build them to last,” Ben said, “If they take care of them, well, they are known to stay in the family.” Saddles aren’t all that Ben’s reputation has been built upon. He’s also recognized around the saddle-making world for his saddle trees.
“A lot of guys are building their own saddles now days,” Ben explains. “They might only make one or two of them, maybe for themselves or family, but a lot of guys know exactly what they want in a saddle and they go after it.” Ben supplies trees for those do-it-yourselfers. They are built on his ranch just outside of town by Ben’s son.
Ben’s built a business on his reputation, his skill and his passion. Saddle making has been his lifetime career. He can’t imagine doing anything else. He and his wife, Pam, and their son, Caleb run the saddle shop with the help of a couple of employees. But the highlight of his day is when he can saddle up and ride, sitting in one of his own saddles on his own horse and enjoy the work of his labor.