Saddle Maker Puts Disabled Riders Back In The Saddle

Saddle Maker Puts Disabled Riders Back In The Saddle AG WORLD 33-4-22 At age 74, John Gray can't retire. He's too busy helping people. Gray and two assistants make custom saddles and tack for people with special needs. Today he has a year's waiting list, but it all began with a single call about 20 years ago. "A girl who was paralyzed had seen a saddle made for a paralyzed man and wanted one herself," recalls Gray. "I made one for her and gave my name to an outfit called Freedom Rider, and I've been busy ever since." He has built saddles for people who were disabled from birth, from disease or from accidents. He built one for a girl with narcolepsy (falls asleep without warning). She's a barrel racer but, if she dozes off in the saddle, she won't fall off. Recently he built one for a disabled veteran who lost both legs during the war in Iraq. Thanks to one of Gray's bucket style saddles, the vet can trail ride with his wife again. "When I get a call, I find out the problem, weight, height and how severe the disability is so I can decide what kind of seat to make," says Gray. "Sometimes when I hear their story, I have to turn away because my eyes have filled with tears." Gray also asks about the horse. Every horse is different, he says, and the more you ride it or the heavier the rider, the better the match needs to be. Making a special needs saddle takes 40 to 60 hours and can cost $1,400 or more. He prices it based on cost of material, labor and a little profit. Gray is looking for a grant that would allow him to make saddles for those who can't afford his. It would also allow him to train more assistants and perhaps lower his prices. In the meantime he keeps filling orders, sometimes from satisfied customers who want even more. "I made a saddle for a former rodeo roper who had been hurt and couldn't ride," says Gray. "Now he wants one that'll spring forward and snap back. It seems he has gone from not being able to ride to doing pickup work with bull and bronc riders after their rides." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gray's Custom Saddlery and Western Store, 406 Market Street, Horseshoe Bend, Ark. 72512 (ph 870 670-4800; cell 870 291-0449; john 7gray@centurytel.net; www.grayscustom saddlery.com).

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