Kate Wilson discovered her love of horses when she was 17. Driving to riding lessons became her motivation for getting a driver’s license. Kate enrolled at Ithaca College in New York, where she majored in art and minored in biology. She hoped for a job that would incorporate both, but when she graduated in 1995, the job options were sparse. Kate fell back on the time-tested method of scanning the classified ads in the newspaper. The ad that caught her eye was posted by a local tack importing company that was looking for a saddler’s apprentice.
The tack company was importing a high-end English saddle made by Albion Saddlery at the time. They had a master saddler from the UK in house, and they were looking for a saddler’s apprentice to do repair work. Kate applied and got the job. For the next five years, Kate worked repairing warranty issues for Albion, and working on all different brands of saddles and making custom bridles. Kate was
