In their Durango home, Lisa and Loren Skyhorse sit in a living room filled with their life’s work—a stunning array of handcrafted leather pieces, from intricately tooled saddles to custom leather panels adorning nearly every surface.
“We’ve been together for just over 50 years and married for 48 of those,” Lisa Skyhorse said with a smile. “I’ve been [making saddles] full-time for 50 years, and Loren joined me two years later. It’s been our shared passion ever since.”
Lisa’s interest in saddle-making began with her love for horses and leatherwork. In 1973, she sought out an apprenticeship with a saddler—an unusual path for a woman at the time. “Back then, it was a good ole boy’s club. It wasn’t easy to find a man who would teach me,” she recalled. Her determination paid off, and after crafting her first saddle, she was hooked.
Loren Skyhorse, originally a biology student at Humboldt State University, had different plans before meeting Lisa. “I was going to be a biologist, doing government work on biological surveys,” he said. But he decided to join her in the saddle-making business. “I wanted to be a horseman alongside Lisa, a partner in life.”
The Skyhorses have crafted over 1,200 custom saddles, blending functionality with artistry. “Saddle-making is like sculpting,” Loren said. “You’re forming shapes in leather, using heavier materials and techniques for strength and durability. A saddle is a hard-use tool designed to withstand time.”
Saddle-making stands at the pinnacle of leather craftsmanship, uniquely challenging artisans to create an apparatus that perfectly fits two living beings—the horse and the rider. Unlike leatherwork focused solely on the user’s needs, saddle-making demands an intricate understanding of the animal and the human.
The Skyhorses emphasize quality in every saddle they make. “We have a saying: life’s too short to ride an ugly saddle,” Lisa said. “These are heirloom pieces, and they’re not mass-produced. When we build a saddle, it will last well over 100 years. Somebody will pass it on to their kids and their grandkids.”
The Skyhorses’ portfolio includes pieces for notable clients, from Shania Twain to Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia. Their work is also showcased in the Booth Western Art Museum in Georgia and Toh-Atin Gallery in downtown Durango.
After years of honing their skills, the couple is looking to pass on their knowledge to a new generation through apprenticeships for at-risk youth in Flagstaff, horsemen in Mongolia, and horsewomen in Peru, to name a few programs.
“Leatherwork is in the middle of a resurgence, but mastering saddle-making takes many, many years. There are only a few dozen master saddle makers,” Lisa noted. “We’re anxious to pass this on.”
