For those who love everything equestrian

Scottish Side Saddles at Diplomacy Saddlery was established by Shirley Justice-Vose in 1987 after moving back to Scotland.

This was effectively a second career; she had previously worked in outdoor education for 11 years having set up and run, from the age of 19, the Operation Adventure Trust, a registered charity providing outdoor adventure holidays for people with special needs.

A serious riding accident in which she suffered fractures to her back and neck necessitated a complete career change and she decided to pursue a long held interest in saddlery.

Having ridden side saddle since childhood this was an branch of saddlery which held a particular interest.

Being a Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddler and SMS Qualified Saddler Fitter and in addition being a Side Saddle Instructor and keen competitor gives a unique view point when assessing the horse, rider, saddle and the effect of each on one another when trying to find the best solution for horse and rider.

Shirley Justice-Vose trained at the Saddlery Training Centre in Salisbury qualifying as a saddler before undertaking specialised training in Side Saddle Manufacture and Restoration under the tuition of Richard Godden, whom in turn had trained with well known side saddle manufacturers, Champion & Wilton.

A growing interest in the fitting of astride saddles led her to qualify as a saddle fitter in 2008 and this now  constitutes a large part of the business.

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