Noëlle et Daniel Hess
Saddler
Montfaucon

« Knowledge and society have evolved: people today are more interested in the well-being of their horses, which has greatly influenced our profession. »

Born in 1961 in Vevey, Daniel Hess first received agricultural training. It was his interest in horses which then pushed him to learn the profession of saddlemaker. He left the canton of Vaud in 1987 for the Franches-Montagnes and set up his workshop there, supported by his wife Noëlle, who learned the trade “on the job”.

The Franches-Montagnes are not considered a horse’s paradise for nothing. The family settled in Montfaucon more than thirty years ago to practice. Most of the clientele is local, with some coming from French-speaking Switzerland and German-speaking Switzerland to seek out the know-how of Hess saddlery.

« We face competition from the Internet and department stores. There is plenty of equipment, more than necessary, with lots of gadgets. Whereas a saddler goes to the essentials: saddles, harnesses, bits and bridles, but we don't do equestrian fashion. »

In this large building in the Pré-Petitjean, the saddles beautifully presented in the showroom are sometimes simple, sometimes richly decorated with decorations reminiscent of the American tradition. Sometimes, the saddler craftsman gives way to the artist, to satisfy certain customers.