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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine
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©Everything Horses and Livestock
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August 2016
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EHALmagazine.comIF SADDLES COULD TALK.
...
by Janice Pack
The time has finally arrived for EHAL to launch
a new series of articles about antique saddles.
Following the Kansas Equifest in February, I
spent some time researching saddle makers.
Many of these have long since gone out of busi-
ness while others remain active with 4th gener-
ation family owners and craftsmen.
Some strategic phone calls followed and these
led to more calls until I had enough old saddles
to write articles well into 2017. People told me
of western pleasure and roping saddles, En-
glish saddles, parade saddles, even McClellan
type and plantation saddles. A majority of these
saddles remain family-owned and a source of
family pride.
All owners, who will remain anononymous,
eagerly told me about their saddles. They ex-
pressed excitement about this project and the
opportunity to learn about other unique old sad-
dles. I found it amazing that all my contributors
believe their saddles have an integral place in
the telling of their family histories. One contrib-
utor even used this project as an opportunity to
write down what he knew about his saddles for
his children and grandchildren.
For this initial article I have chosen to write
about a Kansas City, MO icon in saddle, har-
ness, boot, spur and bit-making. For many
decades Shipley Saddlery and Mercantile Co.
remained a successful business in the Stock-
yard district in the west bottoms of Kansas City.
Charles P. Shipley was born in Ohio in 1865, the
year the Civil War ended. By the age of 19 he
had already finished his education and an ap-
prenticeship in saddle making. He then headed
“west” to Kansas City, MO where he started the
Charles P. Shipley Saddlery Co. He must have
had a lot of business savvy as the company’s
first location was near the Armour Meat Packag-
ing Plant. This building was damaged by flood
waters in 1903 with everything in the building
destroyed. Shipley literally had to start his busi-
ness over from scratch. Later in 1910 he built a
new three story building in its present location
close to Kansas City Stockyards and the Live-
stock Exchange Building. Who would need sad-
dles, bridles and chaps more than the cowboys
who brought in the great herds of cattle to sell?
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