Butet

Prioritizing French artisanal excellence and harmony between rider and horse, without ambitions for mass production. The quality of materials and techniques takes precedence over quantity.

Saumur, 1985. Frédéric Butet, immersed in the horse world since childhood, finds his way to saddlery almost by chance. What isn't chance is the location: Saumur, home of the Cadre Noir, the capital of French horsemanship. Proximity to the world's finest riders isn't a detail, it's the very condition of Butet's exacting standards. Saddles are born from dialogue with the field, not from a design office.

The philosophy is radical for its time: lightness, close contact, purity. Where traditional saddlers pile on layers, Butet strips away. The saddle must be the invisible bond between rider and horse, in stillness and in motion. Word of mouth does the rest. Without advertising, the brand conquers a global clientele in eventing and show jumping.

The workshop runs with around forty artisans who design, cut, assemble and stitch 2,200 saddles per year. Every piece is bespoke, no two are alike. Cowhide, calf and young bull leathers are vegetable-tanned, with 30-40% rejected to keep only flawless skins. Tree construction has evolved to include titanium, carbon, Kevlar and aerospace-grade foams.

In 2010, Frédéric handed over to Olivier Perdrix and Arnaud Lièvre, two newcomers from the luxury cosmetics and marketing industries. The transition was gradual, with Frédéric guiding before letting go. Then in 2018, Butet joined LIM Group (Leather in Motion), based in Nontron, Dordogne, alongside CWD, Devoucoux and Morand. The group owns its own tannery (Chamont) and tree maker (Lariot). Butet holds EPV status. Production remains in Saumur, 70% goes to export. "The smallest of the great saddlers, known the world over," as LIM sums it up.