Leather

Working
With Jasmine Beagle
This article has taken me on a
photographic journey through past and
present. Interestingly when it comes to the
art of leather working practiced by Jasmine
Beagle, designer and co-creator of NZ
Equine Boutique these two go hand in hand.
When I went to visit jasmine to find out
more about her work, she was mid process
of stitching a gorgeous hand-made leather
Bridle. I learnt that they solely create high
quality handmade Equine gear for horses.
Jasmine’s love of all things horsey started
at a young age with the purchase of her first
pony “Tina” at age 8 from then on she
Leather working tools
Jasmine at Work
stated “She had caught the bug, and lived
with it ever since”. Her love and
passion for horses has been lifelong but her
desire to create good quality horse gear is a
relatively new venture.
This is a venture she hopes will be profitable
as the demand for well-made gear, as for
everything these days is high with people
tired of purchasing low quality, foreign
made Equine gear that isn’t itself particularly
cheap considering it is made from “very low
quality leather”.
When asked what sets her work and
brand apart Jasmine directed me to come to
her workbench to inspect a cheap, Chinese
made bridle and compare it next to one of
hers. The quality difference is astounding
 the equine industries horse gear, which Is
generally sourced from India or China
where the treatment of animals for
leather and the treatment of the leather
after the animal is slaughtered are often
not of a good standard with abuse of the
animals and slack pollution regulations.

The business that Jasmine purchases

her leather from couldn’t be more
different from that. The business of J &
E Sedgwick & Co. Ltd was founded in
1900 by James and Emmanuel Sedgwick
who quickly began supplying leather to
the equestrian trade. The company bases
its early success on the established UK
market, but in recent years has expanded
into the growing export market, supplying
its products worldwide. Sedgwick’s has
always prided itself on the consistently
Cutting a leather strip

and no wonder as I went on to investigate

where she sources her leather from which is
some of the finest quality leather that money
can buy.
The NZ Equine Boutique purchases all
their leather from Sedgwick Bridle Leather
of England and other components they use
NZ Wool, American Cotton (Organic is
used where possible), buckles and fittings
produced at Abbey of England's own
Foundry these are to name a few.
This is a great contrast to the leather
that is used in making a large proportion of
Jasmine and Tucker
high quality of its finished leather. Partly, examined the bridle and I was able to
this has been achieved by the sourcing of admire Jasmines work up close.
high quality hides, but also in maintaining
the skills of expert leather makers who Jasmine intends for this business to
finish the leather by hand. Many of these continue to grow and believes that the
skills utilized at the beginning of the century demand is definitely there for high quality
are still used today. Quoting directly from horse products that are well made. A final
their website they state that “English leather quote from their website,
enjoys a reputation of being the finest in
the world and we are delighted to report
that J & E Sedgwick enters its second
century of existence well prepared to play a
significant role in maintaining that
position.”

Jasmine, an avid animal lover states

that the way she can best respect that
animals life that was taken is to make
beautiful gear that is made to last not for its
profit. She tells me that the combination of
her long term career with horses and her
degree in fine arts has made and oddly
compatible marriage with each other to
allow her the experience and creativity to
make, not only sturdy long lasting gear, but
also gear that looks really good. She took
me out to meet one of her horses and to
show me one of her bridles when it is
serving its intended purpose.
Jasmine at her workbench
This part of the process was one of the
best she told me, to see the fruit of all that “Our items are made with care and
hard labour and hours of stitching fitted on integrity and are made to last.”
to a horse; it makes it all worth it. Tucker
her horse, stood obligingly still as we