Hug Hide

Hug Hide I make and repair leather items such as bags, bike seats, belts, dog collars, leads and horse tack.

One of the best things about doing leatherwork is the range of different objects you get asked to repair. Anything that ...
10/06/2026

One of the best things about doing leatherwork is the range of different objects you get asked to repair. Anything that is thick, hard or difficult to sew seems to be fair game. Today’s repair was putting a new bottom on an easygrazer muzzle. These are very nice, but costly, so replacing the bottom was definitely worth doing.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Trigger’s broom (Ronnie’s headcollar) has been back in for repair. This time it needed a new throatlash, backstay and jowels (all of the back part). I don’t know if there is anything original left of this headcollar but it is much loved and I like that the owner would prefer to repair it than throw it away.

I repaired the chaps and he reinstated Big Job’s shoe. Luckily I found it, mind you, they are so enormous it would have ...
09/06/2026

I repaired the chaps and he reinstated Big Job’s shoe. Luckily I found it, mind you, they are so enormous it would have been hard to miss! He reportedly got kicked by a polo pony while wearing them this afternoon and hardly felt a thing 🤦‍♀️

Replacing a worn thigh block on a saddle was a nice little job for a rainy Monday morning. The new blocks came from the ...
08/06/2026

Replacing a worn thigh block on a saddle was a nice little job for a rainy Monday morning. The new blocks came from the manufacturer so all that was required of me was to open the stitching on the edge of the monoflap, unpick the worn block, pop in the new one and sew it back together.

Here’s another thing that I haven’t been able to post about because it was a birthday present. But it’s been opened now ...
24/05/2026

Here’s another thing that I haven’t been able to post about because it was a birthday present. But it’s been opened now so here are pictures of Bounty’s new headcollar. It is made from black bridle leather with green nappa lining, green stitching and solid brass fittings. I also put green piping around the edges of the non-padded parts and was pleased with how this turned out because it’s not something I’ve done before.

I managed to persuade the raptor man at Herts County Show to let his peregrine falcon try on my prize winning hood. The ...
24/05/2026

I managed to persuade the raptor man at Herts County Show to let his peregrine falcon try on my prize winning hood. The bird was not overly thrilled by the idea but kindly obliged and here is the evidence.

I’ve been obsessively making falcon hoods for the past month, for entry to Herts County Show. They are such fun to make ...
23/05/2026

I’ve been obsessively making falcon hoods for the past month, for entry to Herts County Show. They are such fun to make and these ones are made from kangaroo leather and the size is designed to fit a Goshawk, in honour of Helen Macdonald’s bird Mabel (you need to see ‘H is for Hawk’). My falcon hood and case won first in its class and overall best in show.

I also entered a bracelet with horse hair insert and presentation box, in memory of Pete the Piebald pony, and that came second which is a great way to remember Pete.

Here are some pictures of the day one of my bridles went to Windsor Horse Show on Rocky the Highland pony. It’s so good ...
21/05/2026

Here are some pictures of the day one of my bridles went to Windsor Horse Show on Rocky the Highland pony. It’s so good to have friends with lovely ponies that trust you to make show tack for them. Thanks guys and well done Rocky for putting in an amazing performance and for being such a good boy all day!

Ah, that’s better! After rough work on the Farrier’s chaps, making a blingy browband was fun; as well as shortening all ...
20/05/2026

Ah, that’s better! After rough work on the Farrier’s chaps, making a blingy browband was fun; as well as shortening all the straps on a bridle so it fits a different horse, and since my harness exams are looming I decided to make another crupper dock. These are also fun to make as they have hidden stitching and wet moulding which is a bit of leather magic.

I like making beautiful things from leather. I like hand stitching and making sure that all the stitches are straight an...
15/05/2026

I like making beautiful things from leather. I like hand stitching and making sure that all the stitches are straight and lined up and the edges are accurately cut and polished and the final result is something to be proud of.

Sometimes, however, you’ve just got to do what needs to be done and it’s not pretty. When my farrier first asked me to repair the hole in his chaps I just put a nice little patch over it. Now I replace the whole darn thigh piece, and I put in extra padding because he claims it makes a difference when he gets kicked and I sew around as many times as my slightly psychotic 1940s heavy duty sewing machine can cope with.

Now, just about every time my horses get shod, I get another pair of these to fix. I’m sure my farrier doesn’t own all that many pairs of chaps 🤔

The workshop now stinks of glue and my sewing machine smells like it’s been freshly shod!

Today I fixed another billet, repaired a broken headcollar headpiece and finished making a handbag from the saddle of a...
11/05/2026

Today I fixed another billet, repaired a broken headcollar headpiece and finished making a handbag from the saddle of a much loved horse. I made a baby bag from the buckle guards - I really like the way this turned out - it was a nice piece of leather and the gold embossing was lovely. I think it’s going to end up being used to carry dog treats and poo bags.

Yesterday I spent some time working on the bag whilst helping out in the Capel Manor tent at the Hatfield House Living Crafts Festival. Quite a few people asked me about it and were interested to see what a saddle looks like when made into a bag.

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