Boot Hill Saddlery

Boot Hill Saddlery Jim Kiss specializes in handmade, custom ranch saddles and western tack. Follow me on Twitter--
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Client asked for something classic and as light as reasonable. Basket corners and rope edge silver conchos are as classi...
04/23/2026

Client asked for something classic and as light as reasonable. Basket corners and rope edge silver conchos are as classic as you can get. In-skirt rigging, Don Orrell stirrups, and some special leather saved weight. Final result— 28-1/2 pounds without stirrups, cinch, or billets (the norm for “advertised weights.”) Rigged up and ready to go was under 36. Not bad for a saddle you could send to the branding pen or an all day trail ride and still looks pretty enough to make your friends jealous.

I can’t be certain that the person who invented detachable magazines for fi****ms ever hand sewed shell loops, but it se...
04/20/2026

I can’t be certain that the person who invented detachable magazines for fi****ms ever hand sewed shell loops, but it seems likely.

I never met a side project that didn’t take longer than I planned. This pistol case can finally go to its new home. At l...
04/04/2026

I never met a side project that didn’t take longer than I planned. This pistol case can finally go to its new home. At least I learned a few things. The next one should be better. That’s always my goal. To paraphrase Chris LeDoux- when you make your last one make sure it’s the best one.

Another day, another show. Looks like it’s going to be a good time.
03/29/2026

Another day, another show. Looks like it’s going to be a good time.

03/24/2026

Some things have to be done by hand to be done right.

We’re at it again this weekend. Come on out to the Backcountry Horsemen’s Rendezvous in Ceres. Looks like it’s gonna to ...
03/20/2026

We’re at it again this weekend. Come on out to the Backcountry Horsemen’s Rendezvous in Ceres. Looks like it’s gonna to be a great time.

Trying out a new tooling pattern on a pistol case. It’s a little tedious, but I think it looks pretty good. Next—oil and...
03/11/2026

Trying out a new tooling pattern on a pistol case. It’s a little tedious, but I think it looks pretty good. Next—oil and finish, add a zipper, and find it a home.

When you add an unplanned event to your schedule, Saturday night means shop time with a heavy dose of hard rock and coff...
03/08/2026

When you add an unplanned event to your schedule, Saturday night means shop time with a heavy dose of hard rock and coffee. So, come on out and see me at the Backcountry Horsemen Rendezvous, March 20&21 at Diamond Bar Arena. Don’t let me have all this fun by myself.

Just a heads up, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. You could spend a bunch of money on flowers and a fancy dinner. Maybe go a...
02/13/2026

Just a heads up, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. You could spend a bunch of money on flowers and a fancy dinner. Maybe go all in on some high priced jewelry that they tell you lasts forever. But, deep down, you know your true love really wants a new custom saddle. Sure they might not last quite as long as a diamond ring and they’re a little tougher to clean, but you can still show them off to all your friends and you’ll never drop one down the sink drain. Plus, since it takes awhile to build a custom saddle you might be able to stretch it into a couple gifts.*** Saddles— like jewelry for horse folks.

*** Disclaimer— I’m apparently not good at Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays, or romance in general. So, if you order a saddle, save money for flowers and dinner. Also, keep that bedroll handy just in case.

I forgot to post a picture from the show today, but if you were there you know the weather was great. It was a good day ...
02/08/2026

I forgot to post a picture from the show today, but if you were there you know the weather was great. It was a good day to be outdoors doing something you love. It didn’t end too bad either.

01/30/2026

Here’s a little video that might explain a saddle part that’s often overlooked. Hope you like it and share it with your friends. Reach out if you have questions. Thanks.

Address

555 Roscoe Road
Modesto, CA
95357

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(209) 579-9044

Website

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