John Gray told me, “Give Nina the reins and off she goes. She has always been a good rider and a handicap won’t slow her down. I’m happy I could help. She doesn’t look at her injury as life threatening but it is life changing.”

John Gray is a unique saddle maker. He designs and crafts saddles for the physically challenged rider. He understands the needs of each rider.  He feels that because a person is physically challenged there is no need to give up a pleasurable sport.

Elizabeth was a competition gymnast until she was hurt in an automobile accident. She was so depressed she was contemplating suicide until she found out about John Gray and was able to order a saddle for her impairment. In order to get the money to purchase the saddle she managed to get several country music personalities to sign a guitar, which then was auctioned off to raise the money.

Devon was not able to ride even with help until he received a special needs saddle. His father told Mr. Gray, “You are amazing that you have the heart to help these kids and give them hope.”

For more than 20 years John has made saddles for people with difficulties resulting from accidents, illness, and diseases. He uses his engineering skills to design what is needed on an individual basis.

Mr. Gray says, “I consider it a privilege to watch people achieve their goals. I consider it an honor that I can help.”

John followed in his father’s footsteps in the saddle making business but learned about therapeutic saddles by traditional trial and error.  In the beginning John adapted standard saddles for challenged or impaired riders, than found a tree maker willing to customize for any disability. Each saddletree is marked for the rider so that it can be tailored for the particular handicap. He is in contact with various agencies that help the disabled.

A pony is a childhood dream; a horse is an adult treasure. John and his wife Fran feel thrilled to help in any way they can make dreams come true and adults keep their treasure.

John Gray constructs specifically for the impairment. He devised a saddle for a young man who had been an active rider but lost both legs in the Middle East. He still wanted to trail ride with his wife. And so the bucket seat was created. It is like an old fashioned side saddle in that it has a horn to balance with. Yarmony Creek Lodge in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains outside of Vail, Colorado helps disabled veterans to ride again. Sgt. Tim Johannsen said, “I came to watch my wife ride and found I could accompany her. Thank you Mr. Gray.”

Mr. Gray fashioned a saddle with a seat belt along with head and chest restraints for a rider that wanted to ride in the Mardi Gras Parade.

Toby, a young man in New Mexico has ordered a special saddle so he can go on a trail ride up El Capitan Mountain with a group. El Capitan is a challenge for anyone and this young man is willing to accept that challenge.

Bobby was born with a disability and felt left out because he couldn’t ride with his sisters. Now with John’s help he can trail ride with the family.

The Hamilton Ohio Riding Club has a special disabled riders program so more people can enjoy trail riding. Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic in Chagrin Falls, Ohio riding center also provides health-giving equine programs.

Each story is different and they all pull at your heart strings. These people have been through life altering experiences but not life ending and with determination they can still do the things they love.

With the help of John’s skills as a saddle maker more people can reap the healthful benefits of pleasure riding whether it is trail riding or in the show ring. There is no age limit on the love of horseback riding.

There is an old Indian saying: “ The outside of a horse is good for the inside of man.” That must mean that the Indians also realized the benefits of horseback riding.

This saying is very true because there is a great psychological benefit for a person to be able to ride without a lead rope held by a side walker. Riding is also good physical exercise. It gets a person out in the sunshine and takes him to a place where he might never go otherwise. 

John Gray has taken the old Indian saying a step further and makes saddles for the physically challenged so that anyone that wants to can reap the benefits from horseback riding. He understands that because you have a handicap is no reason to stop doing something you love. For a disabled person to be able to handle an animal as big as a horse gives a person a real feeling of accomplishment. Therefore the benefits are two fold, the physical well being as well as the mental health well being.

John Gray is always available for discussion to try to help solve your riding problem. His wife Fran is an added asset to the business as she is very personable and extremely knowledgeable and helpful. As parents they both take a lively interest in young people.

John Gray not only makes new saddles but he will repair a familiar old one. He understands that a saddle is a tool that must be kept in good condition. He still uses the age-old tools of his trade. He will help with advice when he can. He is able to fit the saddle to the rider along with the horse.

He also makes saddles that are awarded for youth contests along with other saddles, bridles, chaps, saddle bags, canteens and many additional leather items for the trail rider, pleasure rider, competition rider or cowboy.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that there are people that do remarkable deeds and are never recognized for the things they do. John Gray is one of those people.    

Angels don’t always have shiny silver wings, sometime they come with faded jeans and cowboy boots.

With the advent of the World Wide Web John Gray is as close as your computer. For more information go to: www.grayscustomsaddlery.com. Gray’s Saddlery has sent saddles to several states including Alaska and also Canada.