Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Zhang Ting) news: On the afternoon of April 17, 2025, the warm sunshine streamed through the windows and fell onto the 40-square-meter handcrafted saddle workshop of Turgunjar Humar, a villager in Kuokezhuoerga Village, Kuokezhuoerga Township, Fuhai County, Altay Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Inside the room, meticulously crafted saddles and horsewhips were neatly arranged.

As the saying goes, “Fine clothes make the man, and a good saddle makes the horse.” A quality saddle and whip carry the deep affection that herdsmen hold for their horses. In recent years, with the rapid development of the local horse industry and tourism, the market demand for saddlery has been growing steadily. Turgunjar, who has been closely connected with saddlery making for over twenty years, has now keenly seized the business opportunities in this field.

Photo taken on April 17, 2025 shows Turgunjar Humar's wife introduces saddlery to a tourist. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhang Ting)

Turgunjar Humar, who is 44 years old this year, learned his craft from his father when he was a child. “Back then, I would follow my dad, planing wood and tanning leather,” he said, squatting on the ground and picking up a piece of sun-glossed cowhide, gesturing as he spoke. “A saddle has to fit snugly against the horse’s back. The wood must be smooth, sawed to a thickness of two transverse fingers, and then carefully shaped into a curve with a plane, little by little.”

It takes about ten days to make a saddle. After the wood is shaped, it needs to be carved with patterns. The cowhide must be softened repeatedly with tea water. To maintain quality, the leather has to be repeatedly wiped with butter. Even the iron nails used to fix the saddle have to be forged by hand. “I used to find these processes troublesome, but now I understand, the herdsman will know if the saddle chafes the horse’s back or not,” Turgunjar Humar said.

At the age of 22, Turgunjar Humar began to make saddlery on his own. As his experience accumulated and his skills improved, he started to craft whips for herding and racing. From selecting materials, processing, drying, shaping, and nailing, he strives for perfection in every step. To find suitable leather and wood, he often goes to great lengths. He knows well that good materials are the foundation for making high-quality saddlery.

During the processing, he focuses intently, relying on his years of experience and exquisite craftsmanship to gradually transform pieces of material into exquisite saddles. At the same time, he is also well aware of the importance of innovation. Based on traditional craftsmanship, he incorporates modern design philosophy and manufacturing techniques, making the saddles not only sturdy and durable, but also more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.

Nowadays, Turgunjar Humar has become one of the top saddlers in Fuhai County and even Altay Prefecture. The whips he makes range in price from fifty to three hundred yuan (about seven to 41 U.S. dollars), a cheaper saddle set sells for two thousand yuan (about 274 U.S. dollars), while the more expensive ones can fetch over four thousand yuan (about 549 U.S. dollars). Since the beginning of 2025, the 150 saddles he crafted have been almost sold out within just three months.

When asked about his future plans, Turgunjar Humar smiled and said, “As long as there are people who love horse riding, I will keep making saddlery. I hope every rider can have a saddle and whip that they are satisfied with.”

On the shelves, brand-new saddles were stacked layer upon layer, ready to be shipped to various places. Turgunjar Humar sat back down at his workbench and said, “Wherever the horses on the grasslands can run, that’s how far my saddles will go.”

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