A cowboy's stylish saddles

(Fortune Small Business) -- In the winter of 1985, Steve Micum was cowboying full-time near Crowheart, Wyo., working with colts in subzero temperatures. One day he said to himself, "It would be nice to do something indoors in this type of weather."

Micum, who has been riding horses since he was just 3 years old, has worn out a lot of saddles while tending his 280-acre ranch with his wife, Kathy. "I thought it would be nice to make a saddle the way I wanted one made," he says.

Micum now dedicates December through May to crafting custom saddles, some of which demand more than 350 hours of work to finish. While a basic saddle costs roughly $4,000, a high-end job that features carved, intricate designs and extra work on the seat and fenders can cost as much as $20,000.

"I have customers who collect saddles, but there is tremendous gratification in making a saddle for someone who is going to use it every day, such as a horse trainer," says Micum, who has a two-year waiting list.

The self-taught artisan also offers saddlemaking classes through the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association.

"A lot of the well-known custom cowboy-gear shops are disappearing," says Micum. "We're trying to preserve the tradition of quality and teach it to younger people so that this type of work stays alive."