Saddleries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A profession involving the crafting and repair of saddles, harnesses, and related horse gear
2. The trade focused on the design and maintenance of equipment used for horseback riding and other equestrian activities
3. An occupation dedicated to producing and mending items like saddles and tackle essential for riding horses

Etymology: "Saddleries" is the plural of "saddlery," which is simply the English word "saddle" with the suffix "-ery" added. That suffix comes ultimately from Old French "-erie," a form of the Latin "-aria" that marked a place, a trade, or a collection of goods. Its path into English ran through Middle English "-erie," and it appears in many trade words such as "bakery" and "pottery," so "saddlery" follows a pattern that English used freely. "Saddle" itself is an older word with a long history, inherited from Old English "sadol" and traceable back to ancient Germanic and Indo-European roots. Adding "-ery" to it produced a term for the goods a saddler made and the workshop where he made them. The plural "saddleries" simply refers to more than one such trade, shop, or collection of goods.

Synonyms: tack, harness