Ben is a native Montanan, raised on a horse ranch near Billings MT. Ben and his family reside on the home place today.
From an early age, Ben knew he wanted to build saddles. After building his first saddle at age 14, he later apprenticed as a young man with Buck Bradford. Bens first shop was opened in 1982. Swanke Saddlery has been Bens full-service, full-time business for over 30 years.
Ben and his wife Pam have raised their three children with a life-long love of horses; riding is their recreation. Swanke saddles are product-tested for family and work use through their familys annual trips to the mountains, helping at neighbors brandings, and by Pams being a 4-H horse project leader.
Swanke Saddlery has custom-built over 1000 saddles since beginning their business. We also offer a full line of custom order tack.
Working along side of Ben Swanke is K.T. Monson.
K.T. Monson is the son of a Montana cowman and horseman who raised him on ranches in Montana, riding horses and working cattle. K.T. is from a long line of horseman, one of which was his great grandfather who in the early 1900s sold horses to Ft. Keogh in Miles City, MT for the US Calvary.
K.T. had a driving interest in saddle making from a very young age. At 13, with the help of the expert saddle maker Jim Beeman from Colorado, he made his first 2 saddles. During his high -school years, he spent evenings and weekends working at a tack and boot repair business he established at his fathers ranch.
In 1985 K.T. was introduced to Ben Swanke by horse trainer Tom Curtin. He went to work for Ben for two summers before graduating from high-school. After high-school he moved to Texas and went to work for noted cutting horse trainer Buster Welch. Saddle making was always his love, so after 6 months, he returned to Montana and re-established his position at Swanke Saddlery and has remained with us ever since.
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