About Us

Tom Black has had a lifelong connection with horses. Starting to ride at age 8 in Perrysburg, Ohio, he worked his way up through the hunter-jumper ranks in the Midwest primarily showing jumpers and assisting in his family’s Hill Road Farm business.
His father, an avid foxhunter introduced him to foxhunting with the Waterloo Hunt in Jackson, Michigan,
When a local harness maker went out of business the broken tack began to pile up at the farm. His dad came home with an awl and told him to get to work. By ‘taking apart and putting back together’ he started learning the trade. He later worked a summer job at Pete Sauar’s Bit & Spur Tack Shop in Detroit, Michigan doing repair work.
After an injury curtailed his riding he concentrated on earning a degree in veterinary medicine from Ohio State University. After graduation he practiced in Indianapolis, Indiana and Middleburg, Virginia before moving to North Carolina.
Along with his veterinary practice he has continued to do leather work which he has expanded to an almost full time job. He has continued his training and education and has studied with Master Saddlers from England. He is a member of Saddle Harness & Allied Trade Association and has been featured in ShopTalk magazine.
His work on whips began when a local huntsman started bringing his broken whips for repair. He as expanded his whip repair business by making custom whips and lashes.
Restoring hunt whips that have been passed down in families for generations preserves a work of art and a connection to the past.
He presently works out of his shop at Three Springs Farm and also has a mobile unit which can be found at area horse shows.