“The equestrian métier is one that inspires all 16 métiers of the company,” explains Caroline Jacques, managing director of Hermès France. A closure may echo the curve of a stirrup; a silk scarf may send horses cantering across the frame; the house’s horse-and-carriage logo continues to signal a heritage that is not merely symbolic, but hard-won and deeply authentic. Yet beyond these visible motifs, Hermès’ equestrian roots have also shaped its enduring philosophy of design. As Jacques explains, every detail must have a purpose. It is an “aesthetic of the function,” where beauty is never overworked and elegance is allowed to move with ease. That sensibility feels especially resonant now, when quiet luxury is so often discussed but less often understood. At Hermès, understatement is not a pose. It is a discipline—one forged in the saddlery, where performance, comfort and line must all move in perfect step.
“The equestrian métier is one that inspires all 16 métiers of the company.” –CAROLINE JACQUES, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HERMÈS FRANCE
Nowhere is that philosophy more beautifully expressed than in the making of a Hermès saddle. The house’s expertise begins there, and each saddle is crafted through what Hermès calls a double-measure process: custom-made for both rider and horse. “They really need a very different setup for each horse and also each rider,” explains Hermès partner rider Simon Delestre. It is a remarkably poetic and rigorous proposition, one that recognizes the horse not as an afterthought but as an athlete, partner and honored client. Care for the horse is embedded in every detail, from materials to comfort to performance. Borao underscores the role of veterinarians and saddle experts in helping Hermès listen closely to the needs of a client who cannot speak. It is an approach that reflects a rare kind of luxury—one that is less about spectacle than about stewardship, balance and feel.
Each year, that heritage comes thundering to life at the Saut Hermès, the house’s annual show jumping competition staged beneath the soaring glass canopy of the Grand Palais in Paris. Created in 2010, the event is both a showcase and a declaration: a gathering where Hermès’ equestrian roots are not simply acknowledged but ridden out in full stride. Among the uppermost ranks of show jumping, the Saut Hermès is known as one of the sport’s most demanding tests, with tight turns, technical challenges and jumps reaching 1.6 meters (just over 5 feet). The setting, naturally, is exquisitely dressed. Spectators arrive polished in Hermès finery, while riders and horses cut a striking figure in custom saddles, bridles, breeches and flashes of the house’s unmistakable orange. Yet what lingers is not just the pageantry but the authenticity of it all. This is not a branded detour into sport. It is the house returning, year after year, to its home ground to honor these spectacular animals.
That same spirit carries forward through Hermès’ partner riders and continued innovation in saddlery, including models like the Faubourg, Cavale, Vivace and Arpège, each developed in close collaboration with the elite equestrians that are their partner riders. These long-term relationships help keep the house in rhythm with the realities of modern sport while preserving the savoir faire that first defined it. The result is a maison that does not merely honor its equestrian beginnings but continues to ride alongside them—with elegance, integrity and a sure hand on the reins. At Hermès, the horse was the first client and, in the most meaningful sense, still leads the way.
