Gaston Mercier Saddlery
The Mas de Vinaigre, a Showroom, Workshops and a Test Center
The Mas Vinaigre
In the country of the Grands Causses, in Aveyron, the "Mas de Vinaigre" is the production, testing and marketing unit of Gaston Mercier saddlery.
It is located a few kilometers north of the Millau Viaduct, in the commune of Saint-Léons, at the junction of the Causse Rouge and the Lévézou plateau.
The Mas has been the domain of the Mercier family since 1977. This old 14th century farmhouse has facilities dedicated to their passion for horses.
The Showroom
The Gaston Mercier team welcomes you all year long in our showroom. You can find our range of saddles and equipment for the horse and rider.
The backstage
Once there, you will also have the opportunity to discover the backstage while enjoying a visit of our workshop and our production team. This is where our saddles are made, it is the beating heart of the "Mas de Vinaigre". From the cutting of the leather to the assembly of the elements, our team works with a goldsmith's precision and an unfailing quality requirement. Our employees proceed to a draconian selection of leathers so that your saddle is a product of excellence, like a unique object that must be finished.
The workshop
All our accessories are made in our workshop: an artisanal unit that works in the tradition of saddlery and leather goods. Our pommels are made by a company in the Lot and our leather, of bovine origin, is tanned in Aveyron.
All our products are 100% regional. Having been, like Gaston, European champion on long distance, does not prevent from privileging the short circuits!
Thanks to our test center, try the saddles on site!
Whether it is with your horse or one of ours, a club house, a career, a round pen, a 1300m gallop track, paddocks and more than 300km of rural paths are at your disposal. You will be able to exchange with our teams, compare the equipment and choose your saddle with precision. Our boxes and the adjoining meadows allow us to welcome you in the best conditions.
The Right Balance by Gaston Mercier
The right positioning
To observe the posture that nomads have favored for centuries on horseback. To know how to hear what the horse whispers in the ear of the man. This is how Gaston Mercier invented a unique pommel tree, which is positioned above the horse's 13th dorsal bone. An equipment that favors the symbiosis between the rider and his mount.
The public's enthusiasm and the evolution of the equestrian world are proof that Gaston was right.
It is perhaps the most beautiful endurance race that he won!
The saddle that suits yout
We engage in a dialogue with you to identify the most appropriate equipment for your mount, your body and your practice. As riders ourselves, we understand your expectations and your questions.
Would you like to try before you go?
3 possibilities are offered to you:
We work together with photos/videos and measurement sheets, then we select a saddle to send you for a trial period (10 days), which will allow us to determine the characteristics of your future saddle.
- A Gaston Mercier technician will come to your home to carry out tests and deliver an expert report (see our rates).
You come, with or without a horse, to visit us at the Saddlery. Our production site, equipped with all the necessary infrastructures, will allow you to live a unique experience.
Historical Timeline
1976
1st endurance race in France, Gaston participated and finished the 100km of Rodez. This race was a revelation and the beginning of a long reflection.
1983
Gaston Mercier, horse breeder and guide in Aveyron, creates his first prototypes of composite tree saddle and saddles, he simultaneously starts a career in equestrian endurance competition.
1987
First commercialized saddles. The same year, Xavier Libbrecht, equipped with a GM saddle, reinvents the 3 Musketeers on horseback, the first Raid d'Artagnan (4 horses to cover 220km in 12 hours). Gaston becomes European champion in Germany with his horse Mao.
1989
In Luriano (Italy), Gaston Mercier wins a second consecutive title of European champion of equestrian endurance with the same horse Mao, performance never repeated since.
1990
Creation and organization of the Marathippo, a new concept of long distance relay race.
1998
Foundation of the Gaston Mercier Développement company, along with a redesign of the first models. Gaston creates his very first workshop with the help of his first employees.
2000
Consolidation of a more complete range of products. Maya-Killa Perringérard, a Gaston Mercier rider, becomes world endurance champion in Compiègne with her mare Varoussa.
2004
The Dune saddle, dedicated to endurance, wins the Equestrian Trophy at the Paris Show.
2008
Gaston Mercier hands over the reins of the company to his son Manuel. The Saddlery moves to the family estate of Mas De Vinaigre, in Saint-Léons, north of Millau (Aveyron) with the bonus of the creation of a test center.
2012
Diversification towards Olympic disciplines. Launch and patent of the bi-relax stirrup.
2016
Obtaining of the "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant" (EPV) label and the "Fabriqué en Aveyron" label, testimony of a French know-how of excellence.
2017
30 years of the Gaston Mercier Saddlery, re-edition of the Raid d'Artagnan and the Equestrian Fairness Meeting.
2022
The GM Saddlery renews itself! New range and new actors within the company.
2023
All in the saddles for new adventures...