Opening a new Tack Shop advice needed?

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Oliver1974

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Hello there everyone,

We are opening a new tack shop and already have an existing Saddlery where we do repairs, Saddle Fitting and make or own brand of select items. I wondered if anyone on this forum would be so can as do give me some advice on the following:

Clothing: Which brands do you guys rate for all disciplines, normal day to day hacking and also I'm particularly interested in competition gear Hoseware? Imperial Riding, Horze? Equiline? Anything else??

Boots and shoes - what brands to you like?

Whips/halters etc - do you like the bright new colours??

Really over all what would you like to see under the one roof

Also on a side note to you guys use likits, tubtruggs, and also there is a paint my pony range out now for fun things??

Basiclaly what you be your dream shop to go into??

Thanks guys hoping you will all help out!!!!

Olivier and Emily :) : )
 
musto! mark todd, toggi are my favourite clothing ranges.

for boots - I think you have to have ariat! Dubarry and Dublin are popular for yard boots.

I like bright colours, for things like hoof picks, lead ropes and buckets, but probably not a bright colour for a whip.

Hat silks in unusual patterns are nice :)

I am sure its helpful too to have some little inexpensive trinkets near the paying desk like horsy birthday cards, mugs etc as I cannot be the only person who buys stuff like that on impulse!

good luck, sounds very exciting :)
 
Just decent quality things, although if you are an existing saddlery I'm sure your leatherwork will be nice! I know everyone's on a budget these days but usually if I go to a tack shop now it's for something specific , especially if it's for a show or something that will last a long time I want good quality. Seems to be yesteryear when you went into a tack shop and had really quality leatherwork for sale.

Licks etc always go down well. Not sure I'd bother with a great deal of Tubtrugs as usually I buy them out of asda or Homebase for cheaper than tack shops.
 
It depends a lot on the type of clients you are aiming at, hopefully you will have some idea if you already do repairs. I would always go for quality, makes that will last and be comfortable to wear. Competition gear Pikeur jackets are fab but can be pricey, but be inventive, blue and canary shirts can be a nightmare to get hold of for showing and very overpriced for horsey ones, maybe you could get a bulk order from a school uniform supplier, you would still get a good mark up and cheaper for clients aswell. Same with things like the doodle dandy I think its called, a glorified stable rubber for £6 when the exact same thing can be bought in cash and carries for car washing for £1. Tack again, quality makes Sabre etc and your own handmade ones, unique things are fab, Hacking Luna rider jackets are warm, hardwearing and multipurpose. Try and have a good selection of the basics, plaiting bands, chalk/white leg paste, whips, studs, gloves etc the kind of thing people need last minute and will come in to buy the day before a show etc. With internet shopping stocking loads of rugs etc is a waste of time because most buy online to get the best price.
 
Ariat for boots, Rugged for breeches, Mark Todd for fleeces etc, Musto for jackets, Pikeur for competition wear, Mears for tweed jackets, Joules and Crew for casual wear. Don't forget the basics - tack cleaning stuff, hoof preparation, plaiting bands, good quality grooming brushes, gloves, rein stops, etc etc - the list is endless when you start to think about it!
 
A wonderful tack/horsey supplies shop near us closed down recently (to be replaced with tearooms - ugh!!) and it was brilliant, glad new ones are opening rather than just all shutting.

They were quite small, but packed a lot in. They had clothing upstairs, pretty much the brands mentioned above - I'd add that boots and hats seem to be the main focus as people like to try a few on before deciding, so maybe have a good price/style range of those, insofar as you can accommodate? And maybe to stop people going away and buying online after trying them, get a sales assistant who does the hat fitting properly - they had that at the last place I went, and it meant that we got good customer service and brought there and then rather than going 'ooh yes that's nice, that size is ok, right lets go look on Rideaway'!

Then downstairs they had all the other stuff - colourful halters and things like that are a good idea, I'd say, as when I was a kid I'd go in with my mum and always want the pretty colourful things!! :P As someone mentioned above, have all the bitty things, like plaiting bands, fly spray, etc - things that you don;t necessarily go in to buy, but you look and go 'oh we are getting a bit low, I'll grab that.' (On the other hand, this also makes for a useful shop as it's a pain to order those things online so having an actual shop to pop into and get them immediately is fab!) By the counter they had treats, licks, and a good selection of horsey cards, that sort of impulse-buy thing.

Ahh writing all this is making me miss it so much - I never appreciated it 'til it went!! Best of luck with your venture, I'm sure people around will love having a new shop :D
 
Some boots for people who arent super skinny :) My calfs don't fit in the widest Ariat calf (I'm a 12 in jeans) and it took me a while to find a tack shop which stocked a variety of non-ariat brands.

Classy and elegant stuff, bright colours don't appeal at all.

My local tack shops do roaring trade in neule schule (spelling?) bits, protector hats and the dainese (spelling again aha) body protectors, all the rage here atm. Try to keep up with the trends in the local horse community.
 
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Loads of great advice but just wanted to add to please, please stock rider equipment for people who are not very well off, this is my major issue with tack shops around here, so much that I go to a secondhand one. All my money goes on the horse first and me last so when it comes to new boots I cannot afford Ariat, although I do have a Mountain Horse obsession, I'm in no way affiliated to them but I have been using Mountain Horse for donkeys years and not 1 of their products has ever let me down. I love the denim or tartan breeches trend at the moment, my favourite brand is Tagg. Whips, I am a huge fan of the Pro-cush and they are very popular at my local tack shop. I'd love a new tweed but I can't afford £250 for a Joules. Wellies that last more than 3 months is a good idea. Gift vouchers would be a really good idea too as I hate buying presents for horsey friends incase I get it wrong so a voucher (something nice looking as well) is a good idea.

All the yard stuff I buy from eBay I'm afraid, trugs, brushes, forks, tack cleaning, grooming kit etc Most people I know do the same as well.

As you have a pre-exisiting saddlery have a pre-open day (the television show 'The Apprentice' calls it a focus group I think) with drinks and nibbles, maybe a raffle to entice those customers and get people to fill out a questionnaire with your questions above.
 
Clothing: Horseware for breeches and yard coats. I'm not a great fan of Horze. Quite like HV Polo, Pikeur, and Kingsland also. 99% of my yard polo shirts are Kingsland. I also love Dainese breeches.

Competition clothing: Much of the same. Kingsland breeches and show shirt with either Equiport or Joules show jackets.

Boots and shoes - Ariat for long boots, Mountain Horse for short boots and Dublin or Toggi for yard boots.

Whips/halters etc - Don't like bright coloured whips and prefer leather headcollars but I'm aware that I will be in the minority there!

You might want to look at stocking Dainese also, their equestrian range is expanding and is great quality.

Neue Scheule as already mentioned - could you set up a 'bit bank' type thing with people taking them on trial? That would probably go down very well.

Lots of different hat brands as different hats fit different heads.

Not a great fan of Lickits (all sugar), love tub trugs but you can get really cheap ones in Tesco so might not be worth you stocking them.

I'd like a shop that stocks a variety of rugs at different price points, including fly rugs in the summer! There is very little point stocking heavyweight turnouts in the height of summer and fly rugs in the middle of winter, and it's especially annoying when your horse has ripped its fly rug and you've got to order one online as the local tack shop is useless.
 
Mountain Horse boots every time! I only really buy in a tack shop things that I need to try on (boots, hats, jodhpurs etc) and little things that aren't worth buying online like fly spray, shampoo, gloves that kind of thing. Definitely have little odds and ends near the till, last time I was in our local saddlery I picked up a horse shaped sponge at the till that is now my daughters favourite thing. Might have to go back there just to get another one.

I don't buy Likits (low sugar diets) and as others have said I would buy tub trugs, wheelbarrows, forks at the local agri / DIY store and specialist big things like rugs online.

Just googled Paint My Pony and it looks great fun, I would go for that, especially around holidays like Christmas.
 
Do some market research around your area, call in at yards etc & speak to people regardingh what they like. There's no point getting in loads of Kingsland stock when the market is for a cheaper line in your area?

Steer clear of Joules clothing, it's nice stuff but they constantly have sales on their website & will be under cutting you on prices & this will hurt you. I know of several shops that have found this out to their cost.

With some brands you may want to stock you may find that the company will not sell to you because they only allow a certain number of retailers in areas to sell their merchandise. They want to keep an exclusivity.

Good Luck
 
Check out the local horse community and get an idea of what they want. Our local community is very varied - but mainly happy hackers on a budget - and our local tack shop stocks good quality but cheaper items that are more likely to sell quickly - for example long boots under £100, short boots under £40.
Best seller though is the giant net of carrots for £1.50 :D
 
There is a successful saddlery shop locally, that has survived when others have gone, but I would be interested to know what their income is, as they sell lots of feed.

They stick to one mid range and one premium brand in everything, saddlery and clothing. They sell boots and clothing but they don't try to compete with ebay. Beware second-hand, as you can end up with a lot of clutter. There are lots of good suggestions, but you also have to keep in mind that keeping a lot of stock means a huge amount of capital tied up.
 
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There seems to be a shortage of saddlers/tack shops doing second hand saddles. Ours does and it's great - you can get a decent saddle for a reasonable price, and there is no cashflow issue for the shop because the seller doesn't get their money until the purchaser has paid. Might be worth considering, especially as it sounds as though you do saddlery so can make repairs or alterations.
 
Clothing: Which brands do you guys rate for all disciplines, normal day to day hacking and also I'm particularly interested in competition gear Hoseware? Imperial Riding, Horze? Equiline? Anything else??
I personally live in Musto fleeces and gillets. Jods/breeches - any that look good, I like subtle designs on pockets/stitching

Boots and shoes - what brands to you like?
Ariat

Whips/halters etc - do you like the bright new colours??
I only use leather headcollars, must be soft

Really over all what would you like to see under the one roof
Horse and rider wear. Horse first aid/health stuff

Also on a side note to you guys use likits, tubtruggs,
Occasionally but very aware of how many mollases/sugar is in the items, so not often


Basiclaly what you be your dream shop to go into??
Rideaway style, lots of options/price ranges


While I am by no means well off (quite the opposite!) I do find with the likes of Musto/Ariat etc you get quality, but you do have to pay for it, I as a rule buy these items when they are heavily discounted
 
A website that sends abroad with p&p prices visible pleeeaassee!!
online gift vouchers, mountain horse & mark todd boots, high quality gloves and leather crops, mmmmmmm could go on and on:)
 
Normal and day to day I like reasonably priced and quality items. I've seen aome Horze things well priced but never seen the quality of them. I also like Horseware and Joules (think some of the items are super stylish!). For competing I like Pikeur, I've got a lovely pretty Anky show shirt and really like the look of Tredstep.

Boots- I love my Tredstep Da Vinci boots which are my competition boots and I have Mark Todd which are my everyday boots. I think the Tredstep are brilliant for how many options they have on width and height. They are also super soft around the ankle so don't take as much breaking in. I love my Hunter wellies and the different styles you can get.

Whips I like them plain and simple- a good short jumping whip that's slightly weighted and a good long schooling whip.

I would also love somewhere that stocks Le Mieux, Premier Equine, Supastuds, Animo and has some more unique products like the Annabel Brocks headbands and some pretty belts etc.
 
The issue with a lot of equestrian items are the on-line shops which have lower overheads and higher purchasing power. You need to be ale to compete with them on price. especially with clothing where people will try on clothes in your shop and then go on-line and purchase them elsewhere. Stocking clothing is a nightmare because fashions and new lines change so quickly. My advice is do not stock clothing as they can get them a lot cheaper elsewhere and you will have a lot of money tied up in dead stock.
 
Hi Guys I cannot thank you enough for you all your SUPER Posts!!! It is certainly alot of food for thought and fantastic advice from you all, it is very exciting, we are going to stick to some good reasonable prices for people and a few splurge items, and really it will be a walk, crawl, run thing for us...we are going to do an open event over 2 evenings with discount if ordered or purchase on the night, my hubby has already also talked to some local equestrian centers he does repairs and saddle fitting for and he we are going to do a 10% loyalty card from their members so 10% off certain stock and 5% off all saddles!!! Anyway thanks SOOOOO much can't believe how good you all are to take the time to reply to this xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Dunlin said:
Loads of great advice but just wanted to add to please, please stock rider equipment for people who are not very well off, this is my major issue with tack shops around here,
Gift vouchers would be a really good idea too as I hate buying presents for horsey friends incase I get it wrong so a voucher (something nice looking as well) is a good idea.
Click to expand...

I would second this. I have a new tack shop local to me and while I buy all my feed there now, their range of rider equipment and stable stuff is way to pricey for my pocket. I resort to local garden and DIY centres for most yard stuff, buckets and brooms that sort of stuff and ebay for clothing (our nearest second hand place closed too). Interesting point here - I bought some jodhs on ebay from another local shop's ebay shop and they were cheaper even taking postage and fuel into account than they were if I'd gone to the shop to get them. Grooming stuff I will buy from the local place, but I do still shop around for fly repellent and that kind of thing because again the shop can be a bit too pricey especially since I get through a lot of it they only stock small bottles and I need the big ones as we're near water and one pony has SI.
 
Ariat boots are a must! Also, Roekl gloves and different types of body protectors. Personally, I prefer classic brown/black/blue rugs for my horses but my daughter really likes bright rugs and is looking for a rainbow one. Stuff for the grooming kits like plaiting bands, dandy brushes etc. would also be handy. First aid equipment is a must as is saddle soap and fly spray. Also, if possible, a bit bank?

Paint My Pony sounds great! Where will this shop be?
 
Ariat is a definite for me and expect for cheeky ******* like me who ask if you'll match an online price that I've found. 😉
Clothing wise I do like Ariat (only in sale though!) and Bridleway for everyday hacking gear.
For horse stuff I like Le Meiux and straight supplements (like linseed, brewer's yeast, turmeric). The only commercial one I rate is NAF haylage balancer or Pink Powder. Oh and agnus castus! It would be worth you training as an SQP so you can sell wormers, too.
One thing I hate in some shops is them having a million brands of the same thing at the expense of another item. Fly spray is an example!
I'm not a bling person, so traditional head collars and tack are my thing. I tend to use human first aid gear, so some of that would be useful, especially kits!
 
Quality velvet hat covers ( that I cannot find anywhere anymore), not the awful polyester "velvet" thinsg I can find everywhere..

You can never have too much variety/choice be it colour, price range, size, quality.

qualified hat/back-protector fitter is always a bonus, as opposed to a shop assistant with a "rough idea" from basc training.

Any odd items..make it clear you are willing to order in free/minimal deposit.
 
My local tack shop is based at a riding school and has to compete with Ingatestone being 20 mins up the road. We're based in essex and it does a roaring trade in all things 'blingy'! Sparkly hats (from Harry Hall to the mega mega expensive KEP ones). They stock all Sherwood forest jodhs but also £100+ fancy brands (Horze, HKM, HV Polo, others that escape me!). They stock gloves from £2.99 to Roeckl, all manner of grooming stuff, browbands (the blingier the better) and saddlecloths etc. Fancy blingy show jackets and shirts also sell well. Some rugs and bridles but not loads and loads, but will order in most things.

Being mostly a riding school (some liveries) the stuff for the rider and stuff like browbands/saddlecloths that people buy for their favourites and for in house comps sell the best, and being essex it has to be bling! Ingatestone doesn't offer much in the way of nice breeches, or trendy saddlecloths etc, it's all a bit old fashioned up there. So know your market I think!
 
I would go for mid-range stuff at least, except for little things like gloves where I'd stock cheaper stuff as well as good stuff. I think the really cheap stuff is so readily available on e-bay etc that you'll never compete.

Proper hat, body protector and air jacket, if that is necessary / exists (I don't have one so don't know) training is something that has and would make me go somewhere.

There's a business round by us that sells second hand jodphurs. Rather than buying stock or selling on comission, if you give them 2 pairs, you get to pick one pair to swap them for. They then sell what's left over. They've started doing the same for other riding clothes like show jackets now. It seems a realy good idea and judging by how popular their stall is at shows etc, they must make a decent amount of money out of it.

Judging by the number of people who say they struggle with boot fitting I wonder if working as an 'agent' for a company who make made to measure boots (Equitector is the one that I know of, but I'm sure there are others) would be an idea. You could take all the measurements for people and liaise with the company in return for a fee (from the customer) or even a commission from the company. I'd gladly pay an extra £10-15 to be sure the measurements are correct rather than doing it myself and risking cocking it up. If you're paying £250 + for made to meaure boots, the extra to make sure they're right is worth it. I'm sure a company would be glad to work with you to ensure you know which measurements to take if it meant more sales for them.
 
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