I am trying to be thoughtful in my Holiday presents this year and am looking to support local business in the areas surrounding gift recipient.
My friend rides out of San Francisco - I’d like to get breeches, gloves… something apparel related. Not firmly decided yet but probably not going for anything heavily expensive / custom.
Are there any Bay-Area COTHers that can recommend a tack shop or other small horse-touching business? I’d prefer if they ship!
Unfortunately there isn’t anything in SF that I’m aware of. Do you know where your friend actually rides? Likely either in Woodside, or perhaps the North Bay/Marin - or maybe the east bay. If in the Woodside/peninsula, Carousel Saddlery is quite nice and they have launched an online shop: https://shop.carouselsaddlery.com/
ELLA in Palo Alto is very chichi but good for gifts because it’s mostly things you won’t buy for yourself: https://ellapa.com/
I didn’t realize Carousel had launched an online shop! They’re definitely a local go-to. A couple other local-ish (not exactly bay area, but nor cal) smaller businesses that ship:
Tack Warehouse, in Woodland (near Sacramento): https://www.tackwarehouse.com/
Riding Warehouse, in San Luis Obispo: https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/
Olson Nolte on El Camino in San Carlos is an old time bricks-n-mortar store you should go to.
Also, I think Western Saddlery (a racing supply store, but with lots more good stuff) used to be in Pleasanton.
Jay Palm’s Saddle Shop in Petaluma is a great place to go for really nice western stuff. It’s small, but they make custom tack. If you want a gift, a beautiful piece of leather stuff made by a western saddler is where I’d start. That’s like the horseman’s Tiffany cigarette case.
Western Saddlery is still in Pleasanton. They do so much to give back to the equine community – a great business to support!
@Training Cupid, @SweetMutt, @mvp, @lintesia - huge thanks and hoorah to all the suggestions! I will look into each of them. Unfortunately I don’t know exactly where she rides, I know it’s about an hour out of the city (super helpful, right /sarcasm).
These are wonderful - cheers and happy trails! Any others that folks recommend are welcome!
As much as I want to support local shops, I really can not recommend Olson nolte. I’ve had several bad experiences in there. One time I went in to get a turnout blanket for my new horse. I asked the lady there, she practically sneered at me that “it’s a seasonal item we don’t have them now” like I should know that and am an idiot for asking. (Vs. Carousel will always work with you to order something they don’t have in stock.) A few weeks later I went back to look at bridles. Again I asked for help saying I was looking for a brown, cob sized hunter bridle and was told whatever is on the wall is what they have. Granted this was several years ago and I’ve stopped trying to shop there so I don’t know if its changed, but the same people still run it.
So glad to hear it. I loved them since they had their shop on San Mateo across from Bay Meadows. I have very fond memories of Pete W. there helping me stock up with supplies when I finally bought my first horse when I was in college.
Hehe. You just survived the standard hazing I always felt there. I think they are a husband and wife, and the owners. IME, they have been looking down their nose at people (or just me) since 1980.
OP, put on your thick skin if you go in. Tell me what kind of thing you had in mind and I’ll tell you whether or not it’s worth running the snotty gauntlet.
Marin Tack & Feed is a local one in West Marin (Forest Knolls) and it looks like they do have a website but it’s not really set up for online ordering. Great mom and daughter operation, always super helpful and friendly and can order stuff in. They support local community horse events too. http://www.marintackandfeed.com/
:lol::lol::lol:
Any one remember Tie Down, which later became Blue Horse before it closed? And Christensen’s?
Thank you all for the additional names! I hope this serves as inspiration for some others, because I’d love to support them all - but my money tree has not been blossoming like I’ve asked it to. 
The snotty tack shop owners is felt nationwide, we have a place in the Chicagoland area that is known for reaming innocent customers out. I get it - it’s a tough business and not always the most understanding clientele… but really?
OP – seriously consider Western Saddlery. They don’t have much of an online presence and when you first walk in, it looks like a warehouse selling mostly Trail-eze products. But there are 2 rooms with clothing (Ariat and Kerrits, among others) and boots (lots of Ariat) as well as rooms with tons of supplements and equipment. You won’t find super high-end stuff but lots of great quality items (BoT, Sprenger bits, etc.). There is a 10% across-the-board discount applied to your bill, which pretty much eliminates the sales tax. The store supports several rescues, has a legendary appreciation day for the local CDS chapter, and has great customer service.
The proprietor of Vista Madera retired after many many years in business. Another person is trying to carry on at a much lower level, more along the lines of some bagged feed and some grooming items.
I’m on the opposite coast so no recommendations but I just wanted to tell OP that it’s very kind of you to want to support a local business. I wish more people would do that.
Whoa, Kathy retired? End of an era. I know the store took a big hit when Dover opened in Moraga.
She was a mainstay of the SF East Bay horse community. Bred quality Traks. One black mare I recall could have been a world-class dressage horse, if she had been campaigned. She retired 17 of her Traks with a breeder friend when the family sold their place in the 90’s, now known as Oakland City Stables.
Do they still carry Jeffries tack? That’s good stuff. FYI for the uninitiated: Jeffries is good, old-fashioned Walsall, England tack. They used to make Bevals’ strap goods back in the day when there stuff came from the UK.
I haven’t checked out the bridles in quite some time but I’ll take a peek next time I’m there!
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
