Miller's/Eiser's, Whitman, Foxwood, Libertyville, etc. Brands

[TackCollector]

@wsmoak

State Line Tack isn’t what it used to be… it sold to Sporting Dog Specialties years ago. (Remember when they had State Line Tack sections inside all the PetSmart stores?)

I didn’t realize it had been sold again. According to Wikipedia, "In 2007, it became a subsidiary of TABcom, LLC and continues to operate as an online retailer.

I remember the PetSmart stores, and I noticed that they basically became another Country Supply/Horse.com in recent years.

[TackCollector]

@TWH Girl

It was the cheap Indian one Thank for all of this info! I often wondered what happened to some of these brands over the years.

No problem, I have wondered as well and have tried to gather as much info as possible!

[mvp]

@TWH Girl

Saddles, I am not a loyal name brand person. I like Barnsbys and have County dressage saddle. All my other tack is Walking Horse specific hand made in TN by Bedford Tack at a price that’s affordable. I much prefer that to generic name brand mid-line stuff.

I think Barnsby folded just recently, eh?

And I have been to Bedford Tack! What a place! Just today, I used a cotton sheet made by them. I wish I could go that huge wear house again.

[mvp]

@HappyTalk

I have a Whitman double elastic dressage girth that I still use. Has weathered time very nicely.

Whitman’s overlay girths used to set the standard for a minute in the late 1980/early 1990s. And they made close contact saddle with lovely bridle leather and some well-regarded memory foam panels in that same era.

[kcmel]

When did Miller’s stop making the Klimke dressage saddles? I sat in one at a consignment store and loved it. Then I saw they had the new Klimke’s (made by Ovation I think?) on sale, and sat in one of those and it was horrible.

I ended up getting a used Miller’s Klimke on Ebay for $325. It’s really nice–the leather is great, the seat is soft, and it’s super comfortable.

[TackCollector]

@kcmel

When did Miller’s stop making the Klimke dressage saddles? I sat in one at a consignment store and loved it. Then I saw they had the new Klimke’s (made by Ovation I think?) on sale, and sat in one of those and it was horrible.

I ended up getting a used Miller’s Klimke on Ebay for $325. It’s really nice–the leather is great, the seat is soft, and it’s super comfortable.

I’m not sure if that brand ended before Miller’s went belly up, but if it hadn’t by then, it would’ve ended around the time they closed in 2002/2003 (I think by 2003 they were trying to clear their remaining inventory).

[amb]

@TackCollector

Does anyone know if there are any of the big companies from those days left besides Dover, Schneider’s, and State Line? It’s kind of sad that so many of them are gone now.

If you’re trying to build a comprehensive history of equine retail in the US, you might look harder at what happened with a couple of those, too–I know Dover bought out part of Miller’s, but I’m not sure if it was just naming or if they actually got any people or suppliers along with.

I’m also really curious what happened between Dover and State Line Tack; offically they were always separate companies (well, afaik), but Stephen Day went from running State Line to running Dover, the old State Line Tack store in Plaistow closed abruptly (you can probably find threads here from 2004 talking about it) and then turned into a Dover branch, and some of the people worked in both. BTW, the Post family that started both State Line Tack and State Line Pet Supply sold the tack business, but still run a pretty awesome pet supply store on the far side of Plaistow.

[TWH_Girl]

@mvp

I think Barnsby folded just recently, eh?

And I have been to Bedford Tack! What a place! Just today, I used a cotton sheet made by them. I wish I could go that huge wear house again.

ha ha was just there! Next time send me your list. I usually go to TN a few times a year. Bedford Tack is a little gem most non-Walking horse people never heard of but they make EXCELLENT brides and their own leather goods and have lots and lots of stuff that any breed of horse can use and super good prices.

[GGGS_RE_Whitman]

So, don’t know if there’s been further discussion, but the original Whitman saddle was designed and built by my GGGF, R.E.Whitman, right after he resigned from the US Army. I believe he likely produced the first production protype in 1878, and procured his first US Army contract in 1879. He left the Whitman Saddle Company in 1896, and the Mehlbach Saddle Company took over production of the Whitman brand. The brand has been sold many times since. I am actually starting a project to work on a bio of my GGGF Royal Emerson Whitman, and if anyone has further info on the original Whitman Saddle and the year that RE Whitman was involved with the company, I’d greatly appreciate info and leads, Thank you, Ross Whitman Blair