On the Road with Tack and Habit

If you’re looking for nearby tack shop, you’ll be excited to learn our Tack and Habit Shoppe goes on the road! On a recent cold, windy morning, Manager Veronica Conroy set out for Lexington, Virginia, and the IEA Zone 3 Finals to ensure those skilled equestrians had access to what they need. Everything prepared her for this adventure!

First, Veronica’s years as an accomplished equestrienne and owner of Catoki’s Son (Toki for short) have made her a resource who knows her stuff. She’s been around horses for most of her 20 years and has actively competed in the Hunter Show Ring for many of those years. In the case of the Tack and Habit, she’s involved in most all the ordering and selling at the shop. To top it off, she knows how to drive a truck and trailer which enabled her to take the newly acquired Tack and Habit Cargo Trailer on the road for the very first time. You can be sure it will not be the last time; in fact, look for us at the USEF A Rated James River Hunt Horse Show running May 12-14 at the Deep Run Hunt Club in Manakin-Sabot.

What does it take to go on the road with a tack shop? While the shop has been at other horse shows in recent years, lack of a dedicated trailer made execution of our events more difficult than necessary. Having its own trailer seemed the more practical way to get around, and so the search began. Shop owners Tara Best and Cheryl Mathews searched for this acquisition and finally, putting two heads together, acquired the new cargo trailer. After making it roadworthy, they worked with Veronica to plan what to take and what to leave in the brick-and-mortar store.

Then began the packing, and the packing, and the packing! Fixtures, tent, table/check out counter, cash box, computer – and oh yes, the merchandise -- It takes a little imagination to picture how all that has been packed must be unloaded at the show, set up with care, and then manned for the length of the show. Repacking that trailer and making the drive home isn’t even the final step as once back at the ranch, so to speak, the unloading, restocking, stowing of the tent, and reconciling of the books must still be done.

When you see the Tack and Habit Shoppe on the road, and for that matter any of the other vendors at horse shows, remember all that work, offer a friendly hello, and browse for as long as you want. Hopefully what you need, or possibly what you have forgotten, as well as what you want will be at your fingertips at the on-the-road-version of our shop.

So, look for the Tack and Habit Shoppe as it heads on its next adventure. With quality products at every stop, you are sure to find what you need – or perhaps something new to catch your eye!