When I moved here from England one of the things I had to do was to find suppliers for horse feed, bedding and products. It seems whenever horse people move whether it be to another state, country, or part of the same country or state it always proves a challenge to find good horse shops.  One of the difficulties is that most horse barns, tack shops, feed merchants are known via word of mouth. They rarely advertise and you therefore have to get to know other horse owners to find out where to shop.   

 I was amazed that to buy tack items particularly saddles and bridles you have to mail order everything which I hate as you can't try anything on before buying.  In England we have an abundance of Equestrian shops that also repair tack too. These shops provide a wide range of saddles, bridles, blankets, bits, riding hats, clothing, feed buckets, in fact everything for the horse and rider and in a variety of colors. When I got my first pony, many moons ago, the choice of colors were Blue (most popular), Red, Black and Green.  Nowadays you get every color imaginable. Even pastels like, lilac, light pink, light blue to name a few.  We even have master saddlers who will make sure you have a saddle that fits both you and the horse correctly.

 So where do we horse people shop?  A few local stores are: Endicott Feed and Tack located on Route 17C between Campville and Endicott run by Carol and Terry Shaff. Carol, Terry, and Nelson not only provide you with a good variety of horse products but will help you select the right products for you. Being horse owners themselves they know from experience what you will need . . . and whilst you stop and shop there they will always offer you a free soda.  Not only do they provide great customer service but they have great ears too! My visits to their store often last half an hour whilst I tell them my latest adventure good or bad and they always give me and other customers the time of day. Endicott Feed and Tack also sell dog, cat and bird food.  Telephone 785-5553 for more info.

 More generic shopping are Tractor Supply located in Vestal at the Four Corners off  Route 434 and PetSmart in Vestal up by Circuit City.  These stores have a variety of products too but you will need to know what you are buying. When Mum was visiting from England she bought me a few horsey tops from PetsSmart which were nice.

 Other local merchants are Ward & Van Scoy in Owego,  (607) 687- 2712, and Berkshire (607) 657 8332, and Gary and Shirely Hollenbeck's shop on Route 96 in Catatonk, (607) 659- 2509.  They both mainly deal in horse feed, supplements and bedding as well as other non horse related products like seed and coal. They also have a few products mainly halters and some tools. Both stores again are friendly and you will get great service. Further along Route 96 located in Warners Stoker Stoves and Coal is Cathy Warner's Country Store, (607) 659- 4332, providing great horse gifts such as horse signs, towels, prints and ornaments.  Cathy and her staff are friendly and welcome you to stop, shop and browse any time.

  Now what about hay? Again, another word of mouth supplier and once you get a good supplier you hang on to them. I am lucky that I am able to find a supplier that not only delivers but also stacks my hay, which is a great help for someone as petite as me! Horses are hard work and you need to weigh up the hard work verses enjoyment and keeping fit. You can avoid some of the hard work by boarding your horse.  Some barns that let you get on and enjoy your horse and others maybe more clicky and may want you to ride and do your horse their way. When finding a suitable boarding barn think what you want most from your horse. The horseaholic people (like myself) can never be without them, its part of us and our daily routine. For non horsey people, what do we see in horses? They are beautiful, majestic creatures and like a snowflake each one has its own personality.

 Happy shopping for your horse.