Thank You & Good Bye

I am breaking up with LA Saddlery. It has been a long time coming, and like all good love stories this one has had plenty of ups and downs over the past two decades. But I have officially outgrown this relationship and am ready to build a new one!

So this is my good-bye letter. It is also a thank you letter to all of the people who have both helped me and hurt me over the last 20 years.  You have gotten me to exactly where I need to be. In fact you have brought me back to where I started.  Full circle as it were. Let me explain.

The other day I was looking for an article I wrote about the artist, and now longtime friend, Stephanie Revennaugh. I have written many articles over the past 2 decades for different Equestrian publications as well as been interviewed to discuss a plethora of topics related to this industry.  More than 20 years working in this business there was bound to be some information out there in Cyberspace about me and LA Saddlery.  But with AI overtaking the internet this was the first time I saw myself and my history in this industry in black and white at the top of the search listing.

There were obvious things about LA Saddlery and its focus on high-end riding apparel, as well as my Bad Horse Los Angeles brand that I designed and started selling in 2018. But then there were the inferences that AI made from all the data it had collected. Like, “Renee is recognized for her taste in Equestrian fashion and her insights into the industry. She is known for her opinions on equestrian fashion brands and trends, particularly within the luxury segment.” 

And if you know me, then you know that I definitely have my opinions about…well many things in this industry.  But what I realized whilst reading about myself on Google, is how much I have accomplished these past 20 years. I made a significant impact on this industry, and not just with my opinions, but also with my entrepreneurial spirit, my audacity to challenge the fashion norms, and my determination to be different from everyone else.  But most importantly with my commitment to my customers and servicing them to the best of my abilities. I am first and foremost a helper, and I have helped countless people in my many years at LA Saddlery. It is ultimately what I love doing most.

Which brings me to my new path, actually as I mentioned above, it was an old path that took a detour into the Equestrian retail world.  My original career path was to be a Marriage and Family Therapist.  These past two years I have been cultivating a career in Equus Coaching. It is the perfect combination of horses and healing that I have been dreaming about for some time.  Equus coaching is a unique style of personal coaching that uses horses as co-facilitators in client sessions.  It is what got me unstuck from my own mid-life crises of feeling unfulfilled, restless, useless even, and most importantly unhappy.  Horses are the best bull-shit detectors a person could ask for. They reflected back to me my dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behaviors that perpetuated the cycle of my unhappiness, forcing me to hold myself accountable, discover my authentic self and encourage me to focus on a future that fulfilled all of my long lost goals and dreams.  It has also pushed me to finish my first novel, made me a more confident rider, and opened me up to new friendships and exciting adventures. And the work I have done with my own clients over the past two years has further shown me the power this kind of work can have on people of all ages and with a multitude of struggles.  

So thank you LA Saddlery for taking care of me these past two decades. Thank you for challenging me, for showing me my many strengths as well as my many, many weaknesses.  Thank you for introducing me to incredible people from all over the world. Thank you for teaching me humility as well as giving me the confidence to use my voice, to stand up for myself as a woman and small business owner.  Thank you for bringing horses back into my life…maybe too many right now, but I digress! 

Finally to all my LA Saddlery customers, it has been my pleasure serving all of you over the years. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, for trusting me to dress you, and for sharing snippets of your lives with me at my store and also at the shows.

It is with much joy, trepidation, and excitement that I am ready to say Thank You & Good-Bye to LA Saddlery and a great big Hello and Welcome to Eqxplore Coaching.

Ok so now what? Because LA Saddlery has a plethora of beautiful and new seasonal inventory in stock, not to mention all of the necessary basics, home goods, jewelry and fashion.  And I still have a few orders for Fall coming in just in time for the holidays.  But I will not be getting in regularly stocked items anymore (like Equiline or Iago Tan breeches OR Navy show coats, etc). And the reality is I am also not in a rush, which is why I am giving myself at least 6 months to close the business.  I have curated this collection over the past 2 years and it’s stunning, most of the items are exclusive to LA Saddlery or seasonal, so once they are gone they will not exist again.  And many of the items have very limited quantities.

Because I love you all and I know you need a little motivation to shop there will be a tiered automatic discount on all your LA Saddlery orders through the end of the year.  So no code required…and please share with friends!

Buy 1 Item get 15% Off

Buy 2 Items get 20% Off

Buy 3-4 get 25% Off

Buy 5 or more items get 30% Off

As some items get low in stock they may move into our LAST Chance Sale Section, so keep an eye on that too!  Please note that now ALL Sales are final now. NO exchanges anymore.  But while I continue to build my coaching business, I will still be at your disposal to help you shop before it’s all gone!

As for the two brands that I have built over the past many years:

Iago Italia:  I am officially passing the torch to Sam and JP at Horse Play as the new premier West Coast shop to sell this amazing brand.  This week they are receiving my beautiful fall order, and will have it available to shop at their next horse show. I am very excited to continue to see this brand thrive and will be there to help them as much as they want to bring you all your Iago favorites season after season.

Keep in mind most of the Iago items I have on the website will not be produced again, many of them my own designs, so definitely shop them before they disappear!

Bad Horse Los Angeles: My baby that was born in 2018 and has brought me so much joy will continue to live on.  It has it’s very own website, and I am also in the process of creating an Etsy Shop.  But you can still shop the collection here until I close LA Saddlery, but definitely follow this space for more fun and sassy equestrian inspired lifestyle items!

So that's it! It's been a fantastic 2 decades, and I am looking forward to the next 2! 

Here's to new beginnings and Happy Shopping!

Renee

xoxox