LA Saddlery Imagined
LA Saddlery Imagined…
In 2004 I fell into a deep depression. I had been working as an assistant teacher and assistant college counselor for many years, while simultaneously pursuing my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at night. I finally decided to quit everything and work on a little self discovery. It did not take very long to realize the one thing that was missing, the big fat hole in my heart, was the absence of horses in my life. I grew up riding Dressage quite competitively until school became a priority and I traded in my custom Vogel’s for Psychology books. But as many of you know, even after you have left the barn for years, it sits in you, always stirring up deep feelings of longing to be on a horse again, to nuzzle your face in that warm neck, breathing in the smell of pure happiness.
So one day I woke up completely sick of my wallowing self and drove to my former home, the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. And boom, my old friend Patricia Kinnaman offered me a part time sales job at Dominion Saddlery. Now growing up a devastatingly shy person, the thought of having to sell something to a stranger was a bit daunting at first. But to my surprise, I was actually pretty damn good at it! I also developed a very keen eye for fit and style and I quickly earned the trust of our customers. Over the next few years I inherited a buying and assistant manager role, and then a few years after that Patricia was ready to pass on the store, and my parents assisted with the transition. On February 14th 2008 a short 4 years later, LA Saddlery opened its doors.
I was out to change the world! Or at least change the Equestrian retail business. My goal was to highlight new and innovative brands, particularly those that challenged traditional styles, creating exciting clothing for the trend setters not the trend followers. This lead to my own personal crusade to help brand companies that continued to design outside the rules and push the boundaries of navy and tan. The quality had to be top notch, from the design details, to the fit and fabric, and longevity. LA Saddlery was the first to launch such brands as Iago, Tucci, Samshield, Animo, Alessandro Albanese, Le Fash, Winston Equestrian, Ronner, Ateliercq, and EGO 7 along the West Coast and in many cases the very first to launch the brands in the US. When everyone else wanted brands that were mainstream, I wanted brands that nobody had heard of and customers could discover them for the first time at LA Saddlery.
Over the years LA Saddlery became a brand in and of itself. L A Saddlery represents the equestrian who rides outside the lines, dresses by her own rules, and is a true horse person and fashionista. You will never see her in ratty old tees or baggy breeches. She takes pride in the way she looks and the way she rides. Regardless if she’s 12 or 55 she’s playful, confident, and downright feisty.
LA Saddlery is now a fully mobile and online business, bringing the best and brightest in Equestrian Fashion direct to customer at the A and B circuit Hunter/Jumper shows in California.
~ Renee
