Copyright Santa Rosa Press Democrat
A longtime equestrian consignment shop just east of Sebastopol has closed its doors after nearly three decades, reflecting broader economic strain in the region’s horse and agriculture communities. Saddles to Boots, at 6140 Sebastopol Ave., shut down at the end of October. The business had been billed as one of Northern California’s largest consignment outlets for Western or English riding wear and equipment, called tack, such as saddles, harnesses and bridles. Owner Michelle Helberg told callers in a new voicemail greeting that she’s saddened by the closure but plans to shift online. “I’m really sad to see it closed, and I’m going to miss all my wonderful customers, but the way of the world is people shopping online,” she said. “We will eventually transfer to online, probably not until January.” Helberg was briefly reached before the store closed but said she was too busy winding down operations to comment. Multiple later attempts to contact her were unsuccessful. Wider slowdown? The shop’s closure comes as others in the North Bay’s equestrian trade feel the effects of changing consumer behavior and aging horse communities. Mark Weston, owner of Saint Mark Saddle and Leather Repair and Restoration in Forestville, said business reached its peak about a year ago and has since stalled. “I probably have a couple dozen saddles that I’ve had for sale for some time. Nobody seems to be interested,” he said. He attributes the glut in used equipment to longtime riders leaving the sport and lower interest in the next generation. “Any decent horse person has got more than one saddle,” Weston said. “People are dying off that were into equestrian work. The kids and the grandkids say, ‘I’m not into that. I don’t need this … maybe I can get a couple dollars for it.’” Weston said traditional advertising, namely in the [Sonoma County] Horse Journal for three years, hasn’t revived demand. “I got zero phone calls from that ad,” Weston said. Another recent North Bay tack shop closure has been partly about the circumstances of the location. Started six decades ago, Jay Palm’s Saddle Shop closed its Petaluma shop last November after its lease was ended amid the redevelopment of the property around the former Cattlemens restaurant for a retail center anchored by Chick-fil-A. But the work the shop has been known for lives on, according to co-owner Carleen Palm. “We’re doing our leather work out of our home,” she said. Marketing now is by flyers and word of mouth, and there’s no inventory to maintain. “It’s all just custom,” she said. A major remaining Northern California tack shop near the North Bay is Tack Warehouse, located in Woodland north of Sacramento and with an online presence. Another such shop is at Ranchotel Horse Center, a Vacaville equestrian center that also offers lessons, boarding and horse shows. But these challenges for local apparel, tack and repair shops come as the overall equestrian market appears to be robust. Worldwide sales of equestrian apparel and equipment, excluding feed, reached an estimated $12 billion last year and are projected to reach $18.3 billion by 2034, a compound growth rate of 4.3% a year, according to industry market research firm Equerry Co. That said, retail for the equestrian market appears to be facing the strains that have hit the wider world of shopping, especially since the pandemic. Last year, sales at a physical store made up over half of all revenue for tack, but online sales are expected to match those at brick-and-mortar outlets by 2030, Equerry reported. “We will likely see more immersive e-commerce experiences … imagine virtual tack stores where you can ‘walk’ through a 3D showroom, inspect products, or use augmented reality to virtually try a riding jacket on yourself or fit a bridle on a 3D horse model,” wrote Equerry founder and Managing Director Christine Bjerkan. Weakened economy adds pressure Weston’s business challenges extend beyond tack. He has worked in Sonoma County’s wine industry for more than 50 years and farms 7 acres of Syrah on a 40-acre Russian River Valley ranch on Trenton Road. But even that business has taken a hit. “I did not sell my grapes this year,” he said. “It goes back to the economy. The winery I was dealing with … said, ‘Not interested.’ It’s been that cut and dry.” With saddles and grape sales stalled, Weston leans on a third career. “It’s a good thing I have another job,” he said. Weston is a registered nurse and part-time nursing professor at the University of San Francisco. “That keeps the wolves at bay … especially when my saddle business isn’t doing very well and my grape business isn’t doing very well.” New plans for Sebastopol storefront The Saddles to Boots property was sold Sept. 30 for $910,000 to 6140 LLC, managed by Randy Hanson, according to county records. Hanson owns Randy Hanson Auto Body & Paint at 2080 Llano Road west of Santa Rosa — the building where Saddles to Boots originally opened in 1995 under founder Nancy Eklund, according to The Press Democrat. Helberg acquired the shop in early 2007. Hanson said he expects to use the Sebastopol Avenue site for storage, a retail counter for estimates and the restoration portion of his auto body business. “We plan on using the big building for the body shop portion,” Hanson said. The roof is getting maintenance and the building spruced up before that. Rick Burg of Century 21 Epic represented 6140 LLC in the deal. Randy Coffman, also of Century 21 Epic, represented the seller, the Michelle L. Helberg Family Trust. Jeff Quackenbush joined North Bay Business Journal in May 1999. He covers primarily wine, construction and real estate. Reach him at jeff@nbbj.news or 707-521-4256.
