How to Open a Horse Tack Store

A love of horses and knowledge of tack and horse related products are the most important things to have when opening a horse tack shop. Without either of those things, owning a tack shop may become tedious and not as fun as one would expect. The love of horses and the need to teach others about them are what keeps the business goals in sight.

• Get necessary business licenses. In most states it is as simple as filing for a state sales tax license. If not running the business as a sole proprietorship, this also includes necessary filing for corporations, partnerships and limited liability partnerships.


• Open a business bank account. This will enable the business to process checks and to write checks of its own. Many vendors also require that a business has a bank account before they will approve an application.


• Research distributors. Many distributors only ship within a certain region. In the field of horse tack, there is also an availability to buy from small scale companies. Going that route will help the shop fit into a niche and give an availability of being able to order custom pieces.


• Attend trade shows.


• This includes going to horse shows and tack meets. By doing this you learn the needs of your customer base and gets word out about the shop opening.


• Find a location. The middle of town, miles from the nearest horse is not the place to open a shop. A better location would be where the highest concentration of horses are.


• Hire employees. At first it is important to have enough on hand help that is knowledgeable about horses, tack and the products that the shop will carry.