Dover Stores Are Closing! Are Horses Over?

It's been an eventful few weeks in the equestrian industry. Notably the closures of Dover stores across the country. There was also Noelle Floyd's post about major shifts to the horse industry as a whole. It's all been a bit doom and gloom.

But we at cheeky horse are counting on a bright future. 

Before I get into our optimism about equestrian sports and the businesses that service them, let me tell you a little about me, as briefly as someone who's been alive 45 years can. 

I was born loving horses. Family lore has it that at 18 months old I began screaming inconsolably at Macy's for seemingly no reason at all until I began pointing at a giant stuffed horse. When taken off the shelf, tears were replaced with smiles. The rest is history.

Traveling between divorced parents I rode horses on both coasts. From dusty California trails to massive lesson centers in Virginia, I couldn't get enough. I worked at the barn to pay for extra lessons. I collected Breyer horses like it was my job. And at 12 I was gifted a 20-year old OTTB who I thought was the fanciest thing EVER.

Life happened, lots of life, and from 17 to 37 I hardly rode at all save an occasional trail ride. It wasn't a question of "if" I would return to horses, but rather "when." The "when" being entirely reliant on finances. 

I finished law school, tried life as a writer (and failed to make any horse money), then earned some success in real estate when my kids were under 5. The kids and I eventually began lessoning together in the horsey part of southern LA which led (after lots and lots of late night discussions with my horse avoidant husband) to buying a fixer equestrian zoned property and making the move back into horses "full time."

All the while the real estate market became "difficult" and I needed a change. I took over an existing tack store in my new neighborhood and Cheeky Horse was born!

It's been exactly 1-year and 3-months since I made the leap. Long story short, I've learned that the expense of doing business is extremely high and the margins near paper thin. Some would say that my timing was off in starting Cheeky. I missed the pandemic buying boom and got started just in time for tariffs.

Like tack shops all across the country, we've dealt with customers who spend hours with us fitting boots and helmets, only to have them snap a picture to find it cheaper "online" by $3. We've dealt with entitled attitudes regarding our new consignment section when someone doesn't get a billion dollars for an old item that's been sitting in their tack room since 1997. And we've dealt with people constantly asking for discounts as if we're Jeff Bezos and not a revamped small business just trying to recoup our investment and make it. We just want our enterprise to be profitable so we can work in horses forever! Right now, Cheeky Horse is not generating near the income real estate did for my family,  not even close really, but that's okay.

Daily sales ARE up from last year. Web sales are up as well. With the closing of our closest Dover, we're meeting all sorts of NEW trainers and riders from every part of Los Angeles and Orange County. Many old Dover Laguna customers are coming in to Cheeky Horse for the first time and it's exciting!

In general, our store sees several new riders each month, seasoned amateurs with multiple horses, lots of re-riders, trainers from all disciplines, and a whole new world of Western riders, which the store didn't previously service before I took over. We have customers with rescue horses that cost $500 and customers with horses that cost as much as a downpayment on an expensive California house. And we love them all! It's our mission to provide the best service and guidance possible. We're committed to learning and growing as a store and as fitting professionals for boots, helmets, safety vests, tack, and more.

Yes we know that horses are currently more expensive than ever. Same with gas. And utilities. And rent. But horses have always been expensive, which is why it takes decades for some of us to return. We feel this hard every time we pay for hay. And vet services. And supplements. And training. But we're all in this together. As a result, Cheeky Horse opened a large consignment suite above our main store. Affordable used goods might be the way a twenty something year old me could've returned to horses sooner! While the Samshield and Cavalleria Toscana items also have a space on our shelves for the riders ready to invest in higher quality pieces. Again, did I mention we're a store for every rider and every skill level? We mean it. Everyone is welcome. No snobby elitist vibes are Cheeky Horse. Ever. 

In our slice of the woods with city scape glittering in the distance, there is no lack of passion and excitement and desire to ride and just be with our equine friends. If you saw the magic in the eyes of little girls and boys who visit Cheeky Horse for their first pair of boots, you'd be optimistic too. And our local lesson barns are busy! Our local summer camps are too! I think we can all agree that horses teach life skills that no tablet can replicate. Parents are waking up and seeing the incredible value in investing in horses for their children. And it's our position that AI will never take over horse training. Can you imagine a robot doing ground work with your pony? No. Just no. And despite this crazy changing modern world, horses and all of the needs that come with them will continue to be their own niche economy.  The Equine Business Association avalues the horse industry at $300 billion. Sure developers are trying to gobble up equestrian lands and some D1 horse programs are closing, but then there's the Premier Jumping League, backed by billionaire Frank McCourt, with a prize fund of $300 million. While the therapeutic riding program near us has a waiting list 100 people long. Horses heal. Horses entertain. Horses keep us fit. They're also really darn cute. 

Love of the horse and the sports they make possible remains as aspirational as it did during my childhood. The dream of owning your first horse and coursing your first meter 1.30 are the same feeling. All the while, the world in general is hungry for real connection, expert advice, and a curated buying experiences that big box anything can't provide. Cheeky Horse is positioning itself to fill the gaps in this impersonal overnight delivery world. You can call our store during our business hours 7-days a week and talk to an actual human being with your horsey gear related questions. You can email us and DM us too.

So we're fine to see Dover go, and for any of their old employees looking for a new job, we're hiring. Their stores might be imploding, but Cheeky Horse is just getting started.

Photo by Marianna Graziadio