Our Story
In December 2003 I purchased a little saddlery shop in Taradale, Napier from Kevin Hansen.The shop, called Lodge Equestrian, made the NZ renowned “Lodge Horse Rugs” and sold feed, second hand gear and few bits of general saddlery. It had already been running for close to 20 years, under several different owners. Within 12 months, We had quadrupled the size of the business, and started what was possibly NZs first online equestrian store. After much deliberation, it was decided that www.lodgeequstrian.co.nz just simply would not work, and www.tackshop.co.nz was born! Right from the start, it was our objective to provide a bigger range, at better prices, and with better service than your local store. As more and more equestrian supply shops came online, we have strived to stay ahead of the competition, by continuing to offer the best prices and service available. We are constantly changing and upgrading, adding new features, new services and new products. In December 2013, to Celebrate 10 years in business, we partnered with top web development company Exceed Online, who developed and built us a ground-breakingly innovative new website for the time.
The next 7 years saw massive growth as we continued to service the New Zealand Equestrian community, providing the best prices and top quality service.
In 2020 Covid hit, and we were once again leaders in the industry by shutting our shop almost immediately and providing contactless service. We ensured couriers picked up and dropped off from outside, and kept staff in separate compartments within the building.
Valentines Day February 2023 saw a disaster for us and the whole of our district, as our shop, and staff houses were almost completely submerged in water during cyclone Gabrielle. I arrived back at the shop 4 days later to find everything wet, covered in mud and silt, or washed away in the torrent. Luckily, with the help of many volunteers, and the support of our customers, we managed to re-open in a new location on the 3rd December 2023, which also coincided with our 20 year Anniversary.
Around this same time we launched our new website, and shifted to a different accounting system and POS system to keep things tidy and integrated. We launched a new rewards system for our customers, and started importing more top brands from Europe and around the world.
Today we continue to innovate, and bring our customers the products they want and need.
Thank you for your continued support. Nick White Managing Director Tackshop.co.nz