A visit to the tack shop is often a necessity, but it is also a fun shopping experience. Now imagine spending the whole day at tack shops and horse themed locations. Bring some friends along or make new ones. Throw in raffle prizes, horse games, and good food and it sounds even better. And to top it all off, you don’t have to drive.
Just join the Rockin Rhythm Beads March Forth To The Tack Shops Bus Tour, Sat., March 4, 2023 from 8 am. to 8 pm. Billed as the first event of its kind, this excursion across Pennsylvania horse country is organized by Robin Stryker and Rockin Rhythm Beads owner Susan Bingeman.
“We’re pretty sure it’s the world’s first, for what that’s worth. Anyone is welcome to come,” Stryker said.
The Rockin Rhythm Beads March Forth To The Tack Shops Bus Tour is a great chance to visit a wide range of tack stores that may be new to you. Tour members will be welcomed at each shop with discounts or specials designed just for tour participants. You will even get digital advertisements from the participating tack stores so you can make up a shopping list.
If a tack store caters to a discipline that is not your own riding style, there are sure to be stable supplies that are useful to any horse owner.
“Some people are very aware of the tack stores in their area, others go to just one and don’t know of others. I’m hoping to expose people to other tack shops they could easily get to in a day if they wanted to,” Stryker said.
If you are a horse owner you will enjoy the variety of useful items you will find. Even if your tack room is already full or you do not currently have a horse, the shops have great selections of clothing, décor, and more, with horses as the main theme.
One of the best parts of the tour is the fact that you will be with fellow horse lovers. Share interests and information and make new friends! You might even find yourself singing at some point, of course with an equestrian theme, like “99 Bales of Hay in the Barn” or “The Legs of the Horse Go Round and Round”.
Tack stores will be providing items for raffle prizes with the top prize of a set of custom Rockin Rhythm Beads in your choice of color and design. Raffle tickets will be sold on the bus, with all raffle proceeds to benefit one of the tour stops - Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines.
There will be an opportunity to earn additional raffle tickets and have fun with a number of horse themed games to keep the bus ride lively, so bring your phone and play along.
The day begins at 8 a.m. when the tour bus departs from Elite Coach in Ephrata, PA. The first stop will be Crossroads Tack Shop in Lebanon, followed by A & H Harness and Tack in Narvon, PA.
The tour is not just tack shops. It also includes some spots that will be of interest to all equestrians such as Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines, Pottstown, PA, where there will be a brief tour of the non-profit facility that provides a peaceful retirement home for senior horses.
The nearby Equine Exchange Tack Shop in Pottstown, is the next stop on the tour, followed by lunch between 1 and 2 pm in the Exton area.
Back on the road again it is a short trip to Rick’s Heritage Saddlery in West Chester, followed by Malvern Saddlery, Malvern, PA. The last tour stop of the day is Antique Horseology in Coatesville.
“Antique Horseology is not a tack shop per se, but she deals in vintage horse decor items,” Stryker said. “She’s really thrilled, she’s going to have wine and cheese for us. It’s going to be fun.”
Then it’s back on the bus for the return trip to Ephrata to wrap up the day, or stay with your new friends a while longer for dinner at Udder Choice in Ephrata from 6:40-7:40 pm.
“It just should be a fun day. Just to gather that many horse lovers together on a common trip is going to lead to some interesting conversations and a lot of fun,” Stryker said.
All locations on the schedule are subject to change and the order may be varied. Meals will be at your own cost. Each stop on the tour apart from lunch will be 30 to 45 minutes, giving you plenty of time to browse and buy.
The cost to take part in the tour is just $40 per person. To register email or call Robin Stryker, robin.stryker8@gmail.com or (717) 575-2562, or Susan Bingeman, sbing353@gmail.com, to receive a registration form and itinerary. Registration forms are due by Feb. 4, 2023, but space is limited to just 54 participants so be sure to sign up early to ensure a seat.