Community Corner

The Tack Trunk Sells Equestrian Equipment On Consignment

Parents wanting to get their children involved in horseback riding should be prepared to open their wallets. They can expect to pay an average price of $600 for a good pair of tall boots, $300 for a show jacket, $3,000 for a saddle, between $400 and $500 for a bridle, $400 for a helmet and $300 for show britches, according to Sue Daven-Pontillo.

"Kids grow out of their clothes every three months," she said. "You spend $1,000 every three months on your kids for new equipment — which you could easily spend."

Daven-Pontillo owns The Tack Trunk, an equestrian store at 444 Main Street in Monroe, with her husband Paul Pontillo. An interior designer by trade, Sue Daven-Pontillo said a horse trainer had given her the idea of opening a consignment/equestrian store.

"For under $200, you can get everything you need," Sue said of replacing your child's equipment. "We sell everything for horses and riders."

And horse owners and riders can sell their used equipment to The Tack Trunk for 50-percent of what the store will re-sell it for — recouping some of their money. Otherwise, Sue said, unless they can find someone who needs their used equipment, they usually wind up giving it away.

Paul said, "The beauty of this store is that it's cost-effective, so young riders can get outfitted and continue to be outfitted as they grow older."

One of a Kind

Sixty percent of the clothing and equipment in The Tack Trunk's inventory is used, while 40 percent is new, Paul said.

Sue showed off a used Tad Coffin saddle on sale for $2,500, which she said would cost around $5,000 brand new. And she noted how a used saddle is more broken in than a new one.

"No one else sells on consignment and the closest equestrian stores are in Ridgefield and in North Salem, NY," Sue said.

As a result, customers drive to the Monroe store from all over Fairfield County, as well as from Milford, Orange, Southbury and Woodbury.

"In this area, there are a lot of farms," Sue said. "More than you think."

The Tack Trunk has grown so much since first opening in May of 2012, that it will move across its parking lot to 440 Main Street in December. The white house with red shutters, where Higgins Group used to be, is 800-square-feet — twice the size of The Tack Trunk's current location. 

Fall and winter hours are Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

A Little Girl Gets a Pony

Sue's father sparked her interest in horseback riding when she was growing up in Chicago.

"My uncle had a big horse farm in Michigan, so I started riding at age 4 when I had my first pony," Sue said. "By the time I was 10 or 11 I was taking people out on trail rides. I've been riding for 49 years. I still have a horse. His name is Rio."

The Pontillos live in Easton and many Monroe residents may know Paul's parents, Terri and Sam Pontillo, who live in town. Terry is a member of the Monroe Economic Development Commission.

Sue and Paul have six grown children.

Inside The Tack Trunk, a framed photo of a young woman and her horse jumping over a white fence in a competition is displayed on a shelf behind the front counter. "This is my daughter," Sue said. "She still rides. She's a good rider."

None of the Pontillos' sons ride horses.

"I think girls are attracted to horses," Sue said, "usually because they love the animals."


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