Riding my gelding has steadily stayed on the back burner but with the days already getting longer, it will soon be time for the spring tune up. I am beginning to feel spring fever and ready to spend some time in the outdoors with my fuzzy, attention-deprived gelding. (I know for some of you this is still a long way off seeing most of the country is still covered up in snow!) I have set my riding goals high this season with having a much more broke trail horse by the end of summer. I plan to use a lot of Julie Goodnight’s DVDs to help me get a willing partner and become the leader with ‘ole Copper. We will continue to have our lessons with Anne, who works here and is my gaited horse instructor, who will continue to teach me and Copper the proper gaits of a good Walking horse. There are only a few more weeks until daylight savings time. I groan at the thought of losing an hour but at the same time, it’s more riding time in the evening. At that thought, the daylight will be a welcomed time to really ride and build a better relationship with my horse. Happy Trails.

The new Circle Y catalogs have arrived from the printer and we will begin mailing the end of this week. The catalog is being added to the Web site under BROWSE THE CATALOG. Please be patient with the site as we are correcting links and getting it all up for download. We hope you love what you see with the new designs. It seems a lot of the country is frozen and buried in snow and ice. Be safe and feed those horses some extra hay for warmth!

A Busy Start to the Year

It has been a very busy first few weeks of the new year! We have been getting ready for the Denver Market this weekend which is a huge event we work all year to prepare for. There have been some late nights trying to finish the last of projects and tying up the loose ends. We don't settle for less than perfection! This is where we unveil all the new saddle and tack designs for the year. We also have the annual sales meeting with all the salespeople who are able to attend. A lot of our major competitors are there as well so it's always interesting. I have finished the new 2009 Catalog and it's on the way from the printer. It will be available next week so be sure to request a catalog. We hope you'll find your perfect saddle! We will be updating the Web site soon too with some new features and of course with the new catalog. Be safe on the trails and stay warm!

Shopping Near To Home

The stalls still need to be done, hooves still need to be trimmed, hay put out, buckets scrubbed... Even when it seems the whole world is focused on the negative, we still can count on our fuzzy friends to bring us back to the real world. And, a nice world it is. Many horse families are just that, whole families involved in the horse owning lifestyle. Children are still wishing for a horse or pony, new saddles, new boots. Circle Y prepares for the upcoming spring season this time every year. Though some predictions for retail sales of all kinds are dismal, we are working hard to bring you fresh, new designs, and saddle styles. What hasn't changed is our dedication to make the highest quality saddles at a fair value. Please keep your local tack shop on your shopping list. They have been there at your convenience for saddles and tack, and day to day supplies. We want them to weather this economic storm, and your patronage will help them do so. All here at Circle Y Saddles wish your family, and horses, a very happy holiday, and a brighter new year. We hope your Christmas wishes are coming true.

Bring on the New

I have begun working on the new saddle and tack catalog. Doing the catalogs is one of my favorite projects and it's something that I, and the entire Design Team, put a lot of care into. Our Design department puts a lot of time and thought into the new models we are rolling out hoping that if a potential rider hasn't found exactly what they are looking for, they will this year. It's no secret that times are tough these days with a lot of households having a skinnier Christmas than last year. At Circle Y, we take very seriously offering saddles and tack that are the highest quality, made with the highest level of perfection humanly possible, and with features that are important to riders of many different disciplines. Buying a saddle is an investment so finding that perfect one that suits your riding needs, horse or mule, and price point is a lot to consider. We are here to stay despite the economic downturn, and hope you will order a new catalog mid-January when they are available. We are always open to suggestions and comments and take requests to the design board so e-mail us if you have a request in mind.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving week. It’s the start of parties, Christmas music, putting up the tree and all that fun stuff. The Marketing department put up a Christmas tree last week at the Yoakum Museum. We had some leather ornaments made special in shapes of a boot, a saddle (of course), a star, and a bucking horse. We used some hardware like the rings, halter loops, dee rings, and curb chains for icicles to give it some sparkle from the lights. Amy and I have a super crafty friend that took a rope and tied some bows with red bandana pieces that we strung around the tree that really added to our look. We got a craftsman to make up a large leather star that was tooled with silver tips for the topper – gorgeous! It was fun and it sure put us in the holiday spirit. I’m headed north to see family to get my bird on. Warm wishes to all and safe traveling.

Change is in the Air

It’s no secret that all across America consumers are cutting back. At Circle Y, preparations have long been made so that we will survive an economic downturn. Rest assured Circle Y is here to stay. We are sorry to hear, however, that some of our competitors are not. A few weeks ago Big Horn Saddlery closed its doors. Even though they were a competitor, we don’t rejoice in people losing their livelihood. It’s an uncertain time and we are weathering this storm like all the other businesses and can’t wait for this hurdle to pass.

For all horse people crunching budgets, it’s still important to support your local tack shop. With on-line shopping on the increase, you can still buy from your local guys when they have a Web site. As a matter of fact, some dealers are adding some great incentives with a saddle purchase such as free tack and free shipping! They do need your business and resist the urge to buy a cheap product somewhere else. With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s a little unsettling wondering what the new year will bring. With a new president taking office, I sure do hope the change we have constantly been hearing about will be for the better.