Loading cart contents...
View Cart Checkout
Cart subtotal:

The Story of Rachel Schaeffer, her love of horses and French used saddles!

 

Rachel Schaeffer got bit with the horse bug as far back as she can remember! At 6 years old, she saved up enough money to have a birthday pony delivered to her backyard for 4 hours (despite it not being her birthday). From then it grew to horseback riding lessons as often as her parents would take her, working at various barns in the Philadelphia and South Jersey and mucking stalls to pay for it all.

Rachel rode primarily English but did have a horse that she leased with her own money at the age of 11 called Peaches who was a huge Palomino that enjoyed going Western too. Rachel has many fond memories of riding Peaches (and bailing a few times too) through Tyler State Park in Newtown, PA.

When Rachel was 12, she bought her first horse – a small Appaloosa mare named Party Miss. Rachel put down 50% of her own money and made small payments for Party Miss, who was fondly referred to as “Parts Missing” if she behaved like a moody mare. For her 8th grade graduation Rachel’s dad rewarded her hard work and ‘gifted’ her the other half of the horse. It was around this time that Rachel first started noticing tack and saddles and bought her first saddle – a flat, no knee roll having Blue Ribbon saddle.  She paid $650 for it with a price tag showing a retail price of $1,200 so Rachel knew she got a great deal. (Was this the start of ISellTack.com in some way??!)

Madison, Rachel’s daughter, also helps out with the business.  Madison started riding before she could walk but at around age 4, she started really started riding and her first pony was named Peanut. Madison rode for almost a full year with no stirrups because Rachel didn’t run out and buy a saddle right away (making sure she really wanted to ride) so she rode in Peanut’s Western saddle with stirrups that were way too long.  It has did wonders for Madison’s seat, needless to say, and today she is a beautiful, natural rider!

Throughout the years Rachel and Madison showed in the hunter, jumper and equitation rings and they still show today.  Rachel is proud to say that in addition to importing several horses from Europe (still winning everywhere) she has enjoyed several OTTBs that were show winners and reliable mounts!  Rachel, Madison thoroughly enjoy every waking moment of spending time around horses and beautiful saddles, of course!

Some imports:

  

An OTTB stallion that we raced then turned into a jumper!

Why did Rachel start ISellTack.com?

 

Rachel started ISellTack.com because many years ago she was on the hunt for a French used saddle with a budget of $2,000 and had trouble finding anything to buy.  She then made it her mission to scout out the nicest saddles and offer them to her clients for the best prices possible.  Additionally, Rachel had several friends who did not have time to sell their own items, so Rachel began the consignment program at ISellTack.com which has taken off like a rocket ship!  ISellTack.com has overall just exploded in growth over the past few years but really over the past 12 months.  (We are SO grateful for our thousands of friends, customers and fans!) Rachel and her team (daughter, plus 2 other VALUABLE team members) can be seen at regional horse shows taking pictures of people in the show ring and posting the pictures for them to use for free.  Additionally, she will travel to barns to pick up and drop off saddles, and/or just to say hi.

Check out the March 2013 issue of Practical Horseman where Rachel wrote an article on how to sell a used saddle.  As always, if you have any questions about anything that ISellTack.com does, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line.  Honest opions are given (whether it is good news or bad news) and ISellTack.com appreciates all of the customers who have made us successful!

 

P.S.  Did we mention that we are OBSESSED with French saddles??!