Eventers, listen up! This tack shop spotlight is for us!
I was recently on the hunt for new cross-country boots. There are so many options, and I’m the kind of person who wants to touch them all and weigh the various possibilities before making a decision. At least, I’m that way when it comes to buying things for my horse. I want the best value for my money, since I don’t always have a lot of it to spend.
So when considering new boots, I enlisted the help of my friend Jen, who is my go-to tack guru. She frequents the Chronicle of the Horse forums and is currently in the process of starting a saddle-fitting blog and consultation business. (Check out The Saddle Geek and get signed up for the mailing list!) Jen kindly offered to loan me her Premier Equine boots to test out, as well as advice on what kinds of boots I should consider for the aspiring lower-level eventer.
I was considering buying a set of used Ecogold XC boots, but Jen sent me the link to the new Boyd Martin Majyk Equipe Cross Country boots, which can be found here! For the same price as the used Ecogolds, I could get brand new Boyd Martins, with free shipping! I’m in!
And then Jen threw in the kicker – Four Star Brand Eventing Gear PRICE MATCHES. I found the same Boyd Martin XC boots for less on a different site, so I sent an email through the Four Star Brand email form on their contact page. Carl Gardner responded within four hours, at 10 PM, and walked me through the incredibly simple process. I provided a link to where I had found the boots for less, and he responded with a customized invoice for me. I paid through Paypal, and I had purchased the boots within 24 hours of finding Four Star. Talk about service.
Then things got a little bit more complicated. Today (10/20) was 2 weeks to the day that I ordered the boots. I hadn’t gotten them. The UPS truck pulled up outside of my apartment, and I was sure that they had finally arrived.
Nope.
So I called the customer service number on the Four Star Brand website. Carl answered on about the third ring. I wasn’t expecting to talk to a helpful person right off the bat – maybe an automated system or a secretary. After identifying myself and my problem, Carl remembered our previous email exchange and what I had ordered. He informed me that Majyk Equipe had delayed the shipment to Four Star because of missing packaging.
Carl made sure to ask whether or not I needed the boots for an upcoming show. I felt like he actually cared about the fact that I might need the boots in a hurry. He assured me that the boots would be on their way soon and that I should expect an email from him shortly.
Sure enough, I had an email in my inbox within a couple of hours.
The email explained what had happened, detailed when they would be shipping out, and upgraded shipping to me from UPS ground (5-7 days) to USPS Priority (2-3 days). I’m thrilled! I’m happy to wait for the boots, but this makes things even better!
Four Star Brand makes customers their priority. Their Our Story page makes it clear: “Treating people the way we would want to be treated drives every business decision we make. Our customers, contractors and suppliers are all treated like family. We never lose sight of why we started this venture.” They aim to stock quality products for competitive prices: “10 years from now, no one is going to say ‘I really want my bridle to break on cross country’ or ‘yeah, so I bought these cheap XC boots, I’m so happy they rubbed a hole through my horses leg!’. We don’t stock the fads or the trendy items, we stay focused on supplying the gear that will keep our riders and horses safe and comfortable.”
Four Star Brand Eventing Gear is an eventing company, run by eventers. Their policies are simple and clearly stated on their website. Customer service is personal, fast, and understanding. Carl has gone out of his way to help me with my purchase, from facilitating a price match to upgrading shipping after a delay.
The company is a veteran-owned small business, run by our fellow eventers. They deserve our support, so if you’re looking for new tack or equipment, make sure to check out Four Star Brand Eventing Gear.
Shop online, connect with Four Star on Facebook and Twitter, or give their customer service a shout at 888-863-7552 during business hours (8am-6pm PST) or at GetGear@FourStarBrand.com.
The Thrifty Equestrian 