If you've been a Dover Saddlery customer for any length of time, the past few weeks have probably left you with one practical question: where do you buy your barn supplies now? Going-out-of-business sales are running at Dover locations across the country, and once the inventory is gone, a 50-year fixture of equestrian retail goes with it.
This post is for one specific question: where should you buy your next tack trunk? If you're outfitting a new horse, replacing an aging trunk, or finally upgrading from a banker's box to something that actually represents your barn, you have more options than you might think, and some of them you may not have heard of, because Dover absorbed so much of the search traffic in this category for so long.
We sell tack trunks ourselves, so we have an obvious bias. We'll be upfront about that. But we're going to talk honestly about the alternatives too, because if you're spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on something that should last 20 years, you should know what's out there.
What actually matters when you're choosing a tack trunk
Before getting into specific options, it helps to know what separates a trunk worth buying from one you'll be replacing in five years. Three things matter most.
Construction. A finish that holds up to barn conditions: heat, humidity, the occasional kick, decades of being slid around concrete aisles. This is the difference between a trunk that looks tired by year three and one your kid will inherit.
Customization. A trunk that says "your barn," with your colors, your logo, your horse's name, does work that a generic trunk never will. It identifies your stall at a show, ties your barn presentation together, and signals that you take your program seriously. Customization isn't vanity; it's the whole point of buying a real trunk instead of a Rubbermaid bin.
Who made it, and who you're buying it from. The custom tack trunk world is small. Most of the trunks you'll see at WEF or Devon come from a handful of manufacturers. The retailers and design partners selling them range from generalist tack shops to specialists who focus specifically on coordinated show-barn equipment. Knowing the difference helps you compare what you're actually paying for and who you're going to be working with.
Your real options, honestly
Dover wasn't a tack trunk maker. They were a generalist retailer who carried trunks alongside everything else from saddles to supplements. With Dover gone, here are the places hunter/jumper barns actually shop for trunks, including a mix of manufacturers selling direct and specialist retailers who work closely with them.
Tack Trunks (us). We're a specialist retailer focused on custom show-barn equipment. We've worked closely with Phoenix West (a leading tack trunk manufacturer with over 50 years in the business) and other established makers for years, designing custom trunks, stall drapes, stall guards, stable boards, banners, and director chairs that all coordinate around your barn colors and logo. The advantage of working with us rather than going to a manufacturer direct is that we focus on the full coordinated look, not just one piece. If you want a trunk that matches drapes that match nameplates that match a banner, that's our whole thing. We ship anywhere, including directly to show grounds.
Phoenix West (direct). The manufacturer behind a large share of the premium wood trunks you'll see at shows. You can sometimes order Phoenix West trunks through various retailers (Mary's Tack, for example, carries them on the West Coast) or work with specialty retailers like us for fully custom designs.
Burlingham Sports. A well-known name in show-jumping circles, particularly for jumps and arena equipment, but they also make tack trunks and saddle trunks direct with custom monogramming and embroidery. Quality construction, established presence at major shows.
Top Jock Tack Boxes. A direct manufacturer of custom trunks marketed to the competitive equestrian, with strong customization options. Particularly popular among riders who want a distinctive look.
McGuinn Farms. Direct maker of hand-built wood and aluminum trunks with strong design sensibility. Aluminum is unusual in this category and worth considering if you want something lighter than wood without the look of plastic.
SmartPak / SmartEquine and Schneider's. Both carry tack trunks at the entry-to-mid range from various manufacturers. Generally not custom in the same way specialist retailers and direct makers are, but they're reliable for plastic and lower-end wood trunks at lower price points. Useful for second trunks or barn-storage applications.
Mary's Tack & Feed. West Coast tack shop that carries Phoenix West trunks. A good option if you're on the West Coast and want to see a trunk in person before buying.
Adams Horse Supplies. Standard tack-shop selection. Less customization, more about pricing.
Which one is right for you?
Honestly, it depends on what you're solving for.
If you want a coordinated, custom barn look, with matching trunks, drapes, stall guards, and the whole presentation designed together, you want a specialist retailer who works across all of those categories. That's a small list (us being one of them). The advantage is that everything matches because it was designed as a system, not bought from five different places.
If you want one specific high-end trunk and you don't care about matching it to anything else, going direct to a maker like David Fowler or McGuinn might be the right move.
If you want something solid at a lower price point and don't need much customization, SmartPak or Schneider's will get you something reasonable.
If you want to see and touch a trunk before buying, you'll need to find a retailer near you or visit a major show where multiple makers display.
What to do next
If you're in the market for a trunk this year, a few practical suggestions:
Place custom orders early. Most quality wood trunks have lead times of 8 to 14 weeks, and the fall/winter window (October through January) is when serious show barns place their orders for the next season. If you wait until February to order for WEF, you'll likely miss it.
Order accessories at the same time as the trunk. Matching covers, stands, trays, and grooming totes designed to coordinate with your trunk are easier to get right when ordered together.
If you're outfitting a whole barn, talk to a specialist retailer who handles coordinated barn equipment across categories rather than buying piecemeal. The difference in how a complete coordinated setup looks at a show vs. a mix of items from different vendors is significant, and it's the kind of decision you only make every 10 to 20 years, so it's worth doing right.
If you have questions about what's possible with custom design (your colors, your logo, accommodating odd stall configurations, matching existing equipment), most good retailers and makers, including us, will talk you through it before you spend anything. We've helped design setups for barns competing at every level from local shows to indoors finals, and we're happy to help you think through what works for your specific situation.
