Fallon Taylor is no stranger to success. She has multiple World Championships in barrel racing, and her horse, Flos Heiress (aka “BabyFlo”), was named WPRA/AQHA Barrel Racing Horse of the Year in 2013. Fallon’s name is well known across the horse world, due to her success and colorful personality. Additionally, she is a huge advocate for safety and wearing a helmet while riding. 

In addition to Fallon’s riding career, she also owns Ranch Dress’n—a full line of western apparel that fits with her style. While she began her apparel business 10 years ago, she has shied away from telling the story of how Ranch Dress’n came to be. However, Fallon realized she enjoys watching and hearing about other people’s backstories, and she decided it was time to share her company’s history, too.

“I kind of dodged business things because I didn’t think people could relate,” she says. “As I’ve gotten older and more mature, I’ve realized everyone is trying to pay their bills. I realized that all those little vulnerabilities are the fabric of our relationship.”

Shirt off My Back

In addition to her equine career, Fallon spent some time in New York working as a model. However, the horses called her home, and she began seeking a way to combine her affinity for fashion with her riding career—while also helping her pay her entry fees. 

To start, she bought men’s shirts and left her back number attached to sell after competitions. 

“The Shirt off My Back” was successful, and people gravitated toward Fallon because they saw her drive to succeed and wanted to support her ventures. Soon, she wanted to expand her fashion ideas further.

The Start of Ranch Dress’n

When she was younger, Fallon’s mother told her, “You don’t need to be wealthy to clean your boots.” That idea has stuck with her. Putting together a good outfit, and in Fallon’s case, a good business, doesn’t necessarily require a huge start-up.

“I’d love to look back and say that I’m a genius who has made a bunch of really calculated moves that over time have been the right moves, but I think when you move from a place that is genuine, and you really want to add value, and you genuinely care, it shows and comes through.”

Fallon rented a garage and got a handful of blank t-shirts and a vinyl cutter. The small team started dyeing pants and creating shirts, and eventually expanded into working out of a trailer. Fallon wore her own clothes to competitions, and soon people started to catch on to her unique style and wanted to follow in her footsteps, which led to the need to expand the company further. 

Of course, both with the horses and Ranch Dress’n, the road wasn’t always easy. Fallon says she tries to live by the idea of “keep failing forward,” meaning that when things are rough, and when a run on your horse doesn’t go as planned, all you can do is have the most positive attitude possible and move toward the next goal. This energy has kept Ranch Dress’n moving forward, as well.

A Team Effort

A trip to the National Finals Rodeo in 2014 was a large step toward success for Ranch Dress’n. The team managed to bring hundreds of pairs of jeans and shirts to a booth where attendees could shop and see Fallon’s line. 

Of course, she also wore Ranch Dress’n while competing, which also sparked more interest. When she and her horses won money competing, the money went back into Ranch Dress’n to continue growing the business without loans or additional funding. 

The business began taking over space in the barn and employees’ homes, and Fallon knew that they needed a larger warehouse—which eventually turned into an even larger warehouse. While their physical space grew, the team has remained small. Everyone involved is hands-on, including Fallon, making the products and packaging and everything that goes out to buyers.

Ranch Dress’n Continues to Grow

Even with the business taking on a life of its own and becoming increasingly successful, Fallon says that “every single milestone of this business has felt very ‘imposter syndrome’: Do we deserve this, are we supposed to have all this? Are we doing good enough? Is it ever going to feel easy?” 

Sometimes she will take a moment to pause and realize that Ranch Dress’n is on a continued upswing.

“I’ve never reached a part where it has felt easy,” says Fallon. “In the grand scheme of things, big goals are really tough.” 

Through the struggles and growing pains, the late nights and the never-ending projects, she says that creating and continuing to run Ranch Dress’n is “absolutely worth it.” 

This web exclusive article about Ranch Dress’n is sponsored content for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Dress’n Like Fallon appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Get Started with Saddle Fit

There are a thousand things that affect saddle fit, but the team at Tacktical can help make it simpler.

The easiest way to fit your horse for a saddle at home without specialized tools is with a wire hanger. Bend the hanger in half and manipulate it until it will fit over your horse’s withers.

Start at your horse’s withers and set the bent hanger three to four inches back to find where saddle will rest. Spread the hanger apart until it sits evenly over his withers lip it down over your horse’s back leaving just a little bit of clearance, then put your finger where it first makes contact on both sides of the horse. Remove the hanger and measure the distance between those two points to determine the optimal bar size for your horse.

You can also measure your current saddle’s gullet to give insight on the ideal bar size you’re your horse. A standard gullet is measured from concho to concho on the inside of the saddle, so it can be a little tricky to measure accurately at home.

For more details on saddle fitting at home, check out this video with Fallon Taylor, pro barrel racer and founder of Tacktical.

Shimming a Saddle

The same measuring technique can help you figure out what size shim you need to use a saddle with bars that are too big for your horse. If you know your saddle has standard quarter horse bars, and your horse measures six inches from point of contact to point of contact, you will need an inch shim to achieve proper fit.

A simple saddle shim (or even a towel) can help you switch between horses without the need for a custom fitted saddle. Another option to consider is using a Tacktical Balanced Buildup Pad to help improve fit. This pad is ideal for those horses with narrow shoulders or a high, hard-to-fit wither. They work well under your favorite treeless saddle but can also fit under any western saddle.

These pads are designed to give your horse relief from the rigging placement and help a hard-to-fit horse get more comfort and balanced weight distribution.

Why Saddle Fit Matters

You might wonder if properly fitting your horse’s saddle is really that important. Consider it this way: when your horse runs freely in the pasture or roundpen, his shoulder muscles move back and forth with every stride. A poorly fitting saddle can restrict movement in that area, which can result in short, choppy strides or inconsistent movement.

If a saddle’s gullet is too big for your horse, the saddle will shift forward onto his shoulders, hindering movement. If the saddle rocks back, it can create pressure in the back on the lumbar.

That’s not even taking into consideration the pressure that may be on your horse’s back from the saddle’s rigging. Not all riggings are created equal. The Tacktical rigging distributes the pressure of the latigo and off billet evenly on both sides. Tacktical’s variety of skirt options, including the spin relief skirt, can also help your horse’s balance and overall performance.

Other signs of poor fit include dry spots when you remove a sweaty pad and depression of the wither muscles. Improper fit can be the cause of a horse’s inability to perform at his highest level.

The goal is for your saddle to sit evenly with zero play in the front or the back. This can help eliminate performance issues, from stride limitations to attitude issues caused by your horse feeling uncomfortable.

Shop Tacktical’s full line of stock saddles and check out Tacktical’s custom line.

The post Finding the Perfect Saddle Fit for Your Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.