Equine enthusiast Heidi Elwell offers fellow riders a place to purchase all things equestrian

Heidi Elwell, who has been riding horses since her childhood, has turned her deep passion for the animals into a thriving business.
Elwell owns Equine Earth, a store in the Bucksville Shopping Center in Nockamixon Township that sells tack for horses as well as clothing for equestrians and equestrian-themed gifts.
She opened the shop in 2017 in what had been a tack shop until the owner retired. The shop had remained vacant for a while and Elwell’s plan was to provide what she calls “equestrian-themed décor”—gifts, pillows and throws for the home, clothing, jewelry and more for the rider.
“From the first moment I saw a horse at the age of 6, I knew they had to be in my life,” Elwell said. “I was captivated by their strength and beauty. I began riding lessons the next year and horses have been a big part of my life ever since.”
She owns four now, including a favorite, an Irish cob named Katherine, and has rescued a few over the years and donated T-shirt sales to a rescue foundation.”
Elwell, who lives in Durham Township, said, “I knew there was an established equestrian community in Upper Bucks prior to my taking this place, but I was surprised by the response when I first opened.
“The locals, people who were customers at the previous store, started to come in and they wanted more than décor, so I started to add what they were asking for.”
She now stocks saddles and clothing, both English and Western, halters and bridles for horses, some plain, some studded with crystals. “I like bling,” she said. There are jackets, breeches, boots, gloves, socks and other items for riders, as well as gifts.
“There are other tack shops in Bucks County and I tried to provide what they don’t have,” Elwell said.
The little store, a feast for the eyes and a treasure trove for equestrians, is stocked with quality products for both adults and children. They’re on the counter, shelves, climbing the walls—every square inch, it seems.

Many are imported—gorgeous slick-as-licorice boots from Italy and bridles from Germany studded with Swarovski crystals, jackets from Romania, helmets from France and Canada, all kinds of riding gear for all ages. “I can dress a rider from age 2 on up,” said Elwell.
Elwell lived in New Jersey where her family was in the retail business until they bought a horse farm in the New Hope area. She left a corporate human resources job to start her business. “It just seemed natural to me to combine my retail experience with my love of horses,” she said, and she hasn’t looked back.
Before she opened Equine Earth she sold her products at the Serendipity Shops in Doylestown and now has a space filled with equestrian décor at The Mercantile.
Her insistence on brand names and quality products has worked, but Elwell said it was a challenge to convince the high-end manufacturers to work with a small store like hers. “It’s taken me five years to do that,” she said.
To the rear of the shop is the boot room, where Elwell measures customers for tall riding boots.
She also consigns riding clothing for all ages, a program particularly welcomed by parents whose children grow out of garments so quickly.
The arrival of the pandemic led to an online store with a web site and that does produce some business, she said, “but I really consider this a brick-and-mortar store.”
She said the local equestrian stables have been very supportive but she also has drawn customers form as far away as Delaware and Maryland.
The shop, at 4339 Durham Road, is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and by appointment at other times.
For information, visit equineearthstore.com.

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