Equestrian Handbags Made From Leather Horse Halters Help Raise Thousands of Dollars For Horses in Need
The mission of PonyUp! Kentucky, a Lexington-based equestrian handbag company, can be summed up in their cleverly worded catch phrase, “Equestrian fashion with purpose and passion.” The first PonyUp! handbag was created in 2011, and already the group has a loyal customer following.
Ever since the idea first came to founder, Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, in 2010, thousands of dollars have been raised for horses in need, and hundreds of handbags have been created to help buy feed, hay, and veterinary services for horse rescue organizations.
“I have always been concerned about the plight of unwanted horses,” McAllister says. “I have three, elderly rescue horses living out their retirement on my farm, but I wanted to do more. Having visited several horse rescue operations, I was always incredibly moved and inspired by the success stories, and I had a tremendous admiration for the hardworking, compassionate people who made those successes possible. I realized that I could best help the horses—and the volunteers who care for them—by donating money for hay, feed, and veterinary services, since most horse rescue organizations rely completely on donations to support their operations.”
“Around the same time, I was walking out to get my horses from their paddocks with a halter slung over my shoulder. It occurred to me that the crown piece of the horse halter would make a perfect shoulder strap for a handbag. It stayed put on my shoulder, and it was so comfy! Later, I looked online to see if I could find a handbag made from a horse halter strap, and my search turned up nothing. I decided that I would design a handbag using a horse halter as a shoulder strap that would not only appeal to horse women like me, but also help raise money to help support horse rescue organizations.”
Following the creation of the very first PonyUp! handbags, 21 bags were donated to Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement to be sold in the group’s gift shop. The company engraved the crown plate of each shoulder strap with the name of one of the famous race horses that enjoyed their retirement at the farm.
“Since then, we’ve continued to donate handbags to horse rescue organizations across the country to be offered at silent auctions or other fundraising events, but we also donate money, which is always needed and welcome! My husband and I are very fortunate to have jobs that allows us to feed ourselves and our own horses, so the sole purpose of PonyUP! Kentucky is to raise money for horses. That’s the only reason the company exists.”
“Because we’re based in Kentucky, my initial plan was to help support horse rescue organizations in Kentucky with our donations. And we do continue to support our Kentucky-based horse rescue organizations, such as Second Stride, Arabian Rescue Mission, New Vocations, Kentucky Equine Humane Center, Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center, Buckland Rescue, and others. But we also help horse rescue organizations in other states as well whenever we can, such as Gentle Giant Draft Horse Rescue in Mount Airy, Maryland, American Saddlebred Rescue in New Jersey, Our Mims Retirement Haven in Ohio, CANTER in the MidAtlantic region, and many others, which are listed on our website.”
As word of these unique handbags began to spread across the country, PonyUp! customers started sending in suggestions of horse groups in their area that could use some help as well.
“For instance, when Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue received 20 starving Morgan horses from a nearby humane shelter, one of our customers let us know, and PonyUP! Kentucky responded with a cash donation,” she says. “When Oklahoma was hit by tornados, and horses were injured and displaced, PonyUP! Kentucky responded with cash donations to Oklahoma-based horse rescue organizations. Our only requirement for donation is that the organization is a recognized 501 C nonprofit organization and that the money donated goes directly to support horses in need.”
By combining her love of horses with her passion for fashion, McAllister has not only helped raise money for unwanted horses, she has also created a beautiful equestrian accessory that is entirely made in the United States.
“We have a wonderful seamstress and leather-crafter, and both are Kentucky natives and lifelong residents,” she says. “Our handbags are handmade one at a time, with careful attention to detail and quality.”
“We have several different PonyUP! Kentucky styles and hundreds of different fabrics and leathers. We try to make only one or at most a few handbags from each fabric or leather, so that every PonyUP! Kentucky handbag is as unique as the woman who carries it. Our original style was the PonyUP! Kentucky Equestrian Hobo, a larger, casual handbag. Many of our customers requested something smaller and more tailored, so we created the PonyUP! Kentucky Bridle Bag. Our customers said, ‘Thank you, but what about our daughters?’ So we designed the PonyUP! Kentucky Middie Bridle Bag, Middie Equestrian Hobo, Petite Bridle Bag and Equestrian Hobo. We’ve also added the PonyUP! Kentucky Saddle Satchel, Equestrian Briefcase, Equestrian Tote and Equestrian Messenger Bag. We love getting suggestions from our equestrian customers—they’ve come up with most of our designs and features!”
One of the most time-consuming aspects of creating these handbags is the constant search for vintage equestrian-inspired fabrics and exotic leathers. As a result, McAllister always has her eye out for unique finds in antique shops, fabric stores, and on the web.
“My friends and customers also help,” she says. “It’s always fun to get a text message and a photo of a beautiful, unusual fabric that someone found in a tiny, little, fabric store located somewhere like Waxahachie, Texas! If it’s perfect for our handbags, I’ll buy it. Often these fabrics are out of production, with only a yard or two available. Some of our PonyUP! Kentucky handbags truly are one of a kind.”
Currently, McAllister’s favorite, and the bag she is carrying today, is a PonyUp! Equestrian Hobo in leather called the Bombshell Bomber. The casual feel of the hide, akin to that of a vintage bomber jacket, suits McAllister’s style to a tee. Her shoulder strap is engraved with the company’s name, and she has attached brass tags with the names of each one of her own horses, a feature her customers can request as well.
Because the shoulder strap of each bag is made from a leather horse halter, the length of the strap can be adjusted to the wearer’s preference and can be mixed and matched with different bags.
If you might be interested in checking out PonyUp!’s extensive array of handmade handbags, you can visit their website by clicking here. Remember, 100% of the profits are donated to help horses in need. So go ahead, PonyUp!
