Introducing myself...
Hi Everyone!
I thought I should introduce myself properly after 4 1/2 years....
My name is Kathryn Tolo and I own and run the Tacklet store and also the Over-Trot brand of products.
My earliest riding memory was in primary school, when I went with a friend to Tandivale Equestrian Centre in Warrandyte, Victoria. I ended up having regular fortnightly lessons until I was 19. My family lived in the inner eastern suburbs of Melbourne so I didn't have a horse of my own. My parents hoped that I would grow out of the horse phase, but it didn't happen. I saved up $10,000 while working 2 jobs (Subway and Allan's Music) during my first year of university and I finally bought by first horse at the age of 20! Rosie's owner brought her to Warrandyte from Bittern for me on the 1st of January 2008, it was a 40 degree day which I will never forget. Once they left, Rosie became quite upset and proceeded to fence walk for the next 3 days which led to her becoming lame...that was my introduction to horse ownership!
I quickly figured out that working 20 hours a week was not going to be able to pay for everything so I upped my hours to 32 hours a week while completing my Arts/Law double degree. Over the next few years I had a very steep learning curve of looking after Rosie, riding when I could and also doing uni and working. I eventually went to 40 hours a week of work and uni went to part time during the semester but I also did summer and winter subjects so I didn't get much of a break for a few years there!
In the meantime Rosie gave me a great introduction to many veterinary subjects such as abscesses, bruised soles, sliced off heels, respiratory infections, mud fever and eye injuries. She managed to slice her head open in the float, and even managed to rip the inside of her nose on the way to Tonimbuk Horse Trials in the float, I still to this day have no idea how she did that!
Once I finished uni finally and started working as a lawyer we had many years of competing together in mainly eventing and showjumping, Rosie wasn't particularly gifted in the dressage department and hated it, so we only did dressage when required in horse trials and combined training.
It was during this time that I decided that I would like to be a part of the horse industry in a different way. I had many years of experience in retail and with my husband being gifted in the IT department, I decided that I would start an online business that catered to people who wanted more colour range and the ability to mix and match those colours together. I also aimed to keep a range of colours in stock so that people could buy the same colours again if needed instead of them being one season colours, so Tacklet and Over-Trot were born.
In April of this year I quit my day job as a lawyer and decided to dive head on into Tacklet, Over-Trot and my newly started venture Kathryn Tolo Equestrian which will focus on retraining off the track thoroughbreds on my property in Kinglake West, Victoria.
I am really looking forward to what the future holds!
In the meantime, ride safe, and colourful!
KT