Lindsay Enderby and  Charly Mabry

Horse Feathers’ specialty has always been cowboy things —antiques, collectibles, furnishings, hats, boots, tack, and anything with western flair.

Its one-of-a-kind items are as popular as former owner Lindsay Enderby. He managed the store with his wife Nancy Enderby since 1989 until the first week of June, 2013, when they sold it to Charly Mabry.

“Lindsay and I share a love of antiques and history,” said Nancy Enderby. “After we got married, we realized that combining our households, we had enough stuff to start a business selling western collectibles and Horse Feathers was born.”

Over the years they increased the collection, handpicking it throughout the United States.

Secrets of success

Asked what has kept Horse Feathers in business for over 24 years, both Nancy Enderby and new owner Charly Mabry agreed that Lindsay’s amazing sense of humor has played a great part on it.

“People come here just to say hi to him or to tell him a joke,” said Mabry. “The friendship that he has developed with customers has made this store what it is. Of course, we do have a wonderful collection of unique pieces that can’t be found anywhere else in Taos.”

“It also helps to be here, to greet the customers and talk to them,” said Lindsay Enderby. “After a while, you create a relationship with them and they become friends. In a year, people will be coming in to see Charly just as they have been coming in to see me.”

One of Lindsay’s skills is his ability to adapt to the clients’ needs and tastes.

“I learned to say ‘Sí, mi reina’ to the Mexican ladies,” he said.

The new additions

Nancy and Lindsay Enderby said they are convinced that Mabry is going to bring new energy to the business. Her two babies, who are often at the store, will contribute to it.

Mabry’s relationship with Horse Feathers dates back to the times when she was a teenager.

“I used to come here all the time,” she said. The Enderbys knew her mother as well.

It was this longtime association and her love for all things western that led to Mabry buying the business.

“The focus of the store used to be cowboys and collectibles, but now we are going broader,” she said. “I will be bringing in more women’s attire, more cowboy couture and Americana. But I will definitely keep the western flair, with cowboy trivia and recipes.”
Mabry likes classic pieces and has eclectic tastes. This will be reflected in the new inventory.

“I want to sell authentic attire, from both the past and the present,” she said. “Our inventory has been carefully chosen either by the Nancy and Lindsay, their friends or myself. Most importantly, all the items we have in the store are pieces that we would be happy to keep at our own homes.”

Among the additions are new lines of boots, hats, women’s apparel and tack, as well as handpicked collectibles.

“But we want to keep the old appeal of the place,” Mabry said. “Something special about the store is that you can be here for three hours and not see everything. Then, of course, you want to come back the next day.”

She also highlights the importance of buying local. “I want to keep our inventory coming from close to home,” she said.

Lindsay’s advice to business owners

Know your market.

Create an image. Ours is cowboy collectibles and we try to stick to it.

Be flexible with the merchandise.

Choose your inventory carefully. We go to rodeos and see what people are wearing, then we know what to sell at the store.  People will buy what they have on.

Keep an eye on the cash flow.

Make sure that you have enough merchandise and that it is the kind that sells fast.

Parting words

“I am very excited,” said Mabry. “I look forward to being here for another 24 years and passing on our western heritage to future generations.”

“The most rewarding part of owning the store was all the good friends that we made during the years we had the business,” said Nancy Enderby. “We will be visiting them more often now.”

“We want to invite people to come by,” said her husband. “Come in, meet Charly and see for yourselves.”

Horse Feathers is located next door to KitCarsonMuseum.

109 Kit Carson Rd  Taos, NM87571

Phone: (575) 758-7457