Mail order firm goes bust
Mail order firm Caballo Saddlery, which was launched from the ashes of CAM Equestrian, has gone into administration after only 15 months in business.
The company, which was based in Liverpool, ceased trading on 9 June and corporate rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor was appointed as administrator a week later.
A spokesman for Begbies Traynor confirms that it is trying to sell the stock and database, that Caballo will not be sold as a going concern, and that all Caballo’s staff have been let go.
Hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of Caballo’s customers are now likely to remain out of pocket, and its creditors in and out of the equestrian community are waiting to hear whether they will be reimbursed.
Gina Robinson, whose cheque for a girth was cashed in April but received no goods, says: “They never answered e-mails or returned phone calls. I’m lucky because I only lost about £20, but other people will have ordered more expensive items.
“I went to Trading Standards earlier this year when I became suspicious and it just suggested writing a letter to the firm.”
Caballo, whose phones were unobtainable this week, was not a member of the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), and Claire Williams, head of BETA comments: “With a few notable exceptions, mail order hasn’t had a terribly happy history.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Read the full story in the current issue of Horse & Hound (15 July)
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
