Acredale Saddlery

Acredale Saddlery has been around like forever. Or maybe only since people rode horses in Princess Anne County. From there I've bought boots for Gabrielle and a really cool leather vest for myself.

You can't go through the intersection of Kempsville and Indian River and miss this iconic horse atop their roof.

Their exterior walls are works of urban art. Many people probably visit just to take a photograph.

This horse has an interesting history. Read more in the comments below.

Beth Paice Koeneman wrote: “Acredale Saddlery started because my brothers, twins Terry and Jerry, were driving to Richmond every Saturday to buy tack from Crump. The only local vendor was Atlantic Leather on Monticello Avenue in Norfolk. My father decided it would be cheaper in the long run to just open a shop himself. Albert Doumar (of Doumar’s) grew up with my Daddy. He told the story at my fathers funeral of how they were so convinced that they were going to be cowboys, they would roll up their pant legs and run through the briars in the field that is now the Coca Cola plant so that their legs would be tough when they finally got to Texas. My father never made it to Texas, but he lived vicariously through his children.

My parents, Thomas and Charlotte Modlin, opened Acredale Saddlery in the building on the corner that faced Kempsville Road. They sold the business in the mid to late 60’s to Captain Tate. He built the new building facing Indian River Road and put the horse on top shortly after. We lived in the big white farmhouse with all the barns just down from Acredale Market.”

Michael Allen Miller wrote that the horse was: “It was originally atop the Mustang Restaurant on Atlantic Ave. Not sure when it was moved to Acredale.”

Debbie Bright says: “it was palomino in color when it was on the Mustang Restaurant. It’s been painted several times”

Nancy Yaple Womick wrote about a rather humorous incident with the horse: “There was also a time when someone climbed up and painted the horse’s (ahem) package blue.”

For anyone wanting to contact Acredale Saddlery here’s their website: https://www.facebook.com/acredalesaddlery