October 13, 2016

The Rider’s Closet

Founded by Georgina Bloomberg in 2006, The Rider’s Closet’s mission is to ensure that riding apparel is accessible to scholastic riding programs, pony clubs, equestrian camp programs, equine charities and individual riders in need. All of the new and gently used apparel provided by The Rider’s Closet has been generously donated to our program by corporate and individual donors. The program serves riders of all ages and at every level of horsemanship throughout the U.S. In 2019, The Rider’s Closet merged with the EQUUS Foundation.

REQUESTING APPAREL:
The Rider’s Closet provides show and schooling (lesson) apparel to all riders who need assistance with the cost of participating in equestrian activities. For safety reasons, we cannot provide helmets or protective vests.

The Rider’s Closet fulfills all requests by mail at no charge to the recipient. We do not have a public storefront. Applicants download and complete a request form (see link below), which can be sent to us via email, USPS or fax. Because we fulfill all requests by mail, it is very important for applicants to provide all of the requested information on the form. There is a cover sheet within the PDF that explains the process. To ensure we send the correct sizes and there is no delay in fulfilling your request, please review the instruction sheet before completing your form. You are welcome to contact us at any time if you have questions. 

DONATING APPAREL:
Thank you in advance for thinking of us for your generous donation!

The Rider’s Closet accepts new or gently used show shirts, breeches, show coats, schooling attire, boots and half chaps in adult and children’s sizes. If your items can be worn again with confidence by another rider, we are happy to help find them a new home. Almost all of the program’s inventory is English apparel, but attire from other disciplines is welcome. Demand is especially high for paddock boots and tall boots in adult and children’s sizes, as these are the most expensive items an equestrian needs to participate in the sport.

For safety reasons, we cannot accept donations of riding helmets and protective vests. The Rider’s Closet also does not accept used tack. If you have new tack to donate, please contact the EQUUS Foundation directly (equusfoundation.org) to discuss how your donation may benefit the equine charities they serve. If you have used tack to donate, we recommend getting in touch directly with a local equine charity or therapeutic riding center to see if they have a need for the items.

Donations can be sent to us care of the mailing address below, which is our local UPS Store. If you are near Northern Westchester and would like to drop off your donation in person, please call or email us, and we will schedule an appointment to ensure we are at The Rider’s Closet to provide access to the property on which we are located. The link to our donation form PDF is below.

The Rider’s Closet is a program of the EQUUS Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax-deductible as allowable by law.

TRC DONATION FORM    TRC REQUEST FORM

MAILING ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION:

The Rider’s Closet
108 Village Square, PMB 309
Somers, NY 10589
riderscloset@equusfoundation.org
(P) 914-485-1523
(F) 914-485-1525
(C) 646-988-2180
TRC Executive Director: Christine Fitzgerald

Find The Rider’s Closet on Facebook and Instagram:

Rider's Closet Recipients

Testimonials

“Thank you so much. You guys are so awesome. I can’t tell you how much a difference this made, but I will share with you briefly if I may. Last year we wore second hand clothing and her pants had a stain that we could not remove. She was a bit embarrassed as it was noticeable, but she understands we are doing the best we can. This weekend she rode much more confidently as she did not have to worry about the stain. I thank your organization for helping more than you know. She did fantastic!”
-Jamila Jones-Fleet

“Thank you so much for the beautiful clothing you sent for my daughter Courtney! My outspoken 15-year-old was speechless when she opened the box, and cried when she saw the boots! My daughter works so hard to return each horse that comes to us to health and never asks for anything in return. She is a wonderful spirit, taking so much pride in helping a tossed-away horse blossom into a show-quality citizen. I am so happy that she can do that in style this season! Thank you to everyone who took part in making such a miracle happen for my daughter!”
-Jennifer Brock, Brock Stables

“I just wanted to say thank you for the clothes you sent me! There is no way I would have ever been able to afford them on my own. Now I have a nice show outfit and can have fun competing for the first time with a team. Thank you so much for that!”
-Christin F., Long Island, NY

“Thank you so much for your donation of show clothes to the Columbia University Equestrian Club. It means a lot to the members of our team who are on financial aid and would not otherwise have show clothes. You help make what we do happen, because equal opportunity is what college equestrian is all about!”
-The Columbia University Equestrian Club

“Thank you – thank you – thank you!! I absolutely love the clothing sent to me. Almost everything fit perfectly, and what didn’t, I’ve passed on to others that needed them. I was in desperate need of breeches, as all of my jeans were wearing thin with holes. I can now enter a jumping show and feel completely confident with my new ‘fancy’ show coat and shirt. I am so grateful for your organization’s donation to me. Please keep up the good work, as this has made a huge impact on my life.”
-Tiffany M., New Orleans, LA

“I have only seen my son cry about horse stuff once, and it was when he passed a saddle. Today was the second time. He cried with each item he took out of the box. It means the world to us as parents who do not have the income for all the sport requires, but we try our hardest and have never turned down anything for him. His barn requires a lot of money to show, so this box of goodies was the best thing EVER for him. He said he cannot wait to show his instructor. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness. He even picked out his outfit for his next lesson. He just had surgery and was off for two weeks, so this just made going back even better. Grayson is so happy right now. I cannot think of one thing that would make it even better. He even said, “The chaps are labeled right and left for me because I can never put them on right!”
-Jennifer B., Murrysville, PA

Riders In Their New Clothes

Ariat you are incredible! Thank you for the amazing donation to the Rider’s Closet to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Over $200,000 worth of clothing and boots that will help any rider, therapeutic riding center, or college team in need. Now there will be a lot more people out there riding in style with some new Ariat gear this fall. Thank you from all of us here at the Rider’s Closet and all the people you are helping. We are so grateful to you for all your generosity. Petey will have to find somewhere else to climb very soon as my guess is that these boxes will be heading out to other riders very quickly! – July 12, 2016

Original post:
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