By Sam Hathaway
I’ve always been quite a shy person, especially when I was younger. A few life experiences helped me grow into a slightly stronger person to shrug off some of the insecurities, but every now and then I still have wobble. I never really fit in, you see. I was always that tall, lanky girl who had an obsession with horses! I tried to fit in, I tried to shrink into the crowd but it never really worked. I think maybe I was just born to be the odd one out. But, why should that be a bad thing?
I’m a veterinary nurse by trade. 2009 is where my nursing career really took off. I qualified from Myerscough College, in Preston, and started work in a small animal practice. I loved it. It was a very varied job, taxing both physically and mentally. I did not expect to drastically change this 6 years later!
I had no idea that by the age of 27 I’d be brave enough to start my own business. Who’d have thought it? I also had no idea that by 29 I’d open my own boutique and would be running it full time. It’s funny how life sometimes takes huge turns! My name is Samantha Hathaway (everyone just calls me Sam) and I am the Owner of Lofthouse Equestrian, The Equestrian and Countrywear Boutique based in Clayton-Le-Moors near Accrington in Lancashire and here’s my story.
I started Lofthouse Equestrian in 2015 after many months of frustration of visiting tack shops, failing to find something that wasn’t the same as all my other equipment. Feeling disappointed that the customer service wasn’t good, not even a smile as you walked through the door? I decided to start up an online website with the aim of finding that ‘something different’ for the horse rider or the country lover! Although online was going well I wanted to be able to give that bit extra and offer a more personal experience via a boutique. So two and a half years later we (my suffering husband and myself) opened the doors of our little shop. We always aim to provide high customer care with a good knowledge of the all the products we stock. I’m always on the lookout for different exciting items that offer our customers something more than the basics.
I have to say I do miss nursing, but I love my little boutique which was unexpected (I felt I was born to be a nurse). But, I honestly feel that the boutique is an extension of me. I love finding the latest fashion trends (I have no idea what’s currently walking the runway at London fashion week, or what’s on the cover of Vogue magazine but I can tell you exactly what the current trend is at Badminton). I’m also not one to mince my words (my husband can vouch for this). I’m brutally honest. What does this mean? You’ll never leave the boutique looking anything less than fabulous! After all, no one wants to see your knicker line in a pair of riding leggings!
I must admit, I’m really excited to be writing this blog. I do like to waffle and I can’t think of anything better to write about than horses and fashion! I do hope you’ll like my articles, but most of all I hope you’ll trust me and be confident enough to step out of your comfort zone and wow the crowd in something stand out and original. After all winners never blend in, they shine!
Sam x