Norman Equine Designs
Location: Subiaco, Ark.
Owner: Sandra Llamas
Company History: In 1989 Sandra Llamas was showing registered Quarter Horses at the World Quarter Horse Show. One of her mares had a tail that was dry and brittle, and no matter what she tried, it wouldn’t get any longer. At that time everyone was braiding, and sticking the tails in a tube sock, because long silky, shiny tails were an important trait. Recognizing a need for a better tail cover, Sandra sat down at her sewing machine, and came up with a tail sack. She put it on her mare that evening and left it. The next morning she went out and took the sock off. The mare’s tail was soft and silky looking, clean and not tangled. She began to wonder if she could sell this item. She set up a booth at the World Quarter Horse Show the next year, and without realizing it, two of the Western Horseman editors came through her booth and bought some of the tail sacks, and did a piece on them and the company. Sandra sold $7,000 worth of tail sacks at that first show, and picked up her first dealers. “Our company logo is Beautiful Tails. I have about five employees that have been with me for about 13 years. I have a good customer base, I even ship out of the country to Italy, Germany and Australia.”
Products and Services: In addition to the original tail sacks, Sandra has other products to cover and protect all sizes of equine animals. In 1994 Sandra designed and made the first spandex slinky, a head to tail cover for horses. There’s also a slinky hood, a mane tamer and a full blanket. She also has a PolarTec product, to offer a different fabric weight from her spandex products. Keeping horses clean and their hair in good condition is her goal. Sandra also designed and produces dog coats. “I am very seasonal,” said Sandra, “We get orders all along, but when fall comes our inventory goes down to nothing.”
What’s in the future?
“I hope it stays pretty much the same, because it would be hard to train a new seamstress, and we don’t have a lot of time to train. My ladies have all been with me a long time and they know the businesses as well as I do.”
By Donna Parker
