See Inside McKinney’s, a Massive Western Store in Southern Illinois

My daughter and I have horses. I have a cute little Paint, and she has a tall, gorgeous Thoroughbred. We’ve only had her horse for about a year, and we started noticing she had some back soreness.

When we checked her saddle, we realized it wasn’t fitting the horse all that great anymore (she's gained some weight), so we decided to try to find a better fit. Saddles are like shoes. If they don’t fit right, they can cause big problems.

Most western saddles are made to fit the round, curvy shape of Quarter Horses. Her horse has a long, flatter back, so it’s been a real challenge.

Trip to McKinney’s Western Store in Marion, Illinois

A friend of mine suggested I make the trip to Marion, Illinois, to visit the area’s biggest western store, McKinney’s. She told me to leave my credit cards at home because I’d get sucked right in.

She was right.

The Drive from Evansville to Marion

The trip up was completely uneventful. I would suggest going through Mt. Vernon. That route wasn’t quite as stop-and-go as taking I-64 through small town after small town.

We saw some pretty farmland with lots of purple flowers, but that was about it. My daughter even fell asleep.

What It’s Like Shopping Inside McKinney’s Western Store

I didn’t know what to expect when I got there. The outside was a little deceiving. I looked at the front and thought, “this isn’t much bigger than our local tack store.”

Wrong.

I walked in and was completely overwhelmed by everything there was to take in. My very ADHD daughter was in heaven. I’ll admit, I was a little overstimulated. There was so much to see and shop.

I was immediately greeted by a friendly guy, but he could tell I was taking it all in and let me look around without hassling me. Turns out, that guy was Rick McKinney, the owner. He and his wife Kim became the second generation to carry on the family business in 1993, but the store has been in Marion since the 1960s.

Saddle Shopping Without Bringing the Horse

My daughter and I looked at bits, tack, clothes, boots, and hats, but it was time to get down to brass tax. We were saddle shopping. It’s recommended to bring your horse in for fitting, but she’s a little iffy with trailering, so I decided to just go see what they had before making that trip.

Getting Help from the Staff

We started going through saddles, and a sweet gal came over. I had spoken with her on the phone, and she had already given me some great advice.

She suggested an older Martha Josey saddle, then brought Rick over to help us further.

I explained our horse’s shape, gave measurements, and showed photos. He agreed that it would be the best fit for her. They got the saddle out and let my daughter sit in it on a special stand. They also explained saddle fit and how that particular saddle was different from others we looked at.

What We Ended Up Buying

We didn’t end up buying that saddle because it felt just a little too small for my daughter, but the price was much lower than what I’ve seen on Facebook or online. We did end up buying a bit she’d been wanting that was actually $10 cheaper than Amazon, along with a few smaller tack items.

Mr. McKinney even took the time to explain how the bit works and mentioned his daughter runs barrels in the same one.

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Is McKinney’s Worth the Drive?

My husband thought it was kind of odd that we traveled two hours to go to a tack store, but I thought it was well worth it. They had more boots than any store I’ve been to in Nashville, a huge selection of clothing, tack, new and used saddles, and so much more. It's more than shopping, it's an experience!

You really need a couple of trips to take it all in. Don't believe me, check it out! I got some photos!