After a tack store across the street from the current location of Bits, Bridles & More, which is located at 212 Rebel Road, went out of business, Duncan started considering the idea.
"I knew Nicholasville would need a new tack store," she said.
The first step in this process was to find a good location, Duncan said. She just drove around looking at different for sale signs.
"I saw it and thought I would call about it," she said. "It is just about the right size. I really like it."
The next steps were the "not fun" procedures of receiving a business license, insurance and finding the merchandise, Duncan said.
"It has been a long process, especially finding enough merchandise to stock the store," Duncan said.
Duncan found the stock for the store through various wholesale dealerships and a lot of price checking, she said. She also looked through various catalogues to get an idea of where she needed to start.
"In my head, I went from the bottom of the horse to the top, to think of all that I would need," Duncan said. "I did a lot of price comparisons to see which dealers give the best price."
Duncan said she decided to offer such various products because not everyone shows horses. She said for every one horse that is shown, 50 horses are not show horses.
"I felt there was more of a need to reach the ordinary people," she said.
Duncan said her store is different from other tack stores because of the high quality in products and leather. She gets some of her material from Princeton, Ky.
After Duncan received the merchandise and secured the location, she had to display all of the available merchandise. To do this, she recruited the help of a friend, Ty Carpenter to be her advisor.
"He has given me a lot of different ideas about everything, especially the direction to go when setting up the shelves," Duncan said.
Duncan, a New Jersey native, said she has always been interested in horses. She currently owns four horses, and some of their pictures are displayed throughout the store.
"Through watching TV and westerns and horse races with my grandparents, I became interested," Duncan said.
She always wanted a horse, and when she was 14 her mother allowed her to own her first horse. After this, Duncan was in love.
"As a child I read horse books that took place in Kentucky, and it was always a place I wanted to be," Duncan said.
She said owning her own store that involves sharing her love of horses with others has been very "exciting and fun."
Currently Duncan is running the store on her own and plans to rely on family members to help her. Duncan sees a future in this business and hopes it will allow her to make enough money to expand.
The store is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
