Etsy Equestrians #9: Nia of Beautifully Beaded Halters

Cherry and Nia of Beautifully Beaded Halters.

Today meet Nia Edwards, the artisan behind the brand Beautifully Beaded Halters. Nia first learned to ride in California, in the hunter/jumper and dressage world as a child, but when her family moved to Arizona she got into Western riding. Soon after the family’s move, Nia purchased a pretty Mustang named Cherry who had been a favorite lesson horse she knew from California.

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If you like tales of hard work and perseverance, read on! Nia is a college sophomore, but has had the entrepreneurial itch since she was a tween. Through trial and error she has created a thriving Etsy store and is poised to take her craft and business to the next level. Read on and be sure to visit Nia’s 5-star rated Etsy shop Beautifully Beaded Halters.

Tell us about your Etsy shop and products. 

I came up with the idea of Beautifully Beaded Halters [go give her a follow @bbhalters on Instagram] as an Etsy shop in 2018, but it didn’t start there! In 2016 I fell in love with beads and the art of beadwork and decided to try to combine my love for horses and beads by creating my first beaded halter! I hand make beaded horse halters, Swarovski browbands, and polo wraps that I sell in my shop.

The first one I ever made was for my horse and it fell apart within the first few weeks of being left at the barn!!! I really wanted to know what went wrong. I had left it on my horse’s stall that night and came back the next day to find it damaged. The horse next to mine had grabbed it and slid it down the rail causing the thread to break!!! The thread I had used was way too thin to hold the beads to the nylon of the halter. I have now started using more durable thread.

Where do you live and what’s the horse scene like there?

I live in Chandler, Arizona! I own a Mustang mare named Cherry and I have her boarded at a large event center not far from my house. I grew up in California riding English, here in AZ there are a lot more Western than English riders, it has definitely been a wonderful adventure stepping into the Western world!

A Beautifully Beaded sunflower pattern adorns the noseband.

Is there anyone else in your family possessing the entrepreneurial spirit?

No there is not anyone else with the entrepreneurial spirit in my family. I have always loved the idea of creating something for myself. When I was in middle and high school I had a dog walking/pet sitting business and was always doing lemonade stands!

Running my own business has had its ups and downs of course, but I’m learning as I go along and I love the process! My parents are always extremely supportive, but there have been plenty of conversations where they try to convince me to get a real job when I’ve had a slow month. Despite all issues 2020 has dropped on all of us, customers are still ordering items from my shop and it really means a lot to me!

CLICK HERE to shop Beautifully Beaded Halters.

What’s the greatest challenge and joy you face in your equestrian life?

The greatest challenge I face in my equestrian life is definitely my age; I’m 18 and a sophomore in college! I really enjoy sharing everything I have learned about horses with others.

What do you do for work?

I am currently working on growing Beautifully Beaded Halters and I work with horses with behavioral problems. I am currently taking equine behavior and nutrition management classes through Animal Behavior Institute online. I would love for BB Halters to one day be my full-time job and I would like to continue working with and training horses!

Whom do you regard as a hero or look to for inspiration in the horse world?

In the horse world I have always admired many different professionals across the board, but the two I admire most are Mustang Maddy because of her Liberty training and the dedication of Clare Staples and her team at Skydog Ranch.

Do you have any horse-related bucket list items you’d like to cross off?

I have always wanted to try both mounted archery and trick riding! I would also love to be a vendor one day at a large event like Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas during the NFR or the Arabian Horse Show here in Scottsdale!

 How do your friends describe you?

My friends describe me as reliable, loyal, solutions oriented, mindful of my processes, funny, creative, talented, and ambitious. 

Is there anything else we should know about Beautifully Beaded Halters?

If someone has a specific idea in mind or would like something special I offer a listing for custom orders, you get to choose the color of your halter and sift through my vast array of bead colors! All halters listed can also have a personalization added to them, halter color change, or bead colors changed.

ALL THE ETSY EQUESTRIANS

In case you missed them, here is a list of more women from the series The Etsy Equestrians. If you have a favorite horse-themed or equestrian-owned Etsy shop, let me know by leaving a comment here or email me at Susan@SaddleSeeksHorse.com. I’d love to feature more fellow horse lovers.

#8 Taryn of Warmbloods + Wine

#7 Liz of Liz Wiley Fine Art

#6 Kasia of Kasia Bukowska Art

#5 Erin Kate of Silver Oaks Farm

#4 Elaine of Bowdangles Horse Show Bows

#3 Carla of The Frugal Foxhunter

#2 Tracy of The Printable Pony

#1 Amanda of Bel Joeor Metier

Leave a Comment: Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit like Nia? What lessons with horses have you learned through trail error (like using too delicate of thread)?

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