THE BEGINNING
"I didn't set out to start a company. I set out to save my horse."
Our founder, Robin Walker understood barn life — the early mornings, the feed routines, the quiet satisfaction of a well-run operation. But nothing prepared her for losing Riley. The cause wasn't dramatic. It was preventable. Contaminated feed. An uncovered bucket.
What followed was grief — and a question she couldn't stop asking: why wasn't there a better solution?
ONE LOSS CHANGED EVERYTHING
She started researching and found a sobering truth: 1 in 5 emergency vet calls involve a horse consuming something it shouldn't. The culprit is almost always the same — an open, unprotected bucket that its owner assumed was fine. Robin had watched horse owners improvise for years. Boards on bucket rims. Plastic bags. Painter lids that cracked into dangerous shards. None of it was designed for the actual problem.
So she designed something that was. What started as a sketch became a patent, and a patent became Bucketmate® — the only universal flat-back bucket lid made in the USA.
Riley didn't get the protection he deserved. Every horse that comes after him can.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PRODUCT
Bucketmate® isn’t run by a boardroom. It’s run by a mother and daughter with a passion for horses, understand barn life, and built this company the same way Robin built the product — by solving a real problem, the right way.
Founder
Robin is the kind of person who, when she identifies a problem, doesn’t wait for someone else to fix it. After losing Riley, she spent years developing, testing, and patenting a solution that didn’t yet exist. Today she leads Bucketmate®’s retail and wholesale partnerships, personally managing relationships with major retailers and ensuring the product that carries her name meets the standard she set when she first designed it.
INNOVATION
Bucketmate® holds a utility patent for its universal fit and hinged two-piece lid. Robin's invention solved a real problem that owners faced every day, and the patent ensures we continue innovating for your animals.
Utility patent for universal fit
Versatile hinged design
Protects our innovation and yours
Philosophy
Protect your daily supplies today to prevent the costly emergencies of tomorrow
Discourage colic, EHV, and contamination to protect your investment
One lid works on any 20qt flat back bucket you already own
Made in USA
We control every step to ensure quality and support local jobs
Prevents colic and contamination in equestrian settings.
Manufactured in Texas with American craftsmanship and pride.
We support Chicago Children's Equestrian Center and youth programs.
Built by horsewomen who understand what you need.