As many of you know, I am an avid horseback rider and love to go out for rides on my Friesians. An important part of riding is making sure the horse has a well-fitted saddle. A horse’s comfort and happiness as well as a rider's proper positioning all depend on the fit of the saddle. An improper fit can cause a rider's weight to be distributed unevenly, which can result in pressure points, rub marks, and soreness on the horse's back. Saddles should be checked once or twice a year.
Yesterday, second-generation saddle fitter and owner of Synergy Saddle Fit in upstate New York, Trish Baker, came to the farm to check my saddles and make adjustments where needed.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is my stable tack room where we keep many saddles, bridles, and harnesses. All the equipment is stored on specific racks when not being used.
We also keep equipment in my stable manager’s office. Everything is always ready for the next ride.
Here’s the patriarch of my stable, my handsome Friesian, Rinze. Rinze is first to get checked.
Rinze is taken out of his stall and safely secured to cross ties so saddle-fitter Trish could check out his back and top line. A horse’s top line includes all the musculature that runs from the poll, down the horse’s neck, over the back, and into the hindquarters.
Trish has been saddle-fitting for more than eight years not including her time apprenticing under her mother who is also a master saddle fitter. Trish’s company, Synergy Saddle Fit, is located just outside Albany, New York.
Here is Trish from the other side of Rinze – focusing on the structure of his middle back. She also makes sure Rinze is standing square on stable, even ground.
Next, Trish places the saddle on Rinze’s back without any saddle pad. This is my saddle and the one I use most whenever I ride.
Trish feels closely and uses her fingers to measure the space between the saddle and where it sits on Rinze’s back. She also feels the padding of the saddle to determine if it needs any adjustments. Some of the signs that a saddle doesn’t fit correctly include one that sits too far forward or too far back, a saddle that is too short or too long, too wide or too narrow, or a saddle that has too much space underneath it causing “bridging.” This means the saddle makes more contact at the front and back but not under the middle.
Trish wants to adjust the saddle slightly. The saddle is taken off and brought to Trish’s work station in the back of her car. Here she is pointing to the hole of the saddle where it is flocked, or filled with padding material.
Under all the leather that makes up a saddle is the tree, or the wooden form. That tree is padded with wool – either real sheep’s wool like this or synthetic wool.
Occasionally, the saddle may need more wool or slight adjustments to make sure it is still padding the tree correctly. Trish’s main tool is a flocking iron, which is used to insert wool into the hole of the saddle.
Trish uses her other hand to feel how it is sitting once inside the saddle.
What one doesn’t want is an “egg” or balled up wool inside the saddle. This makes the saddle uncomfortable. The wool must sit flat and cushion the saddle properly.
After flocking the saddle, it is placed on Rinze once again to re-check its fit.
Here, one can see that it sits quite level and straight on Rinze. A small adjustment like this could make a big difference to a horse. Rinze will be much more comfortable on our next ride.
She also rotates the stirrups – this is good to do a couple times a year to ensure equal wear.
Rinze is all set and quite proud of himself. Yes, Rinze, you get a cookie.
After examining the others, Trish recommends changing a saddle out for one that fits the horses better. Trish checks all the other saddles to see which is best.
The front of the saddle should sit behind the horse’s shoulder blades, allowing good swing motion. The back of the saddle should also be the right length. And the saddle itself should rest nicely on the back. This saddle looks good on Hylke.
Bond is up next. He is a 14-year old Friesian with an excellent and friendly temperament. In the end, all the saddles were in good shape and very few adjustments were needed.
And here I am on my steed, Rinze – ready for a ride. A well-fitting saddle gives the horse freedom of movement without any discomfort. It also helps the rider to find a correct and more effective riding position. If you ride and have your own equipment, don’t forget to have your saddles properly fitted – it’s good for both you and your trusted mount.
This time of year, my outdoor grounds crew is very busy with woodland maintenance chores around the farm - we call it "cleaning the woods."
A lot of these tasks are best done during winter when the trees are bare. The team is able to cut dead or broken trees, knock down weeds, brambles, and thorny barberry bushes, and pick up the many fallen branches. Everything is gathered and placed into neat piles along the carriage roads, so at the end all the organic debris can be chipped and spread right back into the woods. Any desirable tree trunks are set aside and cut up for lumbering, and rotten or irregular trunks are reserved for the tub grinder - everything is always put to good use.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
In winter, it’s nice to be able to see through the woods to the hayfield beyond. This full and babbling stream is just off the main carriage road into the woodland.
But such views wouldn’t be possible without regularly scheduled general maintenance work. Every year, my outdoor grounds crew spends several weeks “cleaning” the woods. “Cleaning” the woods allows us to reuse and repurpose a lot of natural materials – and it makes the area much prettier.
Here is a section of the woodland where the trees are dense. At some point, some will be taken down to make room for younger specimens.
Here is an area that is also not yet cleaned. Clearing this area, removing dried twigs and other branches will help reduce the chance of fire by creating a natural firebreak. There are many brambles, weeds, vines, and useless seedlings growing in all the woods. These must be whacked down so there is room to plant and cultivate seedling trees that will be beneficial in the woodland. I often ride my horse through the woods to see how my trees are doing – clearing makes this much easier to do.
I instruct my outdoor grounds crew to remove all the underbrush to be composted or chipped. These are thick invasive thorny plants that are also cut down.
The woods are full of these prickly vines – one must be very careful when walking.
Trees that need to be taken down are marked with red spray paint, which is very visible from the road.
All the dead, damaged, and diseased trees are taken down. Here, Domi secures a rope around a log that was cut down and needs to be moved.
For various light trees, the crew is able to use a pulley around a strong upright tree to help pull the cut tree out.
Here is the tree getting pulled out and placed into the pile by the carriage road.
Domi uses the fork lift on our Hi-Lo to move heavier trees into place.
Pasang cuts the smaller limbs off the big trunks to make this process easier.
He uses this STIHL battery operated chainsaw. This tool uses a strong 36-volt Lithium-Ion battery. It is significantly quieter than the gasoline-powered chainsaws and starts instantly with the squeeze of a trigger.
These chainsaws are portable and very light – great for carrying through the woodland.
This area of woodland is looking better already.
After the larger logs are moved, Pasang starts picking up the more manageable branches.
Any other branches that fell during storms are also picked up.
We try to be very neat when doing any chores on the property. It is easier to stack all branches for removal or chipping in the same vicinity, so when the big machinery is brought in, these piles can be chipped right back into the woodland.
Here is an area that has been cleaned – look how pretty it is. One can really see the beauty of the landscape. Clearing out dead or overgrown vegetation will also allow remaining plants to receive better access to water, sunlight, and other nutrients necessary to thrive.
And then young, strong seedlings are planted again. Trees are so important – they provide habitat and food for birds and other animals, they absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, and they release oxygen. Keeping the woodland “clean” is one way I can give back to the Earth and help create a more sustainable planet for my grandchildren, and for everyone.
Temperatures at Skylands, my home in Seal Harbor, Maine, are expected to be in the mid-30s today with mostly sunny skies and then dipping to the 20s tonight with a good chance of snow.
Last weekend there was lots of rain and sleet. The carriage roads and terraces were topped with more than four-inches of ice. The bare tree branches were also coated and glistening, but thankfully the winds were low and there was no damage anywhere and no loss of power.
Cheryl DuLong ventured outside, safely, to take a few snapshots around my home, enjoy.
These are the branches of a wild blueberry bush located off my main driveway. It doesn’t bear fruit in summer because it doesn’t get enough light through the wooded area, but it’s pretty, so we’ve kept it. Last weekend, the entire bush was covered in ice after hours of rain and then fast freezing temperatures.
Cheryl turned around to take this photo. She said with all the ice, sounds of it cracking could be heard everywhere.
This witch hazel is not far from my Counsel Circle. It, too, was covered in ice.
Across the witch hazel on this back driveway, the evergreens were largely coated in white – looks like powdery snow, but it is all sleet and ice.
And on this carriage road, more than four inches of actual sleet – nothing powdery here.
Cheryl also saw these tracks – do you know what kind of animal tracks these are? They’re the prints of wild turkey. A path of them walked across the road and into the woodland.
This is one view looking into the woods. It is directly across the main driveway. My daughter, Alexis, likes to help “clean the woods” here in summer, clearing the fallen brush and wild saplings that pop up.
These are the steps from the back porch leading to the front of the house – all of them covered in a layer of ice.
At midday, one could see a reflection in the leaded and storm dining room windows that face east. By this time, the sun was coming out and the skies were turning blue.
Here’s a view looking west from my large terrace. On the ledge is my long granite trough covered for winter. In front of it is another covered planter.
Also on the terrace ledge, the old kiwi vines now bare of any foliage. The branches on the ground are pruned cuttings – we use them to cover the flower beds during this cold season.
Cheryl also took a quick photo of this junco bird. A junco is a handsome little bird about five inches long. It can be found across the continent, from Alaska to Mexico, California to New York. These birds often travel in flocks and mostly forage for food on the ground.
This is the corner of the ledge looking out to Sutton Island. According to legend, a local native chief sold Sutton Island, one of the five Cranberry Islands, to Ebenezer Sutton in 1755 for two quarts of rum.
Here’s another view of Sutton Island from an upstairs terrace. A wildlife sanctuary, Sutton has no roads or shops and is just served by ferries and water taxies.
This photo was taken while standing at the front door looking at the driveway and the front circle of Skylands.
At the circle, one can see the bare smoke bush, Cotinus, all covered in ice. In a few months it will look markedly different with vibrant new foliage, followed by its floral display and then the well-known large, plumelike panicles that give it its smokey appearance.
Here’s a view of the Southwest Harbor, located just west of the southern entrance to Somes Sound.
This giant sugar maple grows outside my dining room. Over Thanksgiving, we strapped it down just before a storm, so its large branches wouldn’t break and damage the house. It came through just fine and continues to look so beautiful in all seasons.
Here’s a look at the back porch just as the afternoon sun began to set. One never tires of the views around Skylands.
It’s been a mild winter in the Northeast so far – with little snow, but tonight, the area may see up to three-inches of white. And who knows what’s ahead… we still have two months of winter to go.
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