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Oh, autumn is approaching. We’ve gone from sweltering summer days to really cool, blue sky mornings. I much prefer this weather to hot humid days - who wouldn’t? As I’ve traveled through upstate NY, I see that the trees are already turning red and orange. I love the fall - the cool days, the brilliant colors, the sense that the world is slowing down and returning to a routine. I am a very routine orientated person so maybe that’s why it feels good to me. Or maybe it’s because I love wearing sweaters…

Dressage at Devon is approaching as well - the crowning jewel of East Coast dressage shows. It’s a great place to see such talented horses and riders and see clients. I hope you will come by and visit the Albion Saddlemakers booth to see their latest products and say Hello!

The cooler days also signify the closing of the Olympics. I DVRed all of the equestrian events and looked forward to the end of the day to sit down and watch them. (I also recorded every Michael Phelps swim - couldn’t miss seeing history happen!) As much as people grumble about the zillion different channels available on TV now, without those zillion channels, we wouldn’t have been able to see as much of the Olympics as is now available. Of course, the cross country phase of the Eventing always makes my hair stand on end as does the Show Jumping. I especially love the look on the riders’ faces as they approach the fences - it’s a mix of terror and thrilling exhilaration! The Dressage competition shaped up as predicted but was still a great watch. It’s so unexpected to see a horse like Satchmo at the level he’s attained spook in not one but two tests. Isabell Werth showed that you can keep a calm head and get the horse immediately back on track - and win! The floaty evenness of Salinero’s half-passes and passage were very inspiring. I really enjoyed Steffan Peter’s musical freestyle - I’m a huge fan of 80’s music and the tempo and rhythm really matched Ravel’s passage.  It’s great that they placed 4th overall in the individual competition. Courtney King-Dye and Mythilus appeared like seasoned Olympic veterans and I certainly look forward to their next Olympics together! Knowing what it takes to get a horse to even a local show, I can’t imagine the stress of shipping a horse almost around the world and then competing at the peak of performance.

So, now what? For me, I’m forging ahead with my own riding goals. Hearing that several of the equestrian athletes were making their Olympic debuts at the ages of 41, 55, 60 was GREAT! The commentators said many times that unlike other sports, most equestrian athletes don’t peak until they are much older. Maybe there is hope yet I am beginning the journey of a thousand steps with my new horse, Tory, and hope to use this winter to solidify our relationship and have a winning showing season next year. The harmony of horse and rider demonstrated at the Olympics - whether is was cross country or dressage - was inspiring. After Anky completed her freestyle rider and she dismounted, the first thing she did was give Salinero a sugar cube. A small reward for such an outstanding effort. I strive for that kind of relationship with Tory. The best we can do at all times - our best Olympic effort. Hope you had a good Olympics too!

What weather we’ve been experiencing here! Gorgeous. cool, blue sky mornings with a few thunderstorms in the afternoon - just to keep things moist and green. Perfect weather to get up early and go work with my new horse! I am very excited about my new ‘pony’ - a handsome, dark bay, 16.3 hh Hanoverian/TB gelding named Tory. I have my own aspirations of earning the USDF Bronze Medal and he is the partner I have been hoping for. Smooth gaits, level headed under saddle and tall! I need a tall horse for my really long leg! We have begun our journey together and are now in ‘boot camp’.

Speaking of medals - it’s that time again! Olympic fever! I must admit, this time around I am more excited about the Olympics then I ever remember being. When I have expressed that thought, I have been asked what my reasons are for being so ramped up for these particular Olympics. Well, there are many different reasons I can think of. First, I have worked with one of the Olympic riders on this year’s USA Dressage Team so I feel a special connection there. I also visited with one of the British Eventing team members when I was in UK on this past trip and feel a connection there as well. I have have witnessed the caliber of horse and rider, time and sacrifice and money it takes to become an equestrian athlete at the Olympics. It can’t be easy for any of the athletes at the Olympics to get to that level of competition but when I think of the hours of training, the partnership of human and horse and the traveling logistics, I really think that the Olympic equestrian athletes are in a completely different category.  It is truly a feat of mind-blowing proportions! It reminds me of my own aspirations and the types of things I need to do to get there. Waking up very early, getting to the barn every day, learning the tests, getting myself physically fit to meet the demands of technical  riding - all these things and more go into a quality, winning riding program. I am working hard to make it happen.

On lesser horse based reasons, the whole world needs something like the Olympics right now. The chaos that is gripping every part of our lives - an energy crisis, economic crisis, military strikes and environmental issues - we need something to feel really good about. Something that will bring the world together - even if it’s for 2.5 short weeks. I watched the opening ceremonies and was blown away by the cinematic presentation the Chinese created and equally amazed at the Parade of Nations. It was truly a lesson in geography! To think that there are an entire nations on this earth whose total populations aren’t even half the amount of people that were in the stadium they were marching into! The kaleidescope of faces and the amazing stories that went with them. I will be especially interested in the 67 year old Japanese rider who first made the Japanese Olympic Dressage Team in the mid 1960’s and has qualified again in 2008! I want to see his ride and cheer on the oldest Olympic athlete at these games. Of course, I’m equally swept up in Phelps Mania too! I’m impressed with all the things the human body can be trained to do. And at speeds I never dreamed possible! They need to show more of that stuff in slow motion!

What are your thoughts? Are they Olympic sized or only as the wide of the great wide open? I’d love to hear about it!

We had the pleasure of setting up a vendor booth at the Windy Hollow Hunt Dressage Show this weekend at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Sussex, NJ. Saturday was a breezy day with sunshine and many riders! Sunday started out foggy and ended with a thunderstorm which is generally an annual occurrence at this show! There are many different horse breeds - including an adorable Fjord! - competing at all levels. Since we were located next to the Secretary’s building in the pavilion overlooking the main arena, we were able to watch the FEI rides and the freestyles. I’m alway impressed with how well most horses handle the noise and commotion of the state fair being set up while competing! It’s a true test of obedience!

We are still being discovered by lower Hudson Valley and northern New Jersey riders as a great source for repairs and saddle fitting. I was amazed to learn that some riders traveled from as far away as Connecticut and the state of Georgia to compete at this show! Many of our current clients stopped by to say ‘Hello!’. It’s wonderful to be able to see our clients compete and see the results of the fittings we worked on with their horses.

We extended our sale from last weekend to this show. The sparkly diamond browbands were very popular as well as the Albion KB Competition Full Nubuck Reins. We had a large table covered with all of our Bargain Bin items and ran a great sale on saddle pads! We are going to continue this sale in our on-line shop and will be working this coming week to get everything posted. Be looking for it!

We were asked what future shows we would be attending. Our on-line calendar lists the shows we will be at this fall. We plan to be at Dressage at Devon, possibly Equine Affaire and Region 1 Championships in New Jersey. What shows would you like to see us at? Email or blog us your suggestions!

Congratulations to all the horses and their riders who attended the show and were awarded for their hard work and dedication to the demanding sport of dressage!

Sunday evening concluded our 1st Annual Summer Clearance Tack Sale! A gigantic thanks to everyone who helped - Rosie & Bob Mally at Dressage at Dogpond Farm for hosting us - and everyone who came and shopped! The thunderstorms stayed at bay and we had sunny, hot and humid weather all day. Thank goodness it was breezy!

The shopping response was encouraging and we are planning to do another tack sale in the future. We will be continuing the sale on-line in our Shop. There are still many great saddles to choose from! We are offering FREE SHIPPING on any saddles sent on trial during the month of August.

We have returned from our visit to England and are in the midst of our 1st Annual Summer Tack Clearance Sale! Saturday started out very hot and humid but that was relieved by a 2 1/2 hour downpour and thunderstorm in the early afternoon! Two brave souls drove up from Sussex, NJ to our sale in the middle of that storm - we appreciate it! It was great to meet new clients from all over - Pine Bush, NY, Ellenville, NY, and Sussex, NJ to name a few. We’re looking forward to meeting more new clietnts today! The weather report is predicting more thunderstorms but let’s think no rain!

We still have a large selection of new and used saddles for you to try at great sale prices. There are at least 5 Passiers for sale - a couple of Relevants, a Patron, and Commet II jump. We also have several Albions available - a few Platinums, a Comfort Euro, two Original Comforts, and an old Lux. There are a couple of Duetts still there - a Rondo GP, Allegro Jump, a Companion Trail and an Aria Dressage. The selection is quite big - you really need to see it! We’re also running some great specials on bridlework and strapgoods - up to 25%! We will extend our sale on-line in our Shop so if you can’t get here, check it out!

Welcome to the newest addition to our website!

In order to keep you best informed and up-to-date, we added a blog area for the latest happenings with our business, sponsored riders and our wonderful customers! We hope you enjoy this new feature and look forward to your comments and questions.

We are excited to be returning to England on July 9th for further training in repair and saddle fitting. I will be attending The Society of Master Saddler’s Qualified Saddle Fitter’s Refresher course. I am required to attend this Refresher Course every other year in order to maintain this credential. Jim will be spending time with the saddlers in the Albion factory learning new skills and getting up-to-date information on all of their products. It won’t be all work and no play! We will also explore the countryside on the weekend taking the path less followed!

We are even more excited about our 1st ever Summer Clearance Tack Sale on July 19th and 20th! We have a large stock of used saddles that need ‘new homes’! This stock includes Albion, Passier, Bates, Niedersuss, Exselle, Crosby saddles as well as other known brands of saddles. There will also be halters, saddle pads, leather care products, and used equipment. Rosie Mally, our local sponsored rider and owner/trainer of Dressage at Dogpond farm, will be our host for this sale. You are invited to truck your horse over to try any of our saddles in Dogpond’s large regulation size dressage arena. Bring your consignments to sell at the sale! We will also be running a silent auction of an Albion KB Snaffle bridle with the proceeds to benefit the Orange County Equine Rescue. The sale will run from 9AM to 6PM each day. We will be accepting cash, check, and all four major credit cards. Please note: All sales are final. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Please note: As of August 1, our old phone number, 607-275-0320, will no longer be in service. Our new phone number is 845-533-0002.

We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions for this space. We respectfully reserve the right to monitor and remove any context that is aggressive, inflammatory, or offensive. We would like this space to be constructive, productive and informative for the enjoyment and education for all! Let’s have some fun!