Donna Mitchell Saddle Pads

     Donna Mitchell, whose work is shown at the Weaving Southwest tapestry gallery in Taos, NM, has been weaving rugs since the 1970s.  She also makes beautiful handwoven wool saddle pads.  Donna takes two handwoven saddle blankets in complementary patterns and sews them together with a wool felt pad in the center to make a completely reversible, cushioned saddle pad.

     Her pads are beautiful and functional.  She can make them in any size and will make custom pads in colors and patterns chosen by the buyer.  We have two of her designs in the store.

     One Barn Dogs customer thinks Donna's saddle pad would make an excellent dog bed.

Spring Grooming Tools

I Love My Horse halter.  Pink, Purple,
Royal  Blue, Red or Black.   $17.95

     There is more in the air than juniper pollen these days.  It's impossible to unblanket or even touch a horse in Santa Fe without becoming covered in or even inhaling horse hair.  It's everywhere.  There are tufts on the doorjambs of the stalls, on any splinters on the stall walls, in flattened places in the paddocks where itchy horses have rolled to scratch their backs (what we used to call "Hans wallers"), not to mention on our clothes and in our hair and eyes.  One of my prize possessions is a finch nest I found the fall after my Hans passed away with his tail hairs woven into its structure and lined with his soft winter coat.  At least 3 nestings of babies were cuddled in his hair.
    
     That said, how can we get it off our horses and blown to our neighbors' property as quickly and efficiently as possible?  

Slick 'N Easy fiberglass grooming block.  $4.95

     There are many products on the market to aid in the removal of winter coats: everything from saw-toothed shedding blades to vacuum groomers.  Most of these (though not the vacuum groomer) can be found at Barn Dogs.  One of our favorites is the "Slick 'N Easy" grooming block.   This is a fiberglass block that seems to just wipe the hair away while polishing the coat that remains.  It's also fantastic for wiping the hair off the undersides of blankets and saddle pads.

Equine Scratcher from Shires Equestrian   $39.95

    Another favorite is the Equine Scratcher from Shires Equestrian.   This is a weather resistant sheet of hard plastic with "teeth" which can be mounted either on a flat wall or fence or on a curved post, giving your horse a safe place to scratch himself.  We needed 2 so we could place one low enough for the minis.  


     Barn Dogs also carries clippers, replacement clipper blades, curries, brushes, shampoos and conditioners.

Among Wild Horses

Placitas, NM Mare and Foal, Lynne Pomeranz

  
  Lynne Pomeranz has spent years among the wild horses of New Mexico and Wyoming.  Her photographs adorn the pages of books and magazines and the walls of galleries and homes. Her images of the wild horses of Placitas, NM, the Cimarron Sky-Dog Reserve in Watrous, NM, the Jicarilla Wild Horse Territory outside of Bloomfield, NM and the Pryor Mountain mustangs of Wyoming are not only artistically pleasing they show rare insight into the personalities and relationships of the wild horses whose lives she documents.

Placitas, NM Herd Stallion, Lynne Pomeranz.

     In addition to her art, Lynne offers workshops in which she takes groups of up to 6 people among the wild horses and teaches them how to safely and unobtrusively photograph them.  She offers 1, 3 and 4 day workshops among the New Mexico wild horses.  For more information please visit www.lynnepomeranz.com and www.wildhorseworkshops.com.  To learn more about the wild horses in Placitas, NM please visit www.whoanm.org.

Wild Friends, Lynne Pomeranz