VIRTUAL LESSONS WITH DOMINIQUE BARBIER

Continue your Classical Education from home! Dominique is available to teach from home, over the internet as travel is not possible at this time.

Packages and prices are available here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nfsj8g5eM4n6YK-1BdWWpcmFFEagTthBPNlmCuf71Kk/edit?usp=sharing

Email Debra at barbierfarm@aol.com to reserve your place today!

Be safe and well, everyone.

Finding the Right Saddle Fit

Finding the Right Saddle Fit

As horsemen and women a saddle is one of the most important tools we have to work with. A proper fitting saddle is a great asset for both horse and rider, while an improper fit or balance not only inhibits correct riding, it can lead to injury. The saddle industry brings in millions of dollars in saddle fitting and there are now countless options for flocking, panels, and blocks for your knee and thigh. It can feel overwhelming to find the correct fit with so many options. Here we have broken down the DBarbier saddle design to illustrate the real essential criteria when looking for one of your own.

THE LOST ART OF FLOCKING

Dominique fashioned his own saddle design after the original tree used by Mestre Oliveira, a design that is 400 years old. While training mules in the French military (a story for another day), Dominique delivered horses to the Republican Guard in Paris, where he met the man who would one day become the head of Forestier saddlery. With a tree-maker (arconier in French) in the factory itself- the only saddlemaker to design his own tree and not buy mass-produced trees- the Barbier custom-crafted saddle was born.

With a bit of ingenuity and a little help from the modern age, he has been able to update the materials from wool taken from army socks to advanced padding with the same material used to pad satellites (yes, you read that right. We are waiting for our NASA endorsement) that does not shrink with age. That means no “re-flocking necessary.” Today’s saddles feature leather cut by laser for the cleanest lines and computer-designed balance to ensure accuracy for each saddle.

DBarbier Bison Deluxe model – notice where the lowest part of the seat is

WHAT IS PROPER BALANCE IN A SADDLE?

A saddle tree’s purpose is to help a rider find their position. Let us return to Dressage for the New Age for a moment; a rider’s center of gravity is below their navel, while a horse’s center of gravity is between the knees of the rider. Your saddle should, in theory, bring the two centers of gravity as close together as possible. If you cut your saddle into three equal segments, the lowest part of your seat should be in the front third while your leg hangs underneath you, thanks to your stirrup bars sitting underneath your hip.

Most models today place the balance in the second third, further towards the back, while keeping stirrup bars forward to prevent breakage, forcing riders to either sit in a “chair” seat, or to perch on their horse’s backs. With the knee and thigh blocks, riders legs are forced into “correct” position, though they have no knee mobility, which contracts riders’ bodies, and therefore their horses’ bodies on top of it.

 

 

Comfort for your horse is also vitally important. They are, after all, carrying us. Aside from being in correct position with our center of gravity as close to their own as possible, we want to think of how the saddle fits the horse. True to form, Dominique kept things very simple in his design, with the “flexible” tree, available in narrow (for the high-withered horses), medium and wide, a wide gullet for the horses’ back comfort, and the same padding used for the rider’s seat for the horse’s back. The lack of metal in the front allows for extra freedom of the shoulder. By using a single-panel design and foregoing knee blocks (removable blocks are available for the new Working Equitation design), he maintained closer contact to the horse. The end result? Unparalleled comfort for horse and rider.

DBarbier Working Equitation Saddle

Each saddle is handcrafted and made to your specifications using highly-durable, beautiful Bison leather, making each one a work of art in of itself. Functional can be fashionable, too! Our newly released Deluxe in chocolate has been a hit with crowds, and the hand-tooled seats of the working equitation model in chocolate and camel are so beautiful you *almost* don’t want to sit on top of them.

When you buy a saddle, you are investing in your horse and in yourself. It is important to make the right choice. Dominique is happy to answer questions personally about his saddles and can be reached by email at barbierfarm@aol.com or by phone, +1707.480.5598.

The Société pour L’Art Equestre website is up!

The Société pour L’Art Equestre website is up!

The webpage for the foundation is up and the video archive and content is growing each week. Have a look and please share with your friends.

We will keep you updated about our latest projects, all designed to bring honorable, compassionate, sustainable and enlightened training practices to equestrians young and old.

And to further your education, make your plans now to join us for the Thirteenth Classical Series Symposium in October. Invite your friends and join us for a wonderful weekend during the harvest here in Sonoma Valley. There are spaces left for auditors and just a few spots for riders after the Symposium. Contact Debra (harbierfarm @ aol.com) for more information and click on the link for registration. https://blog.dominiquebarbier.com/october2016symposium/

The link for the Société website:

http://www.societeartequestre.com

Debra and I are headed to Brasil in about ten days. (make plans to join us next year…generally the last two weeks of May…) We’ll be visiting the farms, riding Lusitanos, and watching the International Lusitano Expo. We’ll try to post some Facebook updates.  And please, click LIKE on our Barbier Farms and Société pour L’Art Equestre pages. It helps us keep you informed!

a symposium review from a two-time participant

Our intention has always been to create a transformative experience for horse and rider during clinics or the Symposium here at Barbier Farm. We are happy to have this proof of what we know happens here…. Join us for our next event in February 2016. Click the link above!

~Amities, Dominique and Debra

At his clinics Dominique Barbier shares his insights and examples of enlightened horsemanship in a format and learning environment designed for seeking and discovery.  The symposiums are set apart by their complement of riding clinic and lectures on diverse topics, with abundant space for questions and answers.  A light happy horse in constant partnership and communication with its rider is the goal of this training and what you will likely observe in the clinic portion, where horses from all walks of life perform exceptionally and in relaxation. As a participant in one of the symposiums, I found that Dominique’s expansive response to a single question about my horse’s behavior led to a lasting change in my relationship with that horse, from one of mutual inattention and mistrust to one of quiet confident partnership.  Another participant, who rode in the symposium on a Barbier Farm Lusitano, was so moved by the stallion’s generosity that at the close of his ride he was brought literally to tears, and the entire audience with him.  This is classical training that synthesizes the theoretical, practical, and empathic, a unique experience that can be truly transformative. Not to be missed.”  ~ Jane Otto, New Jersey