Duke & Remington

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Duke & Remington

Creature comforts, local goods, and vintage finds. Washington State License

NBCAAM Certificate # M-125-15

Suze Wood is an equine massage therapist based in Waitsburg, Washington who specializes in sustaining and optimizing performance for competitive equine athletes, supporting the recovery process for horses who are ill or have been injured, and geriatric support. A life long animal lover, Wood's interest in equine biomechanics and bodywork was sparked in 2010 after observing the physical changes and

challenges her horse Duke went through when changing disciplines to begin a new jumping training program. After several years of self-directed study she decided to follow her passion and dedicated herself full-time to improving the comfort and well-being of horses. She has completed 450 hours of intensive training through the Northwest School of Animal Massage, including anatomy & physiology, kinesiology, advanced massage techniques, horse behavior, handling and energy work, is licensed in the state of Washington, and has been nationally certified by the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure & Massage.

01/03/2025

Panda, taking a moment to consider all of her options…

12/31/2024

For 2025 I wish you a beautiful year in the disco. And also, out of the disco. I can’t wait to see you and your horses’ new moves. Have a very Happy New Year!

#2025

12/24/2024

Happy Holidays to you! And I mean this from the heart:

May all your dismounts be planned.

Wishing you a warm and cozy holiday with friends and family!

12/12/2024

Don’t forget the peppermints. This very good girl is depending on you.

11/23/2024

GAME OVER. The steel spring, a common stabilizing feature of modern saddle trees, sheared the rivet and broke at the tie-in of the rails. This is at the waist, the angle of the rails creates the twist and would be under the rider’s leg. Oddly, there was no big traumatic damaging event like a fall.

The root cause seems to be that the adjustable gullet head hinge was faulty. The teeth are not aligned and locking, and I’m able to flex what should be an immovable gullet head angle with just moderate pressure on the tree points (see the video, and apologies for the unsteady camera action). Imagine the tremendous physical forces of the horse and rider posting a trot or cantering or working on leg aids, and you understand why this is a problem. Scary!

Unfortunately, fail of these style of mechanisms are common, and they’re hard to monitor because they are under the gullet liner leather. Dirt, debris, and hair wander in and compromise the lock. In this case, even living in the dry corner of Washington state, this one was rusty which makes sense if you think about the heat and sweat rising from the horse during every ride.

With all of this hidden under the gullet lining leather, how was this discovered? The horse had been growing increasingly upset about saddling, and the rider listens to her horse. 💕 We found it during a basic saddle check.

The takeaway? The structures of your tree should always be symmetrical from side to side, and it’s a good idea to get familiar with what the tree feels like under there. Your horse’s spine and withers are exposed to this area, though hopefully protected from it by the panel. Take a minute next time you’re cleaning your tack, and see if you can feel the structures of your tree under the panel.

11/20/2024

I find it so heartwarming to find that someone is actually living my tween fantasy of pristine white tack room with a saddle blanket rainbow. No doubt a pastel dream seeded by My Little Pony, it looked *just* like this in my mind….

Reportedly this masterpiece was preceded by a 4-hour work session, and I can only say, “WOW!”. Hats off to you!

11/13/2024

Let’s be 100% clear, Annie doesn’t care if you’re early, or if you have electronic communications to tend to. She has more important things to do than to just stand next to your car and wait for you. Get it together!

There is no higher compliment than Annie seeking your company and throwing shade when you’re doing it wrong.

11/09/2024

Do YoU mAKe BiScuits‽ ‽ ‽ I MakE BisCuiTS ! ! !

Had a very sudden and intense conversation with this barn kitty. I admit, I’m not 100% fluent, but the topic was definitely biscuits, we both made some, and there was very little claw until he/she tried to climb me. Was it my breeches? Feline fluent folks, please translate.

11/07/2024

“You know you’re good when the horse next to the one you’re working on releases.” 😆

First of all, the important news: Gryffin got a PONY! 3 weeks in and they’re inseparable. Meet Ziggy. Sweetest boy, totally devoted to his new buddy, has great fashion sense— just look at those stockings!

But I thought about Ziggy’s intense relaxation response to Gryffin’s session all the way home. Horses feel heartbeats from about 4 feet away— it’s how they know, as prey animals, that everyone in their herd is chill and safe (or not). So Gryffin headed off to snoozle-land and having cascading relaxation releases during his session probably would shift the energy for his new friend. If so, what an amazing compliment!

10/28/2024

May we all be as cheerful and loved as this fine boy. 💕

10/25/2024

Ooo! Spooky season has arrived! Strange objects, tarps of death, fluttery flags, aerial silks. Eek!

If you want a “been there, done that” confident horse, give them repeated exposure to the unfamiliar and a chance to get comfortable with objects they don’t understand.

10/23/2024

Larky, serene in the knowledge that another duvet has been vanquished, feather down has been liberated, and her nostrils finally have the glamorous accent they so richly deserve.

10/16/2024

Saddle-Smart PSA for my Hunters, Jumpers, Eventers, and Dressage riders: Post-season is the perfect time to have your saddle’s flocking checked! Not sure if it’s time? Saddles should be checked for fit and safety every 6 months, and usually flocked every 6-12 months.

Now that most modern saddlers are including dense protective linings to the panels to protect the horse from uneven flocking and tree pressure (we ❤️ that), it’s becoming challenging for the average person to feel if the flocking is flat or lumpy, but all of us can look for the nice rounded contours that every panel should have.

Here’s a tip: any saddle that has a seam on the under flap or mono flap should have enough flocking in the panel to raise that seam off of the horse’s back. Why? The seam, under 100lb+ of rider weight can become quite a sensitive pressure-point for many horses.

Photo 1: too flat, not enough flocking.
Photo 2: nice flocking contour.
Photo 3: a peek at the panel liner on a Kent & Master.

Take a look at your saddle and book online if you need help. Link in the bio!

10/10/2024

Amazing what a little change of scenery can do for the soul…

10/03/2024

Well, good morning! Augie the Andalusian showing me what the term ‘flashy front-mover’ means.

10/02/2024

It is with profound sadness that I report that Re*****on Cosmonaut Little Bits Dog-Wood (yes, that Re*****on) crossed the rainbow bridge, one week ago today. I would have told you sooner, but frankly, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

Only the good die young, which could explain his ripe old age, just a couple months shy of 17 years. It’s not that he was a ‘bad‘ dog, though it’s true he had no patience for puppies, no trust in children, quite nearly removed the nose of Patrick Girgen, and (as an early advocate of the FAFO movement,) the hand of almost anyone who ever tried to pick him up. It was more that he was singularly loyal, audacious, autonomous, and navigated life with an assurance and sense of entitlement rarely seen on this earth. I adored him for everything he was, and everything he wasn’t.

For those who never knew him well, I’ll be delighted to regale you with stories once I regain my composure, but a few key points are that he shared both my bougie tendencies and my wanderlust, had a bark that was a sonic assault so shrill that it would make your ears bleed, and loved the Taco Bus even more than I. Thanks to his stealth and the big bag/pashmina wrap trend of the oughts and tens, we had many unauthorized adventures together. From the Twilight Exit to the Louvre, planes, trains, and automobiles, we covered some territory. To this day, there is likely still barren ground outside Ministro Pistarini airport where he let loose after refusing the use of piddle pads in-flight for 18 hours.

Love and adoration aside, I owe him a huge debt, as without his insistence that I interrupt my reverie to leave my desk and tend to his needs, I would likely still be in a corporate data-induced haze 14 hours a day, completely unaware that I was missing out on life.

It’s shocking how big a hole he’s left my heart, but I suppose it’s only fitting that the same creature that taught me about living is now teaching me about the grieving process.

Big love to my (and his) many friends and family who have been so kind to us both over the years, and in the past week. If you knew him, light a candle, raise a glass, and say farewell. Re*****on, you were adored.

09/07/2024

This sweet fella is settling in just fine, and has the sparkliest nameplate I’ve ever seen.

08/17/2024

Dog days of summer…

The smell of wheat harvest, relaxed meal with friends (both four-legged and two), all of the laughs. Beautiful.

Address

137 Main Street
Waitsburg, WA
99361

Telephone

+15095570163

Website

http://dukeandremington.com/

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Videos

Duke loves going au naturale, but if you have a horse struggling with a stiff back or neck, cover it up! Just a light wind-blocking layer will help so much. That goes double for you— a light scarf will do wonders. #tightaintright #staycosy #equestrian #horsetherapy #dukeandremington