If there was ever a story about a wood floor coming full circle, this is it. Recently, Pioneer Millworks (Mendon, N.Y.) reclaimed nearly 300,000 board feet of oak from a number of horse farms and then re-milled it into its Black & Tan flooring. All the company needed next was the perfect place to install such a reclaimed product.
One of the clients at the top of its list was EquiCenter, which is also located in Mendon; the group started in 2004 and offers therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, vaulting and horsemanship (equine-facilitated mental health) sessions. In other words, it presented the perfect opportunity to showcase wood flooring reclaimed from horse farms.
Pioneer Millworks recently installed the flooring-which bears a deep, tan hue and prominent grain patterns-in EquiCenter's conference room and meeting room.
"We love the story behind these floors," said Jonathan Friedlander, EquiCenter president and CEO. "The wood is unique, really outstanding. When our supporters, volunteers and participants come through, they always notice and comment on the beauty of the floor and they love the connection between the source of the wood and its current use." Friedlander said he and other group members often find themselves speculating about the horses that once lived in those barns.
Below are pictures from the reclamation process and installation:
