Combination trail bridle/halters

I made a couple of these last year for a live show, and recently started making more. They're a lot of fun to make and something different for Trail and Other Performance.

Here's the headstall without the bits attached, making a halter (this bridle came with curb bit and snaffle bit options):



A mahogany bridle with all working mini clips, and a white bronze grazing bit by Sulser Saddlery:



And my latest, which is currently for sale on eBay:



This one has braided floss reins with a leather lead for a change, as well as red Swarovski crystals on the bit. The bit is a Rio Rondo W415 dee training bit, customized to a grazing bit with the "snaffle" portion clipped off and filed smooth.

I will be offering these for custom orders, prices will range from $45-$60 depending on options.

March 09 update- Hungarian pairs harness

This was a slightly new experience for me, I've created many single harnesses but never a pairs harness of any kind. Many thanks to C Robertson for doing this trade for me, I've learned a lot and have new reference material to scour over and to inspire new creations. (plus I got my holy grail out of the deal to boot! I love my Chip!)



Modelled on "Sun Dog" and a JB Andrew which belongs to the customer(I nicknamed him "Bozeman" during his stay), this will be pulling a hearse and showing at Lone Star Live in a few weeks.



I put lobster clasps on the pole straps for easy on/off. Even someone as used to fiddling with tiny buckles as I am found this arrangement to be much less stressful! You can't find enough ways to reduce the amount of buckle-fiddling on a harness, let me tell you...



I was made aware of chainmail platelets by Susan Bensema-Young's book, and this was the first chance I've had to actually work with them. I rather think I like this look.



Here's Sun Dog unhitched from his partner. The hanging rein is the coupling rein, which atatches to the other horses's right side bit(and that horse's right rein attachs to SD's left side bit).



A study of the trace adjustor buckle.



Bridle study. The bits are brass RDLC elbow bits from The World Of Model Horse Collecting on eBay. The rest of the hardware is from Rio Rondo and Hobby Lobby. The feathers are black chicken feather fluff, trimmed down slightly to size.

And to wrap up, another full body shot...



Until next time!

Long rein schooling sets

Here is preview of a new tack set I will be offering for custom order in the future, long rein schooling bridle and surcingle sets:



A little history- last summer we attended the Buccaneer Live model horse show in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was showing in performance with three new models, including a Stone half-passing Warmblood. While he's doing a nice half-pass, with his loose mane I was hedging on showing him in dressage (where he would be competing against Salinero and his near-perfect passage as well as his correctly braided mane!).

Some posters on Model Horse Blab were throwing around ideas for the mold, and member "ktbussey" suggested a long rein schooling setup, one of own having won big at a previous North American Nationals show. Perfect!

So after a quite a bit of digging on the internet and at the local library (never underestimate the value of libraries!) this setup was the result. The reins were black satin ribbon. I felt like this material works best as it mimicks real nylon web long reins, which are used far more often on these rigs than leather reins.



And as you can see, it did quite well. The black bridle shown in the above photo was later refitted with riding reins and used for another set. The surcingle was put away for several months, then it came time to create some tack to sell on eBay, and I was inspired to make a new set with a new bridle that better matched.



I didn't have any matching 1/16 lace this time around, but plenty of 3/32 lace. So I put my trimming skills to work and created my own 1/16 lace. Not as hard to do as one would think, provided you skive the lace first and have a good eye for keeping the blade on a straight course.



It also fits Salinero with adjusting (the reins were not shown for aesthetic purposes, I simply could not get them to sit right! They are meant to be shown at full stretch...):



I will be making more sets like these in the future, as well as offering slots for custom orders. Price will be in the $50-$70 range depending on options.

Until next time!

Might as well show this guy off

Awhile back I posted the in-progress photos of a Breyer Foxhound who was slowly being transformed into a field-type Pointer. He actually sold a couple of months ago but I never did post the completed photos. So here he is, better late than never:



I did all the resculpting, his left foreleg and right hind below the hock are built up completely from scratch. I also made the leather collar with nameplate and the orange "visibility" collar. My sister Meredith painted him.



A comparison photo with an original Foxhound model(sorry about the text, this was an eBay photo):



I was rather proud of this guy, I liked having the chance to do a little customizing of my own. I'm not much into painting(that's my sister's hobby) but sculpting is a lot of fun.

Until next time!

November 17 update

I've gotten back in to slit-braiding leather lately, here are two new pieces featuring this technique. First up is a custom order bridle for a Lareda resin that my sister is painting. The bit is a RDLC white bronze flower concho bit.



And second is a braided stock halter, made for large head Traditionals such as the Stone Palouse mold, and Lori Daniel's "Chip" resin:





I used a different technique for braiding both ends of the straps(barring the crown, chin, and jaw straps):

1. Once I had one end braided, it made that end too big to thread through the slits on the other end;
2. So I braided one end, left that strap long;
3. then braided the other end and skived it paper thin and snipped off most of the strap;
4. I then trimmed the longer piece to a point(dry-fitting the strap on the model to make sure it was the right length first);
5. then glued the end of the long strap so the point was flush with the braid on the other end(which forms a point itself).
   
6. Voila! A strap that looks like it had two braided ends!
   

This halter is currently for sale on MH$P.

The Chip resin by Lori Daniels is a new addition to my collection, and is a trade I'm doing for a Hungarian pairs harness. More on that in future entries, though. :) This fellow's name is "Heza Confidence Man" (which is a nod to my new TV show obsession "Lost". XD ):



Many thanks to C. Roberston for making this addition to my collection possible. He's been a Grail of mine for years and I am beyond thrilled to have him. He'll be painted by my sister eventually(who's equally happy to have the chance to have one of these good lookin' fellows in her portfolio!), I'm thinking blue roan with corn spotting, my favorite horse color.

Until next time!

Small July 7th update

My newest herd members wearing my newest tack creations:



The mare is "Khepri", and the foal is "Khisanth", their names following my personal habit of giving any Sucesion and Le Fire sets I own names that start with the same first two letters.



The foal's halter is patterned after real figure-eight style halters that breeders use on newborns and younger foals. It comes complete with a "catch strap" hanging from the bottom ring(attached using a leather braiding technique outlined in Susan B-Y's book, always handy to learn something new!)



The mare's halter and lead(not shown) uses the last of a 50 foot roll of 3/32 natural kangaroo lace that I bought many, many years ago. Nothing new about the design here, though I am very pleased with the color I got, this shade of mahogany being my very favorite.

Hope everyone had a safe 4th of July weekend!

June 30th 2008 update

It's been awhile! Here are some of my most recent projects:

A Classic scale circus costume, made for the Breyer Classic Rearing Stallion(shown here on "Wild Plum", a 2007 Target Special Run). It has brass hardware, the diamonds and stars are brads normally used in scrapbooking. They make excellent small scale tack embelishments, I also use them on harnesses. Won second place in Other Costume at American Heartland Live in May, sold on eBay:



A custom order Traditional English set, made for Breyer's Keltec Salinero:



A closeup of the saddle:



Two more custom order English saddles, both for Flash and other small Traditionals. The first was for customer wanting a complete set with bridle and elastic breastplate, the second customer only wanted the saddle. The second saddle has suede kneerolls.:





A brown hunt bridle with cast Rio Rondo snaffle bit, made for the Cleveland Bay. This is the first time I've made cuts in the noseband for the cavesson straps, I think this looks much neater than just folding the straps over the noseband.



And something new for the line, dog accessories! Right now while only the collars are advertised, harnesses and leads can be ordered.

A "roading" harness, used in gun dog field trials by competitors and their dogs following the lead braces until their turn to hunt comes up(the handler uses a 20-30 foot rope lead). The yellow "visibilty" collar is 1/8" satin ribbon. A better photo of the leather collar can be seen below.



Two leather collars fashioned after the type of collar worn by hunting dogs. The nameplate mounted flat on the leather and the roll ring prevent catching on underbrush. Here the "nameplates" are both a metal spacer bar mounted using headpins. Very realistic! The blue collar has the addition of "studs"(also headpins!), which was a custom ordered extra to match the customer's real dog's collar.




And last but certainly not least, a sneak peek of a collabarative piece. Remaking and sculpting by me, and will be painted by my sister. And you can bet he will come with plenty of miniature field dog hunting trials equipment...



Until next time! :)