Spotted

Traveller is my favorite Appaloosa. He's actually one of my favorite horses.  He's fun to ride but also has plenty of personality.

Alex rides at the barn and also loves Traveller. 

She initially asked if I would make a nameplate halter for a model but then asked if I'd make a model to look her favorite Appy. She gave me a box of models and an Idocus to be T. I think he'll look great as him.  

I decided that I also deserved a Traveller model. Years ago I bought a Walter resin. I've decided that that'll be my Traveller. 

Last week I started taking reference photos. 

Traveller has plenty of spots and I'd like the models to match the real counterpart as much as possible. 

Being an Appy he also has mottled skin. 

Customizer is not something I'd add under my skill set. Mostly because if I get annoyed with something it ends up in the pail of lost ideas. I won't allow these two to fall to that fate!

Wordless Wednesday: Twin Brooks Schooling Show

So last summer I went to a local horse show and *whispers* never really posted any pictures from it.

It was a Wednesday Twin Brooks Schooling Show that featured English and Western horses. Enjoy!

Thanks Breyer!

Yesterday started out with going to check out a local college with my friend.

It ended with finding this in the mail. Thanks Breyer!

Fantastic Supplies And Where To Find Them-Part 3

Here's the final piece of the series about where to find things for your models. Part one was about where to find models and part two was about where to show them, so this final part is about tack.

Tack

If you want to make tack there are a few big businesses that cater solely to model horse people.

Rio Rondo is one of the best. You can get everything you need from here. Western saddle trees, bits, etc. They also offer kits. If you want to try making western tack I highly recommend their western saddle kit. Rio rondo also sells bridle kits, boot kits, and halter kits.

Unicorn Woman is a smaller business but she sells hardware. She also sells kits. I used to buy my Kangaroo Lace there too.

World of Model Horses is very similar to Rio Rondo. She sells trees, bits, and other hardware. Here you'll find western trees but also Native American, side saddle, and even English saddle trees.

There are many places to buy leather from.
I buy my hides from The Hide House. They sell calf hides that are thin and smooth. The hides are great quality. The hide I bought is going to last me for years.

Over the past few years I've tried a bunch of companies for leather lace. Amazing Lace is my favorite.

Another seller that sells kangaroo lace is rooleather on eBay.

Books

There are numerous hobby books to help out a novices and seasoned tack makers.

Timaru Star II-Sue is one of the best tack makers in the hobby. She's an awesome braider and saddlemaker. She wrote a book about tack that includes numerous how-tos for various types of tack. It's been reprinted numerous times and she now offers it in PDF form. Go get it.

Kerioke Tack
She has written a great selection of tack books, but now she also has an online tack school. I own many of them and they are helpful for a beginner or an advanced maker that wants to pick up more skills. It's a great starting off point. New for 2018 she also will sell just her pattern for a very reasonable price.

English Saddle Guide

If you want to make stablemate tack or even resize it for Pebbles or even larger scale, then Anna Helt's guide is one to not miss. Anna wrote a concise how-to English tack for making English saddles in smaller scales. 

Kimberly Smith Tack Journal
She is no longer in the hobby, or so it seems, but if you're able to find a copy of this you won't regret it. This tack journal focuses on western with tooling and saddle patterns. There's also a how-to for packing saddles.

Free Resources

Braymere Custom Saddlery
Jennifer Buxton's blog has been around since 2007.  Over the years she's posted many helpful tips and tutorials related not only tack but also customizing and painting.

Desktop Studios
Nichelle Jone has been running her blog since 2008. She has also posted numerous helpful how-to tutorials that span from tack to photos.

Dreamlite Design

Anna Helt specializes in teeny tiny tack. She makes English, Western and other. She posts tips and tutorials that relate to mini scales.

Shoestring Saddlery
Leah Koerper is DIY. She customizes models and makes props and tack. She caters to the Do-it-yourself performer and posts tutorials and how-tos there.

Hopefully you've enjoyed the series and it helps when tracking down supplies for models.

Real horses of Breyerfest

There wouldn't be a Breyerfest without the models. But you can't forget about the inspiration behind them: the real horses. 

Between Breyerfest and the Kentucky Horse Park, one can be exposed to a copious number of horse types. 

There were Arabs of various disciplines. 

Ponies.

Spanish breeds.

Appaloosas with Native American tack.

On Sunday Mackenzie and I watched the Breeds of the World show.
It included a Marwari.

Morgan.

American Creme Draft.

Part-Arab dressage horse.

My favorite, a Chincoteague Pony.

I also got to meet Brass Hat, the 2018 Celebration Horse.  

Pet Foiled Again. 

And watch Old Ironsides Sugar wear racing tack

and jump. 

Models are the huge draw for Breyerfest but the real horses are pretty cool too.