Psst

I'm 99% sure the person this is intended for doesn't read the blog, but just to be safe, I'm just posting a sneak peek.

I'll post a full picture when I know she's received it. :)

Flu = blah

I'm out sick with the flu at the moment (thank you wonderful co-worker) so haven't had the energy to do almost anything for the past few days. However, the red gaming bridle from a few posts down has found a new home, and reins. I finished this bridle a little while ago but hadn't yet posted it to the blog.

I've been told it will be used on a grey model, with a matching red saddle blanket. Won't that just be stunning! Hopefully the new owner Lisa will share pictures with me for the blog.

Royal Melbourne Show

I'm excited! The Royal Melbourne Show begins in a month. It's a spectacular 10-day event which includes your standard showbags and thrill rides, but also has a multitude of events, including, of course, the horse events.

I'm a terrible photographer, but I like to go, not only to practice my photography, but to see some excellent competition, and adorable kids on ponies. And, of course, get reference photos for model horse performance!

See all the pictures under the cut!

Just a quickie

I felt like doing something different last night, and this is what emerged. A nice basic working Western bridle.  This is my first attempt at the split crownpiece (not sure if it has an actual name) and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. Still loving the California/futurity knot browband - never see enough of those, in my opinion!

Apologies to Ideal for making him wear a Western bridle - I have no other bodies. But he looks cute in it, don't you think?

Pink Equine coloured padding

I stumbled across the Pink Equine bridles with coloured padding on the browband and noseband today.

They have the browbands available with a line of matching crystals, too. I got so inspired, I had to try my own, and made a new browband and noseband for Gracie (show name dp. Lady Juliana)'s bridle.

It's a bit strong (I need to work on the amount visible), but I think it suits her!

Colour

Since I make my tack primarily for myself, I'm allowed to make wherever my creativity dictates. I tend to find myself focusing on a certain style or item for a period, and then moving onto something else. I have a pretty short attention span!

For the past fortnight, I've been playing with coloured leather, and in particular, PVC (biothane/betathane as it's known in the US) bridles. While they aren't all that practical and useful in terms of model horse performance, they are fun to look at, and can certainly enhance a scene. I prefer English-style bridles over the other types available, but maybe I will make one in barcoo style. I call them gaming bridles, since here in Australia they are generally seen in Pony Club gymkhanas, but they can also be found in low levels of show jumping, and of course, used as at-home trail riding bridles.

My lace supplier, Amazing Lace, has a pretty awesome range of coloured leather. As well as four or five shades of brown, they stock around 13 other colours, and even coated metallic lace. This means I have a pretty extensive range of colours to fiddle with and inspire me!

Last night I finished this traditional gaming bridle in turquoise and white. I tried a new style of attaching the reins with a loop, instead of directly gluing the reins to the bit. This means that the reins can be removed in favour or something else if desired. I think this bridle will eventually be a for-sale item.

This red and white traditional bridle is from about a week ago, and is the first one I made in my current coloured-leather binge. I am really in love with the flash attachment. It just sticky-waxes in place, a tip I picked up from friend and fellow tack maker Robyn McCrae. There are no reins yet as I am currently out of 2mm red leather. Oh, and this bridle also shows my first attempt at buckles on the bottom of the cheekpieces. The bit is technically removable, but I wouldn't advise anyone actually trying. The leather at that end is thin to keep the area from getting too bulky.

Lastly is a classic purple and black gaming bridle. I was a little disappointed with this item as there is not as much impact with the contrast as I had hoped. Oh well, live and learn! I suppose not everyone enjoys bright, in-your-face colours like me.

I can see from looking at these pictures that I still need to work on the length of the cheekpieces. Traditional bridles are a bit difficult for me as I don't collect trads and therefore don't have any on hand for sizing. I really need to purchase some more bodies when I have more money and can afford international shipping on an otherwise cheap model.

My enthusiasm for this particular binge is starting to wane, so I will make one more bridle (royal blue and either black or white, to go with a friend's  birthday present) and then move onto something else. I think I see girths in my future...

First post

Hi! My name is Danielle Seivers, and I am a model horse hobbyist. I'm 23, live in Victoria, Australia with my Maltese x Lhasa Apso, Lady, and am actively involved in increasing awareness of the hobby in Australia. My passion is photo and live showing, but I also enjoy making scale tack for my model horses. Primarily this blog will be about my tack-making adventures, but I may share other tidbits about my collection as we go along.

As well as model horses, I also enjoy reading, writing (I have high hopes of becoming involved in the editing industry), and listening to music.

My model horse collection comprises mainly of classic (1:12 scale) and micro mini (1:64) horses. I keep a mixture of customs and original finishes, though my show string is mostly OF as I am continually broke!

I also run the Australasian International Model Horse Club and edit the club's quarterly newsletter, and am show hostess of Melbourne Live Show.

That's about all I can think of to share with you. Please feel free to comment and ask questions!