Karen's Ponies

I'm way behind the eight-ball in sharing these delights with you guys. This isn't a tack-related post - yet.

Back in March of this year, fellow Victorian and general all-around-awesomeness-personified Karen Grigson posted on Blab, looking for commissions for her customising work. Knowing the quality of her work (she sculpted the Graylea Whisper (classic!) resin last year), I jumped on it like a shot, but didn't expect at all to have an order that would interest her, let alone even get in in the first place.

Surprisingly, not only had the slots not been filled by that time, but she also took an interest in one of the suggestions I offered for her to choose from: a pair of classic Welsh Ponies for a harness pair.

The above is the original picture I sent for her to work from. (Photo from the fantastic Mike Watts.)

In just a few short months, the ponies were finished. I just about squealed when Karen sent me photos the first time.

Affectionately named 'Legs Up' and 'Legs Down' for now, the ponies are a true testament to Karen's talent. Would you have guessed that they were from Breyer Midnight Tangos?

Just look at those expressive Welshy faces!

In true Karen style, they have an abundance of hair,

and hairy fetlocks.

There are even eyelashes!

About a month ago, I sent them off to Deb Brown in the UK to be finished. My original choice was for them to be bright flaxen chestnuts with one of the ponies in sabino, but at the last minute I changed my mind and went with smutty buckskin, and let Deb choose who was the sabino one, and the markings on them both. My only request was that they be similar but not exact. In halter they will be in the same breed classes together - I wanted them to at least be in different colour classes!


There's a group on Facebook called the Deb Brown Appreciation Society. Some of the members had reported that their CMs had taken six months or more to be finished, so I took measurements for the ponies and sent them off, content to work on their tack while I waited for them to come home.

Clearly Deb had different ideas, as barely two weeks later she sent me photos of the finished ponies!

They will be in the mail tomorrow. Mail from the UK generally takes about two weeks, but they will still, unexpectedly, be in time for Performance Extravaganza Live Show on September 23. I guess I better get working on those bridles, then!

Quiet...

I don't have a lot to stay at the moment. I've been ill this week and too sooky-la for my own good. And definitely not working on any tack.

I finished the Polo Pony's bridle and breastplate last Sunday.

I thought about putting on a running martingale, but his head is already high up. I also thought about putting white padding on the breastplate, a ha this one here, but I think the white would be too stark against his shoulder. Black would blend in more nicely, but his bridle has white highlights. Oh well.

You can't see it too well in the photos, but his bridle is all working tongue buckles.  I do have a post drafted away half-heartedly in my head about my tongue buckle discovery. Maybe I'll get to it one day.

I also kind of wanted to make a saddle to show with at PEL, but I don't think that's going to happen. There's still a month to the show, but knowing how well I procrastinate... yeah. I wouldn't even get the pattern finished before then, realistically.