Almost wordless Wednesday

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at the Buxton house.  The tree has been trimmed, the lights have been hung and there are holiday cookies in the oven--yum! 

Today's post is all about Christmas decorating of a different sort.  These pictures were taken during the Parker Christmas Carriage Parade and they highlight some of the many ways a horse can be made to look Christmas-y.  Enjoy!

Pebbles scale bridles...

make me mad!

It looks ok, I guess, but I wish there was some way to make it more refined and still have working tongue buckles.

One down, one to go and then never again!
(At least until the next time.)

Early Christmas

I hadn't planned to do this so soon, but...

Ryan and I were Christmas shopping today and somehow we found ourselves in the Small Animal section of PetSmart.  Ryan spied a lone female rat hiding in one of the cages and immediately fell head over heels in love.  A few minutes later, we were the proud new owners of Holly.

But...  Rats are a bit like potato chips.  You can't stop at just one.  I went home and got James and we began RatQuest 2011.  A few stores later we discovered not one,

but two likely candidates.  We couldn't decide between them so now Peppermint and Nutmeg are Buxtons, too.

Who will be the next Saddle Rat?

Only time will tell!

Basil

July 2009-December 16, 2011

The world's best saddle rat. She will be  missed.

Ridden horses in the Christmas Carriage Parade

Even thought it was billed as a "Carriage Parade," there were a lot of ridden horses in the Town of Parker's annual Christmas event.

Most of those horses were adorned in their best Christmas finery including Christmas tree ornaments,  

poinsettias,  

bows, 

Santa Claus hats, 

tinsel,

and wreaths.

Of course there were a few entries...

that were less obviously Christmas-y. 

You simply can't have a horse themed parade in Colorado... 

without some rodeo royalty... 

and at least one group of mounted police. 

Here's a reference picture for those of you who like to show foals in performance.

Although a few of the horses needed some reassurance...

there's no denying that this parade...

was great fun for everyone in attendance!

I can hardly wait until next year's edition!

This week's project

I was so pleased with the bronc halter, that I decided to go ahead and make a matching bronc saddle.  Here is the result.

This was my main reference picture.  Like my saddle, this one is a combination of rough out and smooth out leather.

I used Shannon Granger's method for attaching the fenders.  In the past I've mounted the fenders to rings to get that swivel affect, but this was much easier.

Another first for me--the swells were covered so that the seams went down the back of the pommel rather than along the sides.  I rubbed the seat with gum tragacanth to give it a well used look.

The good news is that the saddle fits my bronc riding doll very well.  His legs tuck in under the swells just like I was hoping!

Unfortunately, the fit on the bronc is a lot more problematic.  Calamity Jane is a bit on the small side anyway, and he back is much too short for the saddle.  It almost looks like it would work because there's no back cinch or bucking strap.  Once they're completed, however, I'm afraid there just won't be enough room. 

Sigh.  I do have a couple other resins that would make plausible saddle broncs, but I can't help but think that what I really want is a Nitro...