To make or not to make

I didn't set out to be a tack maker.

What I wanted to be was a performance shower.

Unfortunately, like so many college age collectors, I didn't have a lot of hobby budget. A regular run, traditional scale Breyer was the kind of splurge that meant I'd be eating Ramen instead of Mac & Cheese for a week. There was no way I could afford the beautiful saddles I ogled in the pages of Just About Horses.

What I could afford was a Western Saddle & Breastcollar Kit from Rio Rondo. I bought one as soon as they came out.

It required some tools I did not have, so I took it home with me at Christmas and raided Dad's garage. He also helped me out by taking me to local Tandy store and paying for some leather dye. Thanks, Dad.

Truth be told, I struggled with that saddle. I had no experience with leatherwork and probably should have started with a simpler kit. More than once I wanted to quit. Dad wouldn't let me, so I kept at it and ended up with something that - while not great - at least looked like a saddle.

After I was done, a funny thing happened: I forgot all about how frustrating that had been and started thinking about the next saddle. I went over the steps in my head, analyzing what worked and what didn't and the changes I would made to ensure a better result.

I was obsessed.

And I stayed obsessed for a really long time.

I often hear young, underfunded performance showers talk about learning how to make tack in an effort to save money. It's a great idea, and I think everyone who is even the littlest bit interested should give it a shot. There are a lot of free and low cost kits and tutorials available now. This blog alone boasts fifty four posts with the Tack Tips label.

Because everything is easier with support, I also recommend enrolling in a tack making workshop at one of the Breyer events...

or participating in International Model Tack Month.

But let me tell you this: If you try it and you don't like it - if after you're done, you think "never again" instead of "how can I make the next one better" - it's perfectly okay to not make your own tack. In fact, it might be the cheaper option.

I spent a lot money learning how to be a good tack maker. I can't even begin to guess the actual amount. 

That was okay because A, I was obsessed and B, I was able to offset (hopefully) most of the costs through tack sales.

Still, when I think back on it, I wonder how different my life might have been, how much money I could have saved if I had just eaten Ramen for a year and bought a saddle from someone else.