Harnessing the past

I would be remiss if I didn't share pictures of the four harnesses that accompanied the Marie Welch stagecoach.

Alas, that is the only picture I have of the entire set. As Trish told me so many years ago, these harnesses were sewn onto the models. 

We took them off the bays, and now they're staying off, at least for the foreseeable future.

Instead, I tried to lay out the pieces of one of the harnesses in a way that made sense. It was harder than I expected!

I did a better job of capturing the details of the collars. 

The hames are made of hand-bent wood. Rather than relying on glue, the wire pieces are attached to the wood through tiny holes. 

Here's one of the other collars shown on the horse.

Remember, this was made decades before Rio Rondo. 

There is no mass produced, specialty hardware here.

It's all beads, jump rings and shaped wire.

Three of the Zaras have holes drilled in the corners of their mouths for ease of bitting.

The fourth Zara's bit is secured with a nearly invisible piece of thread.

Like Pecan's halter, most of the leather is stiff and brittle with age. The collar, the saddle, the blinders and the breeching are made of pleather and have fared significantly better. In fact, they look almost as good as new.

None of this is modern live show quality, but for its age, it's completely amazing. Trisha's grandmother was not a model horse hobbyist, but she was an accomplished horse woman and artist. Her work reflects her knowledge, ingenuity and attention to detail. I am honored to have it in my collection.