Pink progress

Most of my huntseat sets are more or less the same, but I'm trying to shake things up a little with Purdy's pink pony jumper set. To that end, I've built my first five point breastplate.  

 It took a couple tries to get the fit right, but I'm pleased with the results.

I also added stirrups and stirrup leathers. 

The leathers are pretty standard...

but the stirrup pads are pink. So cute and so ridiculous! 

I still have the boots and bridle left to do. I wonder how many more new ways I can come up with to make this set Purdy-er than average?

Longhopes Open House

Longhopes Donkey Shelter celebrated its fifteen anniversary with an Open House yesterday.

Festivities included free food, a silent auction, door prizes, donkey rides, stable tours and lots and lots of donkey cuddling.

I love Longhopes, so this was a must attend event for me. I was accompanied by James... 

and Jennifer Scott.

As soon as we arrived, we headed straight for the pastures and made a surprising discovery--James' foal whispering powers didn't translate well to donkeys. Despite his best efforts, none of the Longhopes were very interested in him.

Then Della bit him.

I thought it was game over, but fortunately, a white faced jenny named Annika saved the day.

Her gentle personality more than made up for Della's transgressions.

True love.

She could live in our backyard, right? 

Speaking of which, I know these two would be happy in Jenn's backyard. Come on, Jenn, you know you want them!

When we were finally able to separate James and Annika, we headed over to the donkey rides. 

We stood in line and then James climbed aboard a great big donkey named Buster Brown. 

Okay, I admit it--I was a little bit jealous. I want to ride a donkey, too! 

Despite the rough start, this was a really fun day for humans... 

and donkeys alike. 

Thanks for coming with me, James and Jenn. I can't wait to do it again next year!

My new halter

Mystyc broke my halter.

It didn't take much. After all, that halter...

Pat, 1984

 was more than thirty years old!

Snickers and Jeremy in 1985

Mystyc has her own halter, but I don't like it. Rope halters aren't my favorite anyway, but this one is too big and battered...

and does not flatter Mystyc's pretty face. 

Every time I tie that rope halter onto her head, I think about buying something better so I was pretty happy when I got my flier for this year's Dover tent sale. Leather halters for less than twenty dollars?  I'm in!

I drove out to Parker this morning... 

and claimed my halter! 

The leather is a little stiff and stinky...

but Mystyc looks beautiful in it...

and I am pleased with the newest addition to my tack collection!

Think pink

I know it's hard to believe, but there was a time when I didn't make brightly colored tack.  Everything was dark brown or black or tan.  If there had to be an accent color, it was something dark and conservative like hunter green or burgundy.

Then I met Tiffany Purdy, and my whole world turned pink!

I made pink halters,

pink bridles,

even a pink Western saddle!

Over the years I've joked about making a pink English saddle, but in my experience, real life pink English saddles look really, really cheap.  I may be okay with pink, but cheap?  Not so much.

That changed earlier this year when photos of this pink and black Devoucoux started making the rounds.  I took one look and thought, "I could do that!"

Photo by Stacey Kimmel/Behind the Bit

So I did.

Obviously, this is not an exact copy.  The flap is simplified, and I rearranged the distribution of the pink.  

Still, I think it works. 

In fact, I'm surprised at how much I like this set.  I might even have to make a pink English saddle for myself, because once you start thinking pink it's impossible to stop!  

New horses

I know I keep saying "no more unpainted resins," but sometimes I have to make an exception...  and Emilia Kurila's Heritage is exceptional in every sense of the word!

I fell in love with this sculpture last fall when he appeared in Emilia's Head Sculpting tutorial.  Painted or not--I am so pleased to have him in my collection!

Heritage isn't the only new horse this week.  

This little filly was born over the weekend, but I just met her yesterday.  She's half Lipizzan and will eventually turn grey.

The foal whisperer and I look forward to getting to know her better!

Inevitable

It's hard to believe, but I've never actually made Tiffany a pink saddle.

I suppose this was inevitable!

This chai's for you

I always like it when customers send pictures of their models wearing my tack, but Margaret Balch's recent Facebook post was especially wonderful.  

She wrote: When you do business with Jennifer at Braymere Custom Saddlery, you know that it's not tea that comes in these boxes, it's something much more exciting! 

This status update, and its accompanying photos, spawned a lively conversation in which I professed my love for Celestial Seasonings Chai Tea and my frustration with having to purchase it at WalMart.

A couple weeks later, the UPS man made an unexpected delivery.

Woo hoo!  

What an incredibly generous and thoughtful gift. 

Thank you so much, Margaret. 

This Chai's for you!