Custom Mini Model Horses

I've been thinking about customizing some draft horses... so I went out to the pasture to do a little research. Please pardon the dirt. Pete, on the left, is a Percheron gelding. Titan, his best buddy, is a bay roan Clydesdale gelding. Pete has more width and bulk, while Titan is leggier and more narrow. Here I even noticed the difference in their faces—see the how the distance between their eyes are different, as well as from eye to nostril. Titan's tail is naturally long, whereas Pete's has been docked. Notice the different shaped hindquarters. A custom mini model horse inspired by Pete

There's another challenge for DIY hobbyists and it is National Model Tack Month! Hanna Bear is hosting it on Facebook. Like National Model Painting Month, this is an opportunity for artists of all levels to work on a project with the support of an online community. I am loving these challenges and the positive vibes they bring to our hobby. More about the group can be found here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1864585590421445/permalink/2041827066030629/ It isn't too late to join and start your own tack project. Personally, I enjoy showing in showmanship and in-hand classes with my Stablemate models. (Less tack and no rider dolls to make hold the reins, just a handler and judge.) Another western halter would come in handy—so that will be my goal for the month... which I didn't get done this year.

Kristen Donato did a wonderful job hosting Save The Tigers Model Horse Show at the fairgrounds in Hillard, Ohio. With both a youth show and a NAN show, the hall was busy with about 57 showers and nine divisions. Custom minis were a smaller division held after the traditional customs and were double judged on breed and workmanship. Performance was open to all size models. I was excited to debut a few new custom minis, including: Buttercup, a Breyer Pony CM to a Walk, shown as a half-Halflinger mare Heart B Dyna, a CM driving horse to a portrait mule, who took home the overall performance champ Margit and feline friend, a CM from the Breyer pony I never want to interrupt the judges by taking photos and be “that shower”, but I did get a few photos of the lovely custom minis at the show: As for performance, there were a few other showers showing minis: A lovely trail set-up with a tiny mailbox A micro-mini trail entry showing the ...

From trail classes to jumps, poles are part of performance classes. Wood dowels cut to 3.75 inches (for 10 ft long poles) or 4.5 inches (for 12 ft long poles) are easy enough to trim to size with a small saw. But painting them without painting my fingers is another story. I just repainted a few I had lying around by spraying them white with primer, using a clip to hold one end. When dry, I flipped it over in the clip and sprayed the other end. To add a little color, I put painter’s tape over each end and painted the middle with a paint brush and acrylics. The width of the tape was an easy way to measure how much white to leave. The tape was also a perfect place for resting the poles while they dry. The pink paint needed a little clean up after the tape was removed. Then it’s back to the clip for a quick spray of matte finish. And my fingers (and desk) were relatively free of paint!

I am getting ready for the Save The Tigers Model Horse Show on Saturday, and I thought I'd spiff up my performance entries a little with arena bases. My goals here were to keep to a small budget and a manageable size. For the first one, I found a wall hanging at Walmart—a picture frame without glass or a matte for about $5.00. I removed the hook from the back so it would lie flat on the table and a clip from the front. I also found a 3 lb. bag of kinetic sand for $13.00. (Regular sand can be done, but I usually make a mess of it.) Honestly, I'm a little worried about sand scratching my models, but it does look neat. The fence is made of hobby wood (the small Popsicle sticks) and is removable for easy, flat storage. It stands 1 3/4 inches above the edge of the arena. Just a note, I steer clear of balsa wood because it is so fragile. Picture frame base about 6 x 8.5 inches. 3 lbs of kinetic sand isn't a lot. Quick! Unlike regular sand, kinetic sand h...

Stablemate Flowerpots from Model Train Flowers inside Horse Dewormer Cap “Planters”

National Paint a Model Horse Month 2018 - Heart B Dyna portrait model

Mirado by Maggie Bennett, Cob by Sommer Prosser, and Running Mare by Kitty Cantrell I’m excited about the new Stablemate molds that are now a little easier to find! You may find both the Cob (in the surprise pack) and the Running Mare (part of a mystery foal set with the Andalusian and G4 Standing Foal) in stores, while Mirado is a 2017 Stablemate Collectors Club model. Mirado mold with Andalusian tracing At first glance, I thought Mirado was a little long in the back, but then I looked at photos of Andalusian horses and found him to be a wonderful fit for that breed. Here is a tracing of a real horse (in blue) over the model. Some thoughts on customizing this mold would be to look at his nostrils—maybe they could be more open because he is cantering; and his front pasterns might need a little cleaning up. Cob Mold with Glypsy Vanner Tracing  The little Cob horse is a cutie that we first saw as a Christmas ornament. I have traced a Gypsy Vanner horse over his ...