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Written by Caroline Hodges- Stonewall Saddlery
Buying, making and using miniature tack for your model horses is an extremely fun part of the hobby! There are miniature tack makers all over the world who try their best to create as near perfect replicas of real life tack to grace your model collection as they can. Here I’m going to introduce you to a few useful tips for beginning tack making and also how to care and fit your tack properly. In all aspects of using and making miniature tack, I recommend researching and looking at model horses’ real life counterparts. Remember that the model horse hobby is about realism to real life horses and riding!
Tack Making
Making your own tack sounds like a great idea!! You’ll be able to make everything you need for every type of performance class there is! And maybe even sell some to fellow hobbyists!
It’s true that good quality miniature tack can be very expensive. There is a reason for this. Hours and hours of work must go into every single item to make it as good as it can be. From experience I can tell you that it is never ever worth taking a shortcut. There are no shortcuts. If you want the results to be as realistic as possible, you need to be willing to put in the work, and this can range from a couple to over 24 hours for a single item. Remember also that parts (bits, saddle trees, stirrups etc) are pretty expensive themselves! A pair of stirrups for example cost around £5 and cast bits anywhere from £3 to £8. Many people don’t realise this when they look at the prices of miniature tack. It is important to remember that to make you a piece of tack, a tack maker must first invest in the parts. So please, never ever order a piece of tack, then refuse to pay once it’s complete.
Another factor which is important to remember when beginning to explore the idea of tack making is the cost required to get started. You will need many tools – pliers, many types of glue, leather dyes, leather tools for tooling, needles, countless different colours and types of thread, a sewing machine… the list goes on. You will find yourself endlessly adding to your hoard of supplies – I know I do! This takes a huge chunk out of any profits you are likely to make.
You also need to be prepared to do hours of research and be willing to make constant improvements to your tack. You must know how tack should fit, how a bridle is put together, what tack is worn by what kind or breed of horse and which bits can be used for which activity.
Thinking again about making your own tack? Don’t! Always have a try, it can be very very rewarding when you finally make and win a class with a tack set you’ve made yourself, or received a compliment about a piece! I’m just letting you know that though making instead of buying tack seems like it will save you money, it won’t – at least not for the first few years! You are likely to save yourself both time and money by buying a set than buying materials and attempting four or five times before you get your project looking anywhere near correct. But, if you’re willing to put time and money into researching, practicing and completing your tack, I’d recommend you give it a go! Here are a few tips to get your tack looking smart and correct.
· Always add tiny leather keepers to buckles and straps. They’re fiddly to do but really do make a difference in keeping excess leather out of the way and looking smart.
· Don’t take shortcuts. Always use as many buckles as a real bridle would have, even though you figure you’ll only ever adjust from one side, use them on all sides. It looks more realistic, and will help you get that perfect fit. Why make Photo Show quality tack, when you could make Live Show and use the same set for both?
· Make sure the set you are making is correct for the activity and breed of horse you are making it for. Finding it is incorrect afterwards would be very disheartening.
· Look to real tack for inspiration. If you want to know how a saddle is put together, take a look at a real saddle. Even if you don’t have your own horse, you could take a trip to your local stables and explain why you would like to take a look at their tack room. You’ll find they are both intrigued and very helpful about your activities!
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