Totilas all decked out

[Sanda]

This stuff took me eons to make, but it is all hand made, right down to the buckles The only stuff I didn't make were the jump rings. I don't ride myself so I looked at pictures to model it. It is the first one I made, and is done in real leather. My MBH sucks in comparison to this so I feel like I've improved at least ? I'm really unhappy with the stirrups...I'm conflicted, I don't really want to pay $5USD for them each time I make tack, but it would look so much better. The website RioRondo has ALL the little tack pieces available for sell, conchos for western saddles...pieces to use under the leather to shape the seat...they have it all!

Just thought I'd share since it is model horse related and I'm soooo relieved to be finished haha, it looks more accurate than the real Breyer tack but goodness I'd almost rather just buy those next time!

[kits]

Aw Sanda that's brilliant! I'm so impressed Totilas is lovely too, I wish I had more money/space to collect traditionals.

[sketch]

That's really impressive It looks great!

[Sanda]

Thank you both, I am so glad you guys like it! I really do recommend this mold if you are looking to get another some time Kits, he is really beautiful. I was afraid that a plain black horse may be a bit bland, but they did a beautiful job on his socks, star and eyes to make him expressive and beautiful. PLUS, I am really happy they didn't sculpt him doing the rollkur. My mom just taught me about what that was after I showed her this set (she was familiar with him of course and that he changed ownership). It is so sad, but these days he is being worked with some pretty tough methods, I personally don't agree with training like that.

[helenesbay]

Wow Sanda thats neat :-)

I had no idea Totillas was a real horse before i googled him, so sad to see him all tight up with the rollkur though. I hate that thing, it harms the horse, and it doesn't even look good! I prefer when the horse "bend" more naturally.

I used to ride dressage and some show jumping, and i was actually quit good, but i never really liked the competitions, to me it is sick when a rider stops caring about the horses health and only focus on winning

The last couple of years when i still had the time for horsebackriding, I totally stopped focusing on "classic" riding. I only rode in the forest/fields - It was all about the partnership and relation to the horse. I had a particular strong bond with one horse, she was afraind of everything when i started training her, but at last I didn't really need reins to control her, she knew exactly what i wanted from her, and I didn't force her to do anything.

Sadly the owners wanted to use the horse for competitions, so they fired me as trainer, and got another girl to ride her. At first the horse did well in the competitions, (probably thanks to all my work) but the new rider ruined the horse and at last she got put down I cried for weeks when i heard - she was really the perfect horse for me <3

After that i have just hated most competition riders

Okay sad stories aside - I really like your work on Totilas Sanda, he looks fantastic :-)

[kits]

Aww, that's so sad, about Totilas and the horse you rode At least she had a lovely period in her life whilst you were her trainer, some horses don't even get that.

[Sanda]

That is really sad Helene, I am so sorry to hear that I imagine it is a difficult subject for people like yourself who put their morals before results. Owners have different ideas about what direction to take the training in. It really is beyond disgusting. I can't believe that "trainer" worked the horse to death, that is just sickening. I don't blame you for feeling resentment about competition work, I do too and i don't even ride or train.

Gosh another horrid thing is the Big Lick crap we do with Tennessee walkers here in the US. The people who do it are delusional for the most part, they genuinely don't see anything wrong with it. I looked at a video of it on Youtube and the uploader kept claiming "oh we don't do THAT stuff" but if you looked at the gait it was clearly achieved with abuse and the back legs of the horse exhibited unusual looking musculature in my opinion (a horse shouldn't look like that when it walks...) Plenty of people have Tennessee Walkers and don't do that disgusting shoeing with them. They apparently are good solid horses to use for other types of sports but have that reputation for just having that freakish gait thanks to the jerks who do the Big Lick. After learning about the rollkur I asked my mom if western riding had issues like that, she told me about the bizarre way that has gotten popular to make the western pleasure horses hold their necks. Their heads dip below the withers if you draw a straight line out from the withers. That can't be too healthy or comfortable either, poor horses.