Copperfox Challenge Day 8 (#CDCDay8)

Copperfox Challenge Day 8:   Join a Model Horse Group, Forum or Club (#CDCDay8)

There are so many fabulous groups, forums and clubs out there both online and offline to join, all over the world. Joining a group (or forum or club) is a way to chat to other like minded individuals about your models, to share ideas and be part of the community that has the same interest as you.

This is a tough challenge, only because I have been involved in the online model horse community for a number of years now and am already signed up as a member pretty much anywhere I have an interest! Plus.. blogs need pictures and this is, on first look, a non-photogenic type of question (Hmmm…).. but I shall do my best..

To start, among many bookmarks I have in my “Model Horse” folder, I have the company websites for Breyer, Peter Stone Horses and Copperfox Model Horses. 

Random Model Horse Photo 🙂

I’ve been a member on Model Horse Sales Pages (“MHSP”) for several years and recently bought several items from listings on there. In the last few days alone I’ve connected with some new-to-me fellow hobbyists on Facebook, which has been fun.

A few of my new tack pieces from MHSP 🙂 

 

I find Model Horse Blab to be my most entertaining and enlightening message board in the hobby and I have been visiting it daily for several months now.  It’s an active community and there are often new posts and threads to discover.

I also visit several model horse blogs, some more often than others, but my current favorites include:  Breyer History Diva, Desktop Stables, and Braymere Custom Saddlery.

I bought new horses from fellow collectors for the first time,

Thank you Kay Koeller!

Thank you Nikki Hertzog!

and have begun to prepare for a live model horse show in my area (Pocono Ponies Live for those who need to  know!).

Practicing proper tacking up for performance classes.

Incidentally you can search for and find live model horse shows through North American Model Horse Shows Association (“NAMHSA”) as well as through Model Horse Blab.

So.. I’ve got a challenge posted WITH photos to go with it. I’m so proud. More tomorrow!

 

Copperfox Challenge Day 7 (#CDCDay7)

Copperfox Challenge Day 7:   Share your favourite piece in your model horse collection (#CDCDay7)
What is that piece in your collection that you would never part with? It is the first model you owned, a customized model or a piece of hand crafted tack?

I have many favorites in my model horse collection of over 250 pieces.  I have models from my childhood “carpet herd”, models I was so excited to buy because it was the first time I had my own money to spend, and I have special models picked up at a fleamarket that are considered rare and very novel to fellow colleagues.  

Though all of them are precious in their own way, probably my most novel and likely most valuable is this guy:

Stone Equilocity 2012 T-Shirt Fun – Tennessee Walking Horse

I was one of 12? very lucky visitors at The Peter Stone Company Equilocity Event who was “in the right place at the right time”.  A small group of models, custom painted with a “tropical flair” were given out at random to visitors who wore their Peter Stone Company T-Shirts and were spotted by one of the staff at the Stone Company.  It so happened that I was in the main sales room at Equilocity when Peter Stone himself caught me proudly wearing my shirt.  I was exuberant and took a few minutes to decide which of those lovely models would come home with me.

Copperfox Challenge Day 6 (#CDCday6)

Copperfox Challenge Day 6:   Find a new artist/sculptor/tackmaker that you don’t already know about (#CDCday5)

Today’s challenge is about finding something new. Trot onto the Internet and find the work of a new artist, sculptor, tack maker, hobbyist- anyone within the model horse hobby that you don’t know about… yet!

This challenge comes on the perfect day!  I just discovered, through a friend on FB that some of my favorite Breyer models were in fact sculpted by Susan Carlton Sifton.  I just friended her on Facebook, and now I look forward to seeing more of her work with Breyer 🙂 

Here are a few photos of my own models based on Sue’s sculpts:

Thank you Kay Koeller!

Copperfox Challenge Day 5 (#CDCday5)

Day 5:   Create something for your models or try a new skill (#CDCDay5)
The model horse hobby is full of things to create both for your models or using your models. Today’s the day to be brave and have a go at creating that jump for your models or to have a go at painting your horse’s hooves.

4:27pm Eastern US time….
OK.. so I wanted to jump the gun and do Day 5 early.. but I’m at work right now, and CAN’T create/try anything right now, so.. in the mean time.. here are a few photos of past projects I’ve done:

My first (adult) attempt at re-painting.. a few Breyer doggies that needed a new look..

Two cats I repainted- and experimented with chalks..

Cutest model cat namesakes ever.. Meet “Lily”…

….and her mommy, “Jasmine”(together ..because Lily can’t LIVE without her mommy. This is one of the few photos where Jasmine is out front/ on top.. because usually Lily crashes Jasmine’s nap and piles literally on top of her!).

More tonight…

Copperfox Challenge Day 4 (#CDCday4)

Day 4:   Your Favourite Model Horse Picture (#CDCday4)

What is your most favourite model horse picture? Maybe you already have one or maybe you can create a new one?

This photo is part of a series I did playing around with a barn and some fun accessories.  I just love this because the animals all look so expressive 🙂

“Little Ginger is out on one of her her early explorations of the big wide world beyond the comfy stall she was born into.  She is a friendly little foal, and looks to makes new friends right away.  Snowball the Samoyed looks on with calm amusement as tiny puppy Buttercup and Ginger try to make friends with Bluey the Butterfly.  Mom, Nightingale joins in the fun with her own curious eye.”

 

Copperfox Challenge Day 3 (#CDCday3)

Day 3:    Be a Model Horse (#CDCday3)

Imagine yourself as a model horse. What colour would you be? What mould would you be created on? What scale?

I really like the traditional sized Breyer Bluegrass Bandit.. and of course a beautiful subtle dappled palomino with lovely metallic highlights and lots ‘o “chrome” would be my obvious choice of coloring.  Below are photos that show the mold (but not the color), and the color (but on a different mold).  Combine the two and you know what I’d look like as a horse 🙂

This Mold:

In This Color:

Or Maybe This One:

But then I like this mold too… Oh decisions decisions!!

Copperfox Challenge Day 2 (#CDCDay2)

From the Copperfox Blog:
Day 2:  Name your model or barn (#CDCDay2)

Have a go at naming the most recent addition to your herd by giving them a show name, stable name and pet name. As further ideas, why not do the same for your barn or stable yard and then make a barn tour video?

My most recent addition to my barn was actually THREE new stable friends that all arrived this week!  I definitely have some catch-up on names to do with my new purchases in 2015, but for now I’ll concentrate on these pretty ponehs.

Stone DAH 2016 – Tennessee Walking Horse in palomino: Armend (“mind of gold”)
Stone DAH 2016 – Trotting Drafter in buckskin: Hickory – just because it fits 🙂
Breyer WEG 2010 – Roxy in palomino: Rayna (“Beautiful to Gaze Upon”)

For now, here is a casual picture, taken of the three upon opening:

 I’ll post official photos in the appropriate Flickr collections (My Stone Inventory | My Breyer Inventory)

My virtual stable was born as “Clover Lake Stables” back in the 1980s.  I officially considered the activities I did with my model horses a hobby while I was a 4-H member and several of those activities were done through my local 4-H horse club. I always liked their symbol – a 4 leaf clover, so that was the first part.  I have also liked scenic lakes, and daydream of owning a big property with a lovely lake shaped like a clover, so thus was born “Clover Lake Stables”.  

A couple years ago I renamed my virtual property to Clover Lake Acres, to encompass not just my horses, but my dogs, other animals and various activities (in my virtual world of course though I have done real life dog training instruction!)

Nowadays, when I daydream of being involved in training animals or people, I like to use the name the “Eclectic Approach”.  I am fascinated with training theories and techniques and pride myself on using any number of these to best suit my particular client or animal, real life (“RL”) or virtual.