HorsehairBraider

Nice job, it looks great! I've always just used a piece of rawhide for a core. One time I was going to use a piece of an old nylon rope (that had been used for roping calves, but was pretty shot) but I could not find a good way to work with it, so I just went back to the rawhide. I'd think you could use about anything though.

Not sure how you figure you're getting worse. It looks like you have the strings in the right sequence, that's what most people struggle with.

Nice! And if you're going to crack it in the house, watch out for the furniture and picture frames too!

Name's Jacquee' but that's kind of hard to spell. Not that it's a secret... just a struggle for most people. And I use the name "HorsehairBraider" because, well, I'm a horsehair braider. Most people know me as a horsehair braider so it just made sense. to everyone!

Hi Cindy - when I make a bridle, I just use an old one that I know will fit the horse in question for the measurements. It can be quite deceiving. I have a very beautiful stallion and due to his presence and movement people think he is a large horse - yet his head is pony-sized. Some stuff is kind of standardized, like most full-size horse browbands usually measure 12" from the top edge of the headstall over the forehead to the other top edge of the headstall, but the best thing is to measure the horse in question, if you can. I've had good luck with the Bruce Grant books, and I've heard great things about the Gail Hought books but I have never seen them myself. I also think these people: U-Braid-It have some good stuff, good books and so on with directions how to make tack.

I just thread them on. Here is a set of romal reins I just made for a customer, made of horsehair and thread: It's different in a way because I am using an 8-strand round braid here, and also of course these are miniatures, but I do it the same way on a full-sized set.

How sad. He was one of the greats and really got people thinking. He will be missed.

Welcome Rob! I'm sure your bike will look very cool with a little braid work on it. When you get some of it done please post pictures! And in the meantime have fun learning braiding and knots, it is a great way to spend time.

Hi - I think I already told you about this site, and perhaps it did not work for you, but just in case you missed it the first time here it is again: Knot Heads World Wide . There are lots of tutorials on the site under the section marked tutorials... and I know there are pineapple knots included. Since there are a variety maybe there will be one there that catches your fancy.

There is a fine hole punching tool which can be purchased at Tandy's... let's see... Hand Sewing Punch and it's the third item down. I have punched very small holes with it. I make miniature tack and this is the punch I use for the little tiny holes for my little tiny buckle toungues. This is a model horse like a Breyer:

Here's a site that has some tutorials on knot tying: Knot Heads World Wide And of course there is the "bible" of knot tying, The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford W. Ashley, which I think is available on Amazon. That's got every knot you could think of and some you never dreamed existed!

That's an interesting article, thank you. Their comments on how some of these oils are good but just have certain drawbacks was very cool - I had always noticed that some oils came right back out and I always wondered why! That's too bad about neat's foot oil - but I've used it and it works. I sometimes use Lexol but for most of my life I've been using corn oil. Now I can understand why they are different.

Beautiful work and exquisite knotting! What a joy to see this today. Thank you.

That's a good point - maybe it is a regional term. Where I grew up no self-respecting cowboy would use a snaffle where other people might catch him at it, so maybe that's why I never heard anyone call it that.

Huh - we always called those "curb straps". Nice job! However I would encourage you to tie some more substantial knot in the center of each side, where you have a ring knot between the center of it and the two parts that go over the bit. The reason is, when you actually use one, the curb strap has to sort of stay put and not slide. Maybe your ring knot is secure enough to not slide until you want it, but it's something to think about. And I can't tell you how often I have been a victim of my own lack of math skills! Nice way to save the situation.

Does your mother live on or near her acreage where she can see the yaks? If so, ask her to try and notice how the little one urinates (from the center of the belly or out the back...) as long as she is not too proper to notice such things! I'd love to try yak fiber. I always wanted to try quiviut but did not have the budget for it... and it was not as though I lacked fiber to spin. As a professional shearer I used to have the pick of the cream of the crop.

Google is your friend: Albion wins Contract

How's the little yaklet doing? Any hints yet as to gender? I've heard yak fiber is comparable to quiviut (which comes from the musk oxen, of course, and is outrageously expensive) but I've never tried any. We used to know a fellow in ID that had a yak bull but the bull roamed wild on the guy's 1,000 acres of mountain property and he never got any fiber from him while I knew him. But I'll bet yak fiber would be really great spun up fine and then knitted into a lace shawl! I've heard it is very warm for its weight.

Johanna, yaks do shed out a soft downy undercoat in the spring, and then shed out the long guard hairs. If you are lucky you can collect the softer stuff without too much guard hair in it. These fibers were traditionally made into clothing and yurts by the herdsmen who raised the yaks. They are probably a little too unruly to shear. I used to shear professionally and sheared goats, sheep, alpacas and llamas but was never asked to shear a yak! I am sure I would have said "No way!"

GASP! You mean you didn't check when you had the chance? Goodness, that's the first thing I check for on a baby animal! I could say all sorts of tasteless jokes here, but I'll just tell you I have a friend who refers to "the coin slot" (because females are usually worth more than males in most livestock animals).

Well I don't hitch, I braid (but I bet you already figured that out!). I know a little about hitching through knowing some hitchers a long time ago and watching them work, but I'm probably no use to you there. On the knot tied in between the hair part and the leather, I personally would use a pineapple type knot "that fits". It would depend how big a piece you are covering, and the width of your strings, what actual knot you would use. I like the way a pineapple knot can get good and tight so that would be my choice for covering such an area.

How exciting! What a total cutie pie! With some animals, they say that you can "imprint" them by handling them very early in life, so perhaps he will be better behaved than the freezer yak. If not - you already know that they taste good! But seriously, congratulations, and have fun with the little darling!

Well, you are in UT, so your religious theme should go over well there. As a long time artist at these sorts of things... and I sure hope you take no offense because it is not meant that way... you should find a bigger piece of "white stuff" to shoot your photos against. They will look far more professional than when you have your work bench or tools showing in the background. Get a sheet, or maybe a white shower curtain, and use that for your background on all your photos and I think that will make them look more "artistic"! (Personally, I found a white silk bath robe that I would *NEVER* really wear, so that my work will look nice with a silk background.) This is nice work and deserves the extra attention to detail. Why not "WOW" the jury? You can do it, so go for it! And best of luck at your show. I believe you will get approved (although, if you don't, don't take it personally) and I really hope you do GREAT!

Yes, perhaps you could clarify? That would really help to see your point. An artist's work is "copyrighted" as soon as they create it... this has been well upheld in law. If you are going to copy someone, you need to make your own significant creative changes. Otherwise you could be in trouble. However there are only so many ways you can make a boat. Even so you can not (legally) slavishly copy someone else's boat. You have to have some originality. Personally I think this is only fair. But I would like to see your examples, to better understand what you mean. Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree here.

Yes, and with each type of braid, you can learn to vary the pattern according to your whim. So if you want stripes straight up and down, or spirals etc. you can vary where the colors start out to get the different patterns. Best way to learn this is get two colors of something, and then braid away! Try putting all of one color on one side, and all of the other color on the other. Try alternating on each side. Try every combination you can imagine! Most of them will produce an interesting pattern. In my horsehair work I frequently get people asking if I can put more than one color in a bracelet. It gets so that you can figure out what pattern you want for that braid without really spending a lot of time thinking about it. The 8-strand I use is different than what most people use, so I have to put my different colors in different positions. I don't use the "normal" 8-strand very often, so for that one, I have to stop and think a minute to remember how to get different patterns!