Hercules Tack

I find myself making tack that doesn't actually exist outside of my work bench, and that is thoroughly exciting! (I also find myself using exclamation points often)


This set of "herc" tack is going to my friend Lindsay in the great state of Texas. We know each other via a game called Horseisle, it has consumed a great deal of our childhood, and she asked me if I could do something that has never been done before; make a set of tack from the game for a model horse. She recently had two of her favorite horses commissioned from Sakori's Customs, this set will be for "Josie" who is painted on the Othello mold.

I took a few up-close shots of the tack via Horseisle library, and a reference photo of the tack in proportion to Josie's body in game. From these photos I started to make the set.

Josie the Shire horse with all of her Hercules tack on

Bridle

Saddle Pad

Saddle

Work began with the bridle for Jos

Luckily I have a Wintersong to body double for Josie

Then the saddle progressed in various stages of doing and undoing over the course of about two weeks (due to weather being so nice then not so nice, etc.) Progress photos are available via the ZHTack group! Feel free to request membership, everyone will be accepted. Step-by-step progression will be shown for every set of tack I make.

The finished saddle is my favorite, for obvious reasons, and for the fact that I created something that does not physically exist except here, now, on my table! I am very excited for the opportunity to create a unique set.

If you ask my friends they will say that the saddle pad was my least favorite part of the set to make. Over several days I complained about how horrid the pad made the set look, and how I wanted to just "half-butt" the pad for time sake. Alas from their support I persevered and the saddle pad was born. I cannot forget to credit my mom for countless 3-minute brainstorming conversations to inspire the final pad design, and to crawl towards finishing this lovely set. 

I want to thank Linds for allowing some creative freedom, and for my full head of hair that remains only because of concessions made on design for convenience sake and safety of the models. 

Here displayed is the saddle pad, saddle, girth, and bridle

Josie's Maryland double all tacked up

Next I will be working on a pegasus saddle set for Nirvana (Vana)!