Thankful!

I am thankful for many, many things. But here's something for which I am especially grateful.

Abby! 

(I need to get her a selfie stick for Christmas...)

Buggies and Wagons and Buckboards, Oh My!

Tim purchases old wagons and buggies and restores them. Some he sells, others he keeps in the new barn by the indoor arena.

Today I went into the workroom to get a salt block and just had to take a few pictures of the ones currently parked in the barn aisle.

 There's a whole row of them!

 Some of quite unusual or rare, like this 1822 paddy wagon.

It has been borrowed by museums and other places for festivals and the like.

 He's restored and repaired all of them.

 Some are still works in progress. 

The paddy wagon is my favorite, although I am awfully fond of the sleigh that Tim is working on in the shop. I'll try to get pictures of that next time.

Downsizing Fun

I don't collect customized Breyer models, although I do have three early 1970s ones (Pace's Hi Hopes, Scojeadon (I think that's her name), and Midwest Tumbleweed, all by a woman named Sherry Cook.)

And, there's this guy:

 Champaign Toast made by Tiffany Conwell (Purdy) in 1995.

 She brought him to the third Lincoln Land Live (a model show I hosted back in the mid 1990s) and I fell in love with him! After the show, I purchased him and have owned him ever since.

He's a nice piece of hobby history, and Tiffany has gone on to become one of the top artists in the hobby.

But, as I said, I really don't collect the customized Breyers - I prefer the original finish, and the vintage ones at that. I am also downsizing my collection (well, in SOME ways I am... haha!) So, when I was cleaning out my hobby closet over Fall Break and found Champaign Toast tucked away in a box, I thought about who I knew that might enjoy him, thinking that I would just surprise someone with an early Purdy custom.

Jennifer Buxton, came to mind. She is a very good friend of Tiffany's. She's also the one who made me the miniature halter with Abby's name on it as well as a set of sleigh bells that are my real-horse bells only downsized for model horses. Jennifer's tack is the best of the best, and she's also a genuinely nice person. Who better to surprise than her?

So, I popped him in a box and shipped him off last week.

 

(Picture of Jennifer by James Buxton and used with permission.)

Jennifer was so excited to receive him! I am delighted he has gone to her.

Circus Pony Pin

Besides my wedding rings, this pin is my favorite piece of jewelry.

I found it at a junk shop in tiny Gilman, Illinois back in the early 1990s. It was missing a few rhinestones and the pin was broken, so I sent it to an acquaintance, Nan Wagner, and had her repair it. I wear it often and it makes me smile every time.

I've never seen another one like it until yesterday. I was doing a search for "circus pony" looking for something else, when to my surprise, an image popped up of a similar pin. I followed the link to this:

1940s Enamel and Rhinestone Figural Circus Horses Brooch

Presenting a rhodium-plated beauty . . . two circus horses in colored headdress. One is enameled black with white accents; the other is fully rhinestone'd, with black front stockings. The back is bright silvertone and very smooth, typical of the quality figural pieces made in the late 1930s and early 1940s. There appears to be one small stone missing; if I can find a perfect match, I'll pop it in for you. Minor loss of enamel on the rear horse's headdress; other than those items, this dynamic horsey duo is in excellent condition. Measures just shy of 3" across. Unsigned.

Circus Pony Pin $75 from Retro Jewels on Ruby Lane, Gaithersburg, MD

Mine has a goldtone backing and is stamped with a manufacturer symbol...

...an "MB" on the front leg of one of the horses.

I'm thrilled to have found some information on a pin that appears related to mine, and  plan to keep my eyes open for more.

Photo Shoot

Here are some of the pictures of Abby that were sent to North Salisbury Living for the article they are doing about her.

 My daughter-in-love, Vanessa, took them for me as a surprise for Mother's Day.

 I love Abby's "Egyptian" eyes.

 She loves to have her itchy spots scratched!

 I also am fond of the black spots on her upper lip.

Cleaning the Hobby Closet

Last weekend was Fall Break, and so I cleaned out my hobby closet, a task I had had on my summer to-do list, but never accomplished. This time I got it done.

I pulled out all kinds of things from Johnny West dolls, Thunderbolt, old hobby magazines, ribbons I had won with my horses and my collection, and more. It was a real walk down memory lane.

It also made a big mess in the horse room.

 Yeesh!! I can't believe I actually got all that stuff put back away in the closet. But I did!

I found a real treasure - this painting. It's not Abby, even though it sure looks like her.

That's a painting of Amy, my very first horse and my favorite of all time. It was because of the similarity to Amy that I bought Abby - I truly had no intention of ever owning a horse again.

The mother of my pen pal, Sue Seese, was a talented artist. She painted portraits and full body paintings of horses and sold them. (A restaurant in Los Angelos displayed them, and once we ate there when I was in California visiting Sue. It was fun seeing Mrs. Seese's horse paintings all over the dining area!) Her mom sent me this one as a gift. She also did one of Cee and another of me riding bareback on Amy that she also gave me, and they are tucked away in that closet, too.

Finding that painting made me nostalgic and even a little sad. I really loved that horse. But I think my favorite discovery tucked in those boxes of memories were these blankets.

I made them for two of my model horses to wear way back when I was in elementary school. I free handed the embroidery and the "brand" on Sham's blanket. (I still have Apache Joe and Sham in my collection - two oldies and well loved.)

The blankets need washing, but I doubt I will do that - they are so old and delicate, I would hate to have them disintegrate on me. But I did not put them back into their box; I put them in with my current hobby items. That way I will see them any time I putter with my collection.

Get Your Hoofprint now!

Get your Abby hoof print now - she's going to be featured in a magazine. A very SMALL magazine, but one nonetheless.

Our town has a monthly magazine for residents, and there is a pet featured every month. After a continuous round of cats and dogs (which I love, don't get me wrong), I decided that a change might be nice, checked into how the pet of the month was selected, and submitted Abby as a possibility.

She was chosen!

I had to fill out this questionnaire so they can write the article, and I need to get some high resolution photos to them. (My cell phone snaps just don't make the grade.)

Here's the questionnaire:

Family Member Names: Lynn and Craig Isenbarger

Pet’s Name: Abby
Type of Animal/Breed: Horse, Appaloosa

Male or Female: Mare

Pet’s Age: about 15

Where/why did you get your pet? 

In March, 2012 I went with my sister to Indiana Horse Rescue in Frankfort to look at a horse she was hoping to buy. When we walked out into the pasture, I spied Abby (known then as “Sassy”) and was struck by how much she looked like my very first horse, Amy. (I actually burst into tears; I’ve owned many horses, but Amy was my favorite.) I was currently horseless and had NO plans to get one any time soon. But the resemblance was uncanny, and so I spent some time with her, then went home and talked to my husband, Craig, about adopting her. He had no objections, so I found a place close by to keep her and began the adoption process!

Is there a story behind its name? 

“Abby” is very close to “Amy” but that is only part of the story. When I was a child, a friend had a lovely Appaloosa mare whose name was “Abby.” The name popped into my mind and I never considered another!

Anything special or unusual about them (talents/quirks)?

She LOVES candy canes! I buy tons during the post-Christmas sales and keep them in the trunk of my car for her. And she comes when I call her or if she sees my car pull up to the barn. She hustles right up for a visit (and her candy canes.) Also, Abby limped for over a year after I got her - when she was rescued from her abusive situation, her hooves had been neglected for a long time. When that happens and they are not trimmed, they can grow up into curves, sort of like the slippers genies are depicted as wearing. (They are called “slippered hooves” because of that.) One had curved up and around so badly, it was poking her in her fetlock. Those hooves had to be trimmed back to normal, and it was painful to her as her muscles and ligaments adjusted and went back to normal. I was so glad when she finally stopped limping and could trot without hurting.

What do you like best about your pet?

Winston Churchill said that “the outside of the horse is good for the inside of man.” That’s true! I love what I do (I am a teacher) but sometimes when I am tired or frustrated, going out to see Abby, hearing her nicker when she sees me, and just scratching all her favorite spots helps me relax and regroup. She also “talks” to me sometimes - very soft noises that she makes when we are together. Melts my heart!

Any funny stories?

When I was hauling Abby home from Indiana Horse Rescue the day I adopted her, my son called. His wife was in labor, and later that morning their daughter, Corinne, was born. Corinne is three now and LOVES the fact that she and Abby share a “birthday.” She calls Abby “my twin horse.” 

How spoiled is your pet?

I call her “Diva Girl,” but in reality, she isn’t too spoiled. I do think, though, that after all she went through before she was rescued, she certainly deserves to be spoiled! I’ll never be able to make that up for her, but I can make sure she is happy, well fed, warm, has fresh water, and, of course, plenty of candy canes to nibble!

What else should we know about your pet and/or how your pet has enriched your home/family?

I think I’ve covered most of it, but I would highly recommend supporting animal rescues, be they for horses or other animals. Abby was lucky; one of the horses she was with when rescued died, and a second one had to be euthanized due to the effects of his neglect. I am so grateful for those who stepped in to save Abby and the other horses with her, and to those who donated hay, money, and other supplies for the horses.