Serene Sunday

Awe.....

 

Dani Memorial Model

 I commissioned a Dani portrait model last fall....it took a really long time and with very little communication from the artist so it was a very frustrating process to me.  I also felt like this person just didn't really care....it was just another model horse to them.

Upon receiving the model there are two things that really don't work for me.

One, is my fault, the model choice.  I think there probably was a Breyer better suited to represent Dani, I don't know why I chose the model.  I thought at one time the face was Dani?

Two, the color is too dark.  I sent tons of pictures and even emphasized the pictures that represented her color the best.  Winter photos often show her darker so I made sure to clarify.

I wasn't happy but I sat with the model for a while seeing if I was just annoyed at the process.  Nope, it wasn't just the process.  This just didn't feel or look like Dani.  I think the details to all her little markings were spot on but the coat color was way too dark and the model....again that one's on me.

I did some searches on Etsy instead of the model horse remake groups.  I found a lady that did memorial horses.  Custom made models from your photos (STL 3D prints with PLA). I chatted with her about the process and decided to move forward.  I sent photos off and crossed my fingers.

ANW Fine Art Creations

I cried when I opened the package. I was blown away with the care, details and empathy with which this whole process was conducted. I feel like the artist truly cared. The communication was fantastic with each step, the STL model approval, the nearly finished painting; all of it showed that she cared about what she was doing. 

The packaging and the card on the inside of the package all made this feel like the artist understood the true weight of what this "simple" model meant to me. My Dani is gone from this world and all I have are memories and mementos. This model is a beautiful memorial and looks just like her. 

I would highly recommend to anyone that wants a model of your horse, past or present....reach out to this artist. It looks like she may do other pets too....so I may be looking into that in the future as well.

I still haven't done anything with Dani's mane and tail aside from another bracelet that I had made. I do want to share that through SmilePoster a beautiful painting like portrait that can be made from a photo.  The favorite photo I have of Dani is slightly blurred, I just love the feel of it and it's so Dani.  I can hear her nicker greeting just looking at the photo.  This was a perfect use for that photo.  My Daenerys, I miss that mare everyday.

Sigi- Getting Cleaned up, then dirty again

I HAVE A FJORD!!!

This is just totally awesome!  Sigi is a great little addition and we've been really enjoying her the past couple months.  She and Seamus have definitely become friends but surprisingly he's the boss.  Dani was always the boss before, I guess I assumed a mare with two geldings would be the boss.  She's the middle, Chance is still at the bottom....poor old man!

The color of Fjords is very unique.  It's not a buckskin nor a dun that you would see on a quarter horse but a brown dun (Sigi's color that is). They come in other shades of dun like a yellow dun, a red dun, a gray dun (grulla looking to me).  I think there are five recognized colors of Fjord.  Five recognized colors of cute!

 

Sigi's mane was grown out from the typical Fjord mohawk. It flopped to one side and was certainly cute....many people keep the mane long.  I decided I wanted to go for the Fjord cut and was told on a Fjord group that once the hair bends to one side you pretty much have to roach or just really short. Before we did the beauty work we needed to get the tail taken care of.

Mud and grit made a big tangle of the tail.  It was the size of a football.  I didn't want to cut any hair if I could avoid it so applied nearly a half to three-fourth of a cup (estimated) of the Manely Long Hair Polisher and Protector.  This stuff I've had in the barn forever since it is awesome!  If I kept up with it I would never have tangles in the horses manes.

Chance gets wicked tornado tangles in his long mane and this stuff makes it easy to detangle and keeps it detangled for a while.  I just go too long between applications so eventually he gets tangled again....bad pony mom!  This tail was going to put this stuff to the test! I was very pleased.  After working the product in and combing out small sections from the bottom up I was able to detangle her tail in about 30-40 minutes with very little hair loss.  Sigi was just loose in the track, no halter, no interest in piles of hay.  She seemed to relish the spa treatment.

What a pretty and sweet girl she is, I think we found a great one!

And would you just look at that cute dorsal stripe?

Squee!!!

Another day I set out to trim the mane up and see how short I'd need to go in order to get that hairs back up to standing straight.  

The before pic.

The after.....but in need of some more trimming.  The scissors I bought from recommendations on a Fjord hair styling group on Facebook were too big for my hand and were hard to work with.  I'd have to find another set that work better for my tiny hands

So the intermediate cut would work for a bit as I learn how to trim and get the right tools for me. It's a learning curve and she doesn't seem to care either way.

I trimmed a little more....it's short but their hair grows fast I'm told. All done Sigi!  Quick muzzle kiss and you can go back out with the boys!

I HAVE A FJORD!

Hehehehehe!

About 2 months later the mane had grown out a bit and was looking a little ragged.  So it was probably time to do a slight trim again.

Still, she looks adorable....

Even with patches of dirt all over her....

I got a new pair of scissor for fetlock trimming and those worked very well for me indeed.  She may grow a thicker mane but currently the width doesn't seem as wide as some horses I've seen pictures of.  I'm fine with that, easier to trim.  Just look at that stripe!

Working on getting the shape....I may need to have it taper more towards her forelock to really get an arch going.

She looks a little tidier now.  It's been raining a lot and since we've been in a drought that rain is MUCH needed.  Hence, muddy ponies. Now that her mane is trimmed again I need to trim up the boys bridle paths!!  Anyhow, I will post more on the new pony and of course Seamus. Cooler weather ahead means more riding!  I need to get a saddle that fits her so she's just been a pasture pet which is fine.  I adore her and so does Steve!

WE HAVE A FJORD!!!!  SQUEEE!!!