How to make easy over reach boots

Hi! Today I'm going to do another boot tutorial, except this one is on over reach boots (or bell boots). They are designed to stop the horse from injuring his heels by protecting the back. Most eventers use them! These are very easy to make and don't require much. Anyway....

You will need:

Leather
Elastic
Ribbon (optional to outline it and seal the edges)

Let's get started!

1. Draw this shape into your leather. Perhaps do a few to try for the sizing.

2. Cut out your leather shape.

3. Check the fit on your model's hoof. It should wrap around the whole of the hoof except for the back so there is a small opening.

4. Skive the leather. This is optional but makes the leather more flexible and easier to shape.

5. Excuse the quality of the picture! Cut your elastic reasonably short and glue it on to both ends of the boot. You can use Velcro if you want but it makes them more bulky.

6. Place it on your model and then you're done! You can outline it with ribbon if you like!

I hope you like this tutorial -  I will be making more but please comment below with your ideas or anything you would like me to do a tutorial on! See you soon.

How to make simple leg wraps (also could be sports/medicine boots)

Hi! I haven't done a tutorial for AGES! Today I decided it would be time to do some more tutorials, and be a more active blogger. Today the tutorial is on leg wraps. They are designed to wrap around the horse's leg - before modern boots they were used, and occasionally people use them nowadays. Mine are very simple - they take around 5-10 min so it is likely you can make 4 in around half an hour. They fasten with Velcro for an easy touch and if done correctly are very durable.

You will need:

Material (anything apart from felt is good, it just needs to be thin. I am using a white blackout blind that I found!)
Felt
Scissors
A glue gun (or some reliable glue)
Velcro


Let's get started:

1. Firstly, take your material and cut a narrow strip of it. I will describe the length in the next step. The width will depend on the scale of the model, I am using Breyer Traditional and mine are reasonably narrow. If you have weak or easily frayed material, cut it wider and seal the edges with clear nail polish.

2. The length of your material should be roughly a bit longer than your model. However this isn't precise - if you want it precise you can always do a few prototypes using paper and scrap materials.

3. Next, cut a small rectangle of your felt. I am using white for a more professional look, but if you want yours to be more funky, that's fine! It should fit comfortable on the horse's leg between the fetlock and the knee joint.

4. Next glue your strip of material to the piece of felt. I am gluing it to the top of the material, however you can glue it anywhere as it will still achieve the same results.

This picture has been rotated! Tilt your head sideways to see it properly!

5. Wrap it around the leg to check the fit. Glue the fuzzy side of the Velcro to the bit where the other bit of the Velcro will go (if this doesn't make any sense see the next step!)

6. Glue the prickly side of the Velcro to the end of the strap, so that when it folds over it will Velcro nicely into position. If you are going to make this for a number of different horses, then I advise making the Velcro a little longer. If it is for only one horse, then cut it shorter.

7. Wrap carefully around your model's leg, using an even tension and ensuring that it is quite tight so it doesn't constantly slide around, but that it is not so tight that it could potentially scratch the model.

And you are done! Please comment if you like this tutorial, I will definitely be inspired to do more! Thanks so much for all the pageviews, it is much appreciated!

By the way, if you were wondering why I was doing the tutorial on the floor, this is why:

Yep, that's my work desk. I'm currently in the process of making a saddle (see the brown thing by the green box and the rider's foot!) so it is very messy. I will tidy it soon though.

See you soon for reference pictures, tutorials and general gossip!

Show jumping or open fronted boots tutorial

Hi! After the reference pictures yesterday, I thought making a boots tutorial would be nice. I am doing it on Totilas, so it will be a bigger scale. If you are doing it below traditional scale, then you can adapt the tutorial for just one Velcro strap or something like that. I'll take you through one boot, so you can use the tutorial for one more, or all four if you like! Anyway...

You will need:

Leather

Velcro

Craft foam (or other colour or kind of leather)

A model horse of any scale

Glue gun or reliable glue

Let's get started:

1. Take your leather and cut out the pattern in the picture below.

2. Check the fit of the boot on the horse, for example Totilas' is a little bit too wide. Trim it down if needed. 

3. Take your craft foam and cut a wide strip which fits in the groove of the boot like this:

4. Wrap the craft foam strip in thin leather, and make sure it is tight. Then glue the back of it on to the middle of the boot, so the bit with the slight dip is covered. Look to the picture below.

5. Cut two strips of elastic and glue them on to the left of the protection piece like this:

6. Glue the spiky side of the Velcro on to the end of the straps, making sure that the Velcro faces the other direction, like this:

7. Glue the fuzzy side of the Velcro on the other side of the boot. Line the straps and the fuzzy Velcro up. 

8. And you're finished! Make another boot and you'll have two!

Thank you for looking at this tutorial. Sorry about the picture quality! Please comment, so I know how I'm doing! See you tomorrow for another tutorial!