Arts and crafts for the horse owner

It is that time of year when the kids are back in school, the weather is getting cooler and in some places – wetter. The flies around the barn are disappearing and soon it will be winter. It is also a time when horse owners start cleaning up their tack after those last few rides before winter gets here and to start doing more creative indoor activities.

Fall and winter have long been known for the seasons to be crafty. Quilts and blankets are made, cooking becomes an art, but what about us horse owners? Is there anything to keep our hands busy besides surfing the web and texting our riding buddies? There sure is. It is leather and rawhide braiding.

When I was a teenager, long before becoming a horse owner, I bought a book on sale called "How To Make Cowboy Horse Gear," by Bruce Grant. I still have that book and remembered how I made a few horse items, just like in the pictures in the book. Of course the pictures were taken in the 1950's or maybe earlier, so it was a bit dated. Now there is another rawhide braider that has a book published and his name is Robert L. Woolery and his book, Braiding Rawhide Horse Tack was published in 2007.

I have not had a chance to check out this book, but since it was published more recently than Grant's book, I would assume that if there are any photos of Woolery's finished items in there, they would be more modern looking. Grant's book on the other hand takes you back to the days when cowboys still took care of the ranch and herding was done without ATV's. A lot of old fashioned cowboy stories in that book too.

So while you are sitting in your abode on a long winter's day, think about making something for your horse.