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Week 5 of Olly’s Issues
Hubby and Olly became acquainted this week...
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Week 4 of Olly’s Issues
We have had SUCH a break through today...
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Level 3 Bridle Making…the final week (Part 1)
,Hi Everyone, I am sat on the bed in my guest room at Websters B&B in Salisbury on day 2 of my week-long training and assessment for the Level 3 Bridle Making qualification. On Monday I started the journey to Salisbury which usually takes me 2½ hours (120 miles) mainly down the M5. I reached the Saddlery Training Centre 10 minutes early, for a change, and settled in. I had already completed most of my double bridle at home which is the 2nd piece of work that will be assessed later this week. However, there was a bit of stitching left to do, blocking up, creasing keepers and polishing…
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Starting a project…
When I feel the world is against me or I need to have some ‘me’ time I usually like to go horse riding but these last 4 weeks have been really tough and I don’t have the desire to do anything physical. I blame this feeling partly on the time of year; it’s still winter outside and the dark nights and grey/wet days are having an affect on me. However, to relax most people sleep or walk their dogs but not me I have found that I relax best when I am being crafty. With my newly learnt saddler skills I have been playing with some leather recently by carving…
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Starting Level 3 in Bridle Making…
A couple of weeks ago I attended my fourth week of training at The Saddlery Training Centre. Following my successful completion of Level 2 Bridle Making, I was now to go straight onto Level 3 (in Bridle Making). So for my first practical piece I was tasked with making a stallion in-hand bridle with a fixed nose band, fancy stitching and a clencher brow band. I chose a rich brown coloured leather called ‘Conker’ from the store and decided to use brass clenchers and buckles as well as stitch it in a yellow contrasting thread. I like working with a contrasting thread because if you go wrong it stands out…
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It’s Official…I Passed!
It's official, I passed my exam! I have successfully completed the Level 2 City & Guilds Diploma in Saddlery (Bridle)
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My First Exam…
Firstly, I send my apologies for not doing a daily blog during my recent week in Salisbury. It sure was a tough week for me and I started suffering with anxiety from the beginning which just drained everything from me. When I woke early on the Monday morning I was overwhelmed by nausea. I really wanted to curl up and sleep the feeling off but I knew I had to get up and get on the road before the morning rush. I figured I had worked myself up over the weekend and that it was anxiety setting in and nothing sinister. Following two previous good training weeks I was advised…
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Bridle Making Week 2 – Mental Exhaustion
I’m a little later than normal posting this [sorry for that] purely because I got in, called home and then crashed on the bed. Exhausted! It’s not even a physical exhaustion either as I’ve not done much walking like I had planned [will do better tomorrow] but instead it’s a mental exhaustion having to take it all in, having to make notes, having to plan what to do next. Its a tough workout on the old brain of mine. So, where am I in the process of making my snaffle bridle I hear you ask…well… …on day 3 I almost, almost completed it. I finished stitching the ‘London chape’ (this…
