Specialty Dolls

     I have made a variety of specialty dolls over the years. A bunch of them were dolls that people ordered, but some of them were for my own use. This super bendy cowboy was the first, of the the specialty dolls that I own. He was made for an Extreme Cowboy class. 

 

     I have used this guy for other things over the years, but this class, and this piece of documentation, is what he was made for. Bendy Breyer guys definitely have their uses. Maybe I will make one or two for my next live sale. 

     Showmanship may be my favorite horse show class, or at least one of my favorites. It's such a deceptively simple class with so many ways to screw up. I have made many showmanship dolls for myself over the years, but I change my mind on the designs and I sell them and make a new one. For the most part you can use a showmanship doll to do showmanship. Though mine have made it into my picnic at the horse show scenes. Even though the doll is not super versatile, I love this doll. 

     I made this jester doll specifically for a creative class prompt at a show I attended. The class was "Jester" and I figured, why not make a jester doll? And then I made belled hats and collars for the horse, and the dogs. It was definitely a fun class to put together, but it is very unlikely I will ever find another use for this doll. She is definitely a specialty doll made for this one set-up. 

      Last year "at Breyerfest" (online sales, I was not at Breyerfest) Carrie Sloan Meyer had these horseball sets for sale. I probably liked it because the ball is pink. But I ordered the set and then decided I had to make a doll to go with it. So I did. This doll is for horseball. That is all she does. But she's fun!

     Before TRXC last year I decided I finally wanted to own an endurance riding set. Sara Bowman had had a pink set (halter/bridle/breastcollar combo) for sale and I had not jumped on it when I saw it. But Sara was open to doing a custom order for a set. I pulled some reference of different endurance saddles I liked and sent them to Mandy Claussen, who made me the saddle. I made a saddle pad and added the saddlebags I made and had a pretty complete endurance set. I of course needed a doll to go with it. I am sure I could have made the pinny removable to make the doll more versatile. But I didn't. So I have another specialty doll who can't do a whole lot other than the class she was meant for. 

      I don't own nearly as many dolls as I could, but I do have a good amount of dolls. And while I really appreciate a good, versatile doll, I definitely love the precision of a specialty doll as well.