Year of the Aladja

This has been a boon year for making aladjas!  I've done quite a few in the studio lately.  They are fun and challenging projects on the windy and wet autumn days.


Two aladjas for the stallions of Pleasant Grove Akhal Tekes, CA. 


My riding time has been cut a bit shorter with the rainfall, so holing up in the studio with projects has become my main task lately.  I'm getting a lot of painting done, and also making a myriad of aladjas for people.  They are fun to decorate your horses with when you're at shows, expos, or for photo-ops.



Cowrie aladjas for crossbred Akhal Tekes (Arab x Teke) - Currently for Sale

There were five aladjas that I completed on display at the FOTATA table at the conference in September.  I sold three of them before I got any photos (a green aladja and two foal sized ones), but the cowrie ones are still available.  (I'm thinking about keeping one for my own crossbred.... so there might be only one for sale in the future.... I dunno.  We'll see.....)

And I also recently donated a special little project for the ATAA newsletter questionaire.  Cathy came up with a great idea to get more input from members of the registry, so there is a prize as an incentive for member participation.


Russet colored presentation halter with silver studs and blue stones 

The presentation halter will be given to some lucky ATAA member who fills out a questionaire and sends it in for the newsletter.

Keeping busy with even more aladja projects scheduled on the horizon, I've been working off-and-on with my own native costume for the past month.  It's been a long and teadious project so far, but it should make it's finished debut next spring at a public event.  There will be a future full blog posting about the different parts and components, but for now here is a sneak peek photo below of a small portion of the bridle:

   
Stay tuned....