1. Copying kits is a crime that hurts original artists & producers. Help support your favorite artists by buying their original works. PlanetFigure will not tolerate any activities related to recasting, and will report recasters to authorities. Thank you for your support!

WIP Horse with Hungarian saddle.

Discussion in 'Sculpting' started by svt, May 31, 2021.

  1. svt A Fixture

    Country:
    Russian-Federation
    dragoon 001.jpg

    In this thread you may come across erroneous words, tk. I probably won't be able to find all the exact meanings for special terms in English.

    For the manufacture of the model I used a resin horse from Chronos (CHM-54193. Horse # 13). Before the body kit, as usual, I changed the sockets, because original ones do not make it possible to connect the halves of the figure together without using additional connectors in the form of tape, threads or glue, and at the same time removed the excess amount of material inside the body.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_001_(prepare_01).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_001_(prepare_04).jpg

    I make a horse for the Hungarian saddle of the Russian cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars period - in principle, it does not differ from this type of saddle in other countries, with the exception of only a few trifles. Structurally, it was almost the same as the Hungarian saddles of the French cavalry. And I decided to make the saddle differently from what I usually do, that is, a shabrack, under which there is nothing but a mass of sculptural material, and on top of it there are only a few belts and a suitcase, but completely, with everything that is crammed under the shabrack. Why is that? Well, simply because sometimes I watch videos of modelers (I'm interested in watching how models are assembled, improving some details, how they are painted, etc.) and there I noticed a tendency that in modern models of the same tanks or aircraft manufacturers provide all or part of the interior, down to the smallest details, which are not even visible through the glass of the cockpit or even if you open all the hatches. I don't quite understand why this is, but I thought that I could do the same this time, if only for the sake of the fact that some of the sculptors or collectors who are not familiar with the saddle design and all the volume that forms under the shabrack will be able understand how this or that belt or part is located, as well as one of the future owners of the castings of the model will be able to choose whether to assemble the entire saddle or only part of it (without a shabrack, for example).
    Here is such a long introduction.

    And now about the model itself.
    Initially, a потник is placed on the horse's back - a large sheet of felt, rectangular in shape, this is done so that the saddle does not rub the horse's back, as well as so that the parts of the body that are in contact with the parts of the saddle that do not absorb moisture do not sweat. In essence, this is to protect the horse's back from damage.

    Well, and then the process in photographs and with some descriptions.

    rusnap_horsehusoff_002_(potnik_03).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_002_(potnik_05).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_002_(potnik_05a).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_002_(potnik_06).jpg
    Using a masking tape, I marked the dimensions of потник, applied an epoxy putty to the body ("Tamiya quick type" is almost everywhere here), after the putty hardened, I removed the tape and trimmed the edges with a knife.

    The next detail, which is the base of the entire saddle, is the saddle tree (ленчик или арчак). It was made of wood. On the model, I also decided to make it out of wood - such an object is easier to cut than to sculpt.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_03).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_04a).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_05).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_06).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_07).jpg

    From a piece of brass foil, I cut out reinforcing pads for the saddle tree.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_08).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_09).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_10).jpg

    I glued the reinforcement pads to the saddle tree, imitating the nail heads with droplets of epoxy glue. I sculpted the seat of epoxy putty - this part was in really made from a strip of strong leather, nailed to the saddle tree in front and back, and on the sides it was pulled together with thin rawhide straps (i had to use a thin thread for thiss).
    rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_11).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_12).jpg

    To be continued.
  2. Venko A Fixture

    Country:
    Bulgaria
    Very nice saddle!
    I'm making similar steppe saddle, so will watch with interest :)
    svt likes this.
  3. Oda A Fixture

    As I have commented on FB too,your dedication to historical accuracy is phenomenal.I have already added to my stash the Russian cuirassier in winter attire you have created for Chronos.I will probably add this one too.Exceptional work!

    Oda.
    svt likes this.
  4. svt A Fixture

    Country:
    Russian-Federation
    The next step is pistols.
    I carved the body of the pistols from a cherry plank. The barrels were grinded from copper wire.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_004_(pistols_01).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_004_(pistols_03).jpg

    I sculpted the rest of the details from epoxy putties (tamiya and greenstuff), reinforcing them with small wire frames.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_004_(pistols_04).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_004_(pistols_05).jpg

    For the pistols, sculpted holsters from polymer clay (Premo). I didn’t make deep holsters, otherwise they would not be able to pass the molding and subsequent casting normally, and therefore cut the pistols along the deep of the slot in the holsters.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_004_(pistols_07).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_004_(pistols_06).jpg

    In order to cover the saddle with a horsecloth, i needed to make all the belts that would later be under it.
    For the exact installation of the girth (подпруга), i used masking tape, as has become usual for me. Then i sculpted a girth from epoxy putty.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_005_(remni_01).jpg

    At this stage, in addition to the girth, i also need to make the breast collar (подперсье) - a Y-shaped leather strap in front of the saddle, and i also need the crupper strap (пахвенный ремень или подхвостник) - a X-shaped leater strap at the back of the saddle. All this was necessary so that the saddle did not slide forward, backward or sideways. I sculpted them from epoxy putty right on the horse's body. And also we need the stirrup-leathers (путлища) - belts for hanging stirrups, which I sculpted from Premo.I supplied all the belts with buckles made of wire of different diameters.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_005_(remni_03).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_005_(remni_02).jpg

    The horsecloth (попона) was made more often of a white single-layer woven material, which was used to cover an unsaddled horse in a stable from the cold or outside in the rain and snow. This horsecloth was used to cover the saddle tree when the horse was saddled; for this, the horsecloth was folded three times in length and four times in width - in this way it created a kind of pillow on the seat. I sculpted it out of epoxy putty.
    As a result, i got what is now visible in the photo.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_005_(remni_04).jpg

    And now the assembly. And the subtotal, along with the holsters, horsecloth and belts underneath.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_01).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_03).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_05).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_06).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_07).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_08).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_09).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_006_(sedlo_10).jpg

    But that's not all - to be continued.
  5. Henk A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Interesting to see this slowly being created.
    svt likes this.
  6. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Stunning work
    cheering_minions.gif
    Oda and svt like this.
  7. Cannonball A Fixture

    Quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. Look forward to seeing this develop.


    Neal
    svt and Oda like this.
  8. Oda A Fixture

    Exceptional!!!

    Oda.
    svt likes this.
  9. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi svt

    Always good to see your threads , packed full of excellent research and skill with the build of the saddle

    Interesting to see you've used Greenstuff on the pistol details ....looks good

    Following with interest

    Happy sculpting

    Nap
    svt and Oda like this.
  10. svt A Fixture

    Country:
    Russian-Federation
    Small progress in work.
    I made a cloak roll (скатка плаща). In those days, it was attached over the holsters with three belts (in the photo they are marked in red): two belts were attached to the breast collar (подперсье) in the same place where the leather ring was, into which the holsters were inserted, and the third, middle one, was tied with a cord to the pommel.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_007_(skatka_01a).jpg

    Between the pommel and the cloak roll, the strap formed a gap (marked with an arrow in the photo), it had to be walled up with a thin partition so that the part could go through molding and casting without any problems.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_007_(skatka_02a).jpg rusnap_horsehusoff_007_(skatka_03a).jpg

    General view of the finished cloak roll over the holsters.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_007_(skatka_04).jpg

    To be continued...
    Jaybo, Scotty, MCPWilk and 10 others like this.
  11. blaster A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    Hello svt,

    An excellent demo of the fantastic attention to detail. Really enjoyable.

    I came across a site which shows French Hungarian saddle reconstruction which I share here:
    https://sedlar.livinghistory.cz/en/Fr_leh_kaval_sedlo_EN.html

    I note that the cantle has a prominent high extension with a hole. Normally this goes thru the shabraque and can be seen.

    The illustration at the beginning of this thread shows a shabraque without this obvious cantle. Would that be a Hungarian saddle or a another type of saddle?

    Rgds
    Victor
    svt and Oda like this.
  12. Oda A Fixture

    Amazing and accurate work!!!

    Oda.
    svt likes this.
  13. svt A Fixture

    Country:
    Russian-Federation
    Hello.
    Yes, of course I saw these photos.
    In the picture at the beginning of the topic, there is an image of an exemplary dragoon saddle of the Russian cavalry, made by Orlovsky before the war of 1812. Saddle of the Hungarian type.
    I did not understand what "cantle" means, therefore I could not understand the translation of the part of the text concerning this very "cantle".
    Oda likes this.
  14. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi svt

    Absolutely lovely detail work on the piece , so much patience to achieve this level

    A shame to cover this with the shabaraque !

    Thanks for sharing updates ..a masterclass in modelling

    Look forward to moe

    Happy sculpting

    Nap
    blaster, svt and Oda like this.
  15. Oda A Fixture

    A shame to cover this with the shabaraque !

    My thoughts exactly!

    Oda.
    Merryweather likes this.
  16. blaster A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States


    Hi svt,

    Tx for your reply. From what I understand, the front arch or the saddle is the pommel and the back arch is the cantle.
    I found this picture on cowboy saddles which illustrate my query, hopefully. Tx
    http://www.cowboyway.com/PommelSaddleBags.htm


    Rgds Victor
    Oda likes this.
  17. svt A Fixture

    Country:
    Russian-Federation
    It was not in vain that I wrote at the very beginning that those who wish can always collect a horse without a shabrack. ))) It will also be possible to assemble a set without holsters or horsecloth. I am doing a complete set on this horse only so that everyone can see it in volume, and this, in turn, will probably reduce in the future the number of mistakes in works on historical miniature by sculptors and artists - after all, when there is an understanding of the construct, this is significant improves the outcome of the work.

    I beg your pardon, I completely forgot to look at the picture from my library, where there is a dictionary of some special terms in foreign languages.
    седло - наименования в др. языках.jpg

    Now I can answer the question about the cantle of the saddle.
    This is a Hungarian saddle, and the shabrack will have a cutout, as expected, so that the cantle goes through it. The very cantle already has holes for attaching a strap that holds the valise in place.
    rusnap_horsehusoff_003_(lenchik_04a).jpg
    As for the image at the beginning of the topic, it is likely that Orlovsky (the artist of the early 19th century, who created these exemplary images of the Russian cavalry), simply conventionally did not show a cantle on a fully equipped saddle. You can compare the whole set of his drawings about this saddle, there, with some conventions, there is a cantle in the images that do not have a shabrack.
    венгерское седло на примере драгунского 001.jpg

    ;)
    Oda, Manfred, DaddyO and 4 others like this.
  18. blaster A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    Hi svt,

    Thanks. I assume that Russian Cavalry was divided into heavy and light cavalry, with different saddles, same as for other Napoleonic armies.
    Given the amount of detail that you are putting into this, I would think that if the saddle tree was offered as a speciality horse harness, there would be a lot of interest in it.

    Rgds Victor
    Oda, Nap and svt like this.
  19. svt A Fixture

    Country:
    Russian-Federation
    Hello.
    Yes, conditionally the Russian cavalry was divided into heavy and light, but the type of saddle did not depend on this, but depended on what kind of cavalry it was. Cuirassiers had German saddles typical for cuirassiers. The Cossacks, as well as some of the other irregular cavalry units, had a Cossack saddle. Lancers, dragoons, hussars, horse rangers, as well as horse artillery in the first quarter of the 19th century had Hungarian saddles.
    Oda and blaster like this.
  20. Martin Antonenko A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany

Share This Page

planetFigure Links

Reviews & Open Box
Buy. Sell & trade
Articles
Link Directory
Events
Advertising

Popular Sections

Figure & Minis News
vBench - Works in Progress
Painting Talk
Sculpting Talk
Digital Sculpting Talk
The Lounge
Report Piracy

Who we are

planetFigure is a community built around miniature painters, sculptors and collectors, We are here to exchange support, Information & Resources.

© planetFigure 2003 - 2022.