On the inside--narrow side of each package glue a minature popsicle stick available from craft stores. This will form an area to attach the jump cups. Another set of the small craft sticks can be cut in half and glued across the bottom of the pack to help it stand up. Those can later be covered with the stuff you use for footing in your scene of camouflaged with plants.
Craft Sticks.:
"These are very similar to the larger popsicle sized sticks we've used but they're a much smaller size -- only about 2 3/4 inches long by 1/4 inch wide."
This is the basis of your jump. Now you need jump poles and jump cups. The poles for Stablemate size again are easily made out of fireplace match sticks cut off and painted. Make sure an adult helps you with the cutting on these. And if you use the long fire place matches cut off the striker and dispose of them. A blog for another day is all the varieties of things you can make out of craft sticks, match sticks and other bits of recycled stuff with a bit of creativity.
The jump cups are another matter and you will need help of an adult to do this part.
Take as many pop tops from soda cans as you need jump cups. I usually put three poles on the jump which would require six individual jump cups = six pop tabs. You only need the tab popped off the drink. Another rabbit trail to follow someday is all the wild things you can create from pop-tops. Oh MY!~
An adult will need to help you cut the bottom end of this pop tab off with wire cutters. Then bend it so that the rounded bottom part forms the jump cup and the two parts that you would see sticking up in the photo become the part that you glue around the small wooden Popsicle stick on the end of the box of gum. It makes kinda a U shape. Do you see it in your imagination? Take some time placing this where you want it as a jump cup. I believe we initially used sticky wax to attach the cups because we wanted to be able to use them in different places for different scenes.
(((STICKY WAX: The stuff you get from the orthodontist for braces. It is the model horse hobbiests magic goo. Use it to stick down anything that shouldn't be flying away....from props to pieces of tack straps that want to flap around.))))
Okay you are almost finished. You have your jump and the jump cups. Paint your poles white or put wide stripes around them like you saw in the real live jumps.
Now you need two straight pins or small pieces of wire and two triangles of paper that fit in scale with your jump. One read and one white. On the white one write in sharpie marker the number that you want your jump to be on course. Jump 3 for example. This gets glued to the straight pin and poked in the gum pack on the left side. The red "flag" do the same and place on the right side poked into the top of the gum pack. They form the flags on course. Red on right always and the jump number can vary put I place if on the left. Some times I make a little tent card with the jump number on it. It just depends on my jump design.
Now write up your explanation card for what is happening in this miniature scene. I make a tent card to do that. Just card stock cut like a double 3 X 5 inch card so that the front holds your description and the back keeps it propped up like an easel. Remember to use successful statements and vivid descriptions.
Now tack up and position your running horse leaving the fence. Remember to leave room that he would have landed after the jump and gained his full running stride. There you have an easy economical Stablemate sized jump that was fun to make. You'll have a lot more fun using it at your next show. I think Sabra won a class with this jump design.
Happy Model Horse Collecting. If you make a prop you are pleased with an want me to show it on the blog feel free to email it to me at jrgore@ufl.edu and I'll show it to the others on a future blog.
Ms. Renee'
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