Custom Horse Hair Hitching Orders
Horse people develop a very strong relationship with their horse's. When that relationship is completed, it is often comforting and meaningful to have a remembrance. Whether deceased or living, an item/s made from the hair of your special horse/s can be that remembrance. Following please find information that can answer questions related to having custom horsehair item's made:
1. What is the difference between mane hair and tail hair?
Mane hair is finer than tail hair, and of course, much shorter. Because of its shortness, mane hair is usually used only for tassels. Also because of its fineness, mane hair can tend to matt once made into tassels, so requires more care.
2. Can I take hair from my living horse?
Hair can harvested from a living horse without harming the horse. The hair will grow back, just as human hair does. To take hair from the tail, go to the underside, take a small handful(a "hank" - approximately the size of a nickel in circumference), and cut the hair off at the dock. Depending on the thickness of the horse's tail, you may be able to take 3-4 cuttings. Do the cuttings in different locations on the dock, so that the missing hair is not obvious. Using a rubber band, band the hanks together, at the root end. If you live in an area with a cold winter climate, it is not recommended to take hair in the fall, as the horse will need this hair for the upcoming cold weather.To harvest mane hair, it is recommended to take it from the poll area and along the crest - where a bridle path would be trimmed. Once trimmed and banded, the hair can be placed into a baggie, then into an envelope/box for mailing. Please make sure the hair is dry before sending. Wet hair in plastic is not a good mix.
3. How much hair will I need to have an item made?
That depends on which item and how many items you want made. Before any braiding or hitching can be done, "pulls" must be made from the horsehair. Pulls are individual strings made up by twisting together individual hairs.
There is a Hair Preparation Fee of $25.00. Once the pulls are made, I can begin work on your order. It is impossible for me to be able to determine if there is enough of your horse's hair to complete an item's, without first seeing the hair. Once I have seen it, I will contact you and further discussion will take place as to whether there is enough of your horse's hair to make the item's, or if additional hair needs to be added.
A customer can choose to send me more hair from the same horse, additional hair from another/other horse's, or allow me to use stock hair. Another reason to add other hair is for design purposes - contrasting colors. In the event that the horse is deceased, and additional hair is no longer available, adding other hair is a good option - only ever done with the customer's approval. If there is any extra hair(from your horse/s) left after I have completed your order, it is returned to you along with the completed items.
This is because:
- The hair belongs to the customer and
- if the customer wants to have additional items made in the future, they have the hair available.
4. How long does it take to have an item made?
That depends on which item/s you have chosen to have made. This can be affected by the complexity of the order, and number of orders I am currently working on. Orders are usually completed in the order that they are received - but there is flexibility if there is another factor - eg: special occasion, health issues. I prioritized an order for a customer who is dealing with cancer - made bracelets from her horses's hair for her horsy friends. Hitched items take longer to complete than braided items.
5. How do I send the hair?
The hair can be send by Regular or Registered mail - that choice is yours. Place the hair into a baggie, then into an envelope/box and send it to me at:
Donna Murray
5, 3440 - 23 Avenue South
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 4K4
PH: 403-329-8660
If you are sending me hair from the United States, or anywhere else outside of Canada, the hair will have to come through Canada Customs. Place the value of the hair at $5.00, so there will be no brokerage/duty fees charged.
I DO NOT recommend using a courier company - they are expensive and horribly unreliable!! I encourage customers to ship their hair using Canada Post if in Canada or USPS if in the U.S.
6. What are the costs related to a Custom order, and how is payment made?
Fixed costs for the customer are:
- Cost of mailing the hair to me.
- Hair prep fee - $25.00
- Return Postage - I always return Custom orders by Expedited Mail - is insured and can be tracked. This is especially important, as often the hair is irreplacable. Upon request, Custom orders can also be returned by Courier. Shipping costs vary depending on weight/size of parcel and destination. A shipping quote can be provided.
- Cost of item/s.
Payment can be made on site, using Paypal. Exchange rates can change daily and Paypal will handle the conversion. Other payment options include cheque/check or E-transfer(Canadian customers only.) All prices are in Canadian funds. For U.S. customers, I always do an exchange rate conversion on all orders as the U.S. dollar is typically stronger than the Canadian dollar.
If you are interested in a Custom order, I strongly encourage you to contact me directly at dmhorsehair@shaw.ca with any questions. I am happy to work out a quote and details of your order.