Award winning artists, Shoni and Ron Maulding, are owners of Hitching Tails and River Publishing. We supply hitched horsehair books and products. | | Six months in the actual making, Mariposa Lapwai (butterfly, butterfly, has been our most challenging, rewarding, and collectible piece.
It's modeled after old pieces, and has Ron's original hand-crafted sterling silver and brass metalwork for the four rosettes and browband piece. The silver butterflies and roses are engraved, with semi-precious stones adding to the piece.
Creating true life butterflies in hitched horsehair was a coup for Shoni.
Some hitching processes were accomplished by using specially designed jigs which Ron made specifically for that purpose.
This can be yours for $17,900.00. (Includes reins which have yet to be made.) |
 Close-up of Noseband of Mariposa Lapwai (butterfly, butterfly) |
Remember to check out the photo of our Griz on Horse Prairie headstall towards the bottom of this page. Hitched horsehair products are some of the most sought after products in the western field. Collectors are continuously looking for unique and rare pieces which often sell for thousands of dollars. Note that hitched horsehair is not the same as braided horsehair. Hitched horsehair is a series of knots with horse tail hair; braiding is, well, braided. Hitched horsehair will last generations, while braiding does not have the same lasting stability.
See our Show Schedule at the bottom of this page.
BOOKS
Hitched Horsehair: The Complete Guide for Self-Learning stands alone. This complete and comprehensive book teaches you step-by-step how to hitch, finish projects, and use graph paper to design patterns.
Hitched Horsehair II: Advanced Patterns and Inlay Projects fulfills the many requests for advanced patterns with complete directions. And if you want to put hitched inlays in leather, this book is for you. Photos and illustrations for making inlay projects include buckles, belts, checkbook covers, saddles, Indian cradleboard, quiver, and more.
These books show some of the award-winning projects the Mauldings have mastered through their creativity and design work that are the first to be done in the art of hitched horsehair and silverwork.
We welcome you to start creating your hitched horsehair collection today. Click on Books for more information and ordering.
CUSTOM HITCHED HORSEHAIR PRODUCTS
Or order your own finished custom hitched horsehair products made by these award-winning artists. Click on Products for information for your specialized item.
 Griz on Horse Prairie Headstall | Griz on Horse Prairie, our all hitched horsehair headstall, sold for a five figure price in March, 2006. It's great to have collectors who are eager to purchase contemporary pieces and recognize hitched horsehair as an artform!
Ron Maulding made the original sterling silver, brass, and Montana jasper piece for the browband and the four rosettes on the sides. The stones were found when Shoni's parents took Ron and Shoni to Horse Prairie, which is where Sacajawea led Lewis and Clark to horses. Shoni's father cut and tumbled the stones. | | | |
PLACES OUR HITCHING IS TRAVELING TO (& maybe us)
We currently do not have shows that we are participating in. But please check back.
KSPS PBS TV out of Spokane, Washington, did a great job on our story as part of their Northwest Profiles in October, 2006. We were on for about seven minutes. The interview is available on their website, www.ksps.org. Click on Local Productions; then Northwest Profiles; then Archives; then the alphabet letters "G-L"; then scroll down to "Knotted Up (Hitched Horsehair hitching". This interview is also on YouTube - type in "hitched horsehair". This is not an instructional video, but does show Shoni hitching and Ron doing silverwork.
The Horse Show with Rick Lamb still occasionally runs a radio interview that came out several years ago. Mr. Lamb interviewed us at Ride the West in Spokane, Washington. |
