Thread: updated pictures of rearing horse

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here is my second attempt at showing the horse to you so you can give me some advice on whether to add chicken wire over the foam or not. My concern is, do I need to add the chicken wire for structure or is the 2 inch sheet of foam going to hold the monster mudd????
thanks in advance since I take forever to manuever my computer

Hi. I have not personally done an ambitious monster mud project like this, but see this link for someone who has.

The Horse for my Funeral Coach

Homestead Haunt used chicken wire on his, and it makes sense. Monster mud can be very heavy when its wet, and chicken wire attached with many staples to the wood frame should be rigid enough to support the mm and burlap. It should also make it more durable, so it won't crack so easily with handling and time.

Nice pose for your horse, by the way. Going for a headless horseman prop?

thanks, I am building a black rider like creature, like the ones from lord of the rings. I am building the head next.

I did get some ideas from Homestead Haunt. Great ideas from him

nice looking project. I am curious as to how you plan to secure the horse and rider to the ground. As everything will be heavy and its tall I would wory about it toppling over.

I think the foam will work under the MM without adding the chicken wire. You might want to lightly mist the foam with a spray bottle just before you start MMing so the foam does not wick the moisture from the MM too quiclky. I am dont sure if that will matter but it seems to with everything elase that is built this way. FYI... My horse just stood out in the rain for 2 solid days and is still as hard as a rock without any extra sealers put on him. He does have 2 coats of exterior paint and that seems to have done the trick.

I just remembered something. When I was doing the MM thing on the underside of the horse I had to use zip ties to attach the burlap to the chicken wire to hold it in place until it dried. This was easier then flipping the horse over and letting gravity hold the MM/burlap in place. Unless you have some other solution that will keep burlap on the horses belly, start adding wire.

chicken wire woulden hurt. that i think might work very well.

how will you keep that thing from tipping over? Seems to me it is going to be supper heavy.

the tail is going to be an undercover anchor as well as the legs. They will have deep anchors into the soil. If that doesn't work, trust me, I will figure that one out. I just may have to place a support under the belly, I haven't thought that far ahead. I am one who deals with the details as they come, not much of a planner.