Stirrups, reins, safety strap
Stirrups can be done in several ways, often times display animals do not have them on at all. Leather straps alone can be used on small simple animals, leather straps with a genuine metal stirrup should be used on larger pieces. I use a 1" size strap hanger (as in drawing below, left); I buy them at the marine supply store. Also, I run a leather strap like a loop (not like in drawing) and give the loop a Mobius twist before riveting it together in order for the stirrup to make a 90 degree turn and be easier for the rider to enter his/her foot.
Reins can also simply be a leather strap or made more elaborately by using steel rings and parts of actual bits or halters. For my ride animals I use 5/16th diameter braided Dacron rope which I long splice around a bronze ring and then attach that with a "U" nail (I pre-drill into the animals head mouth area for this nail so as not to split the wood).
The safety strap should be a long leather belt with buckle riveted around the pole, this is more for looks than use.
