IM Silver Horse Tributes & Referrals

06/18/08
I recently lost my precious horse of 20 years.  I was devastated when I lost Hammer and Ivy gave me an opportunity to honor my horse’s memory by building beautiful piece of jewelry to remember him.  I purchase a necklace as well as a bracelet.  It is the most comfortable pieces of jewelry I have ever owned.  In addition to comfort, it is a stunning tribute to my handsome boy and I feel as if I always have him with me.  Each piece of jewelry is well  constructed and fits even better with continual wear.  Ivy was so patient while working with me through the tough time of Hammer’s passing.  Not only is she a skilled artist, she is a kind and caring person as well.

Thank you Ivy for all you have done for me!
Jodi Frederick

6/20/08
On June 2, 2008, I had to put my best friend, King, to sleep due to twisting from colic.  King was 23 yrs old and I was there when he was born and I was there when he passed.  It truly was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and I am still in a very numb state.  Ivy helped me to honor my big boy by making some wonderful pieces of jewelry and other items from King’s mane and tail.  It was very difficult for me to meet with Ivy, but she really took her time with me and was so patient.  She truly respects you and your horse.  I had some ideas in mind for a couple things that she had never attempted before.  She was excited to try out my ideas and much to my delight, they all turned out absolutely incredible.  I’ve showed all my friends what Ivy has created for me and like me, we cannot believe the exceptional and professional work she’s done on these intricate works of art.  I feel fortunate that I at least have a part of King with me and close.  I will forever be indebted to Ivy for all she has done to help me through this horrible grieving process and I plan to also have a Christmas gift made for one of my girlfriends of her horse’s tail and have some more jewelry made with my other horse’s tail.  Once you see Ivy’s work, you just want to work with her to create more and more.  Thank You Ivy for all that you do for us horse owners to help us pay tribute to our beloved horses.

Sue Oberly
Gunnison, CO

11/21/08
While meandering a street fair in Crested Butte, CO this past August, I had the fortunate experience of meeting Ivy.  I was immediately taken with Ivy & her talents of creating such beautiful & unique horse hair jewelry.  Having never seen anything like this before, I could not wait to get home to GA in order to trim some of my Bossy girl’s tail to send her straight away.  If only I had known then how special Ivy would soon become.  This past October my girl became very sick & spent 4 incredible weeks fighting with all her might to survive, we believed we were on the mend.  Much to my great sadness it turned out to be too much for Bossy & we had to put her to sleep November 12, 08.  With her went a very important piece of my heart.  As one of life’s coincidences would have it, my necklace was ready and Ivy called the very day I had to put Bossy to sleep.  Ivy was warm, compassionate & shared some good thoughts with me & it lifted my spirits to know my finished piece was on its’ way.  My necklace arrived 2 days later & I love it!   It keeps a piece of Bossy close to me, in honor of her.  The workmanship is absolutely beautiful, & people notice, I have been asked about it so many times in just a week.  I happily share Ivy’s information with my horse loving comrades.

Nichole Rea
KrysilAlpharetta, GA

12/11/08

Hi Ivy,
I received my bracelets and key chain and I am so pleased with how they turned out. They are exactly what I wanted.  You did a wonderful job…thank you so much.  You were prompt in getting them made and shipped to me and I appreciate that.  

Thank you again…
Linda

12/19/08

Hi Ivy, My name is Cindy Canfield my friend Sue Oberly had you make me a horsehair necklace out of hair from Prince my horse.  I got it today and just love it! You do such Beautiful work!  I’m going to show it to my friends who have horse also and maybe you’ll get more work from Pennsylvania.  Just wanted to let you know how pleased with the necklace I am.  And to Thank You!

Sincerely,
Cindy Canfield

01/08/09

When our grand old horse, Ivan, died I wanted to have something special to remember him by.  A friend suggested that I have some jewelry made from his tail.  I did some research on line and really liked what I saw on Ivy’s web site. When I contacted Ivy I found her to be friendly and helpful.  Within a couple weeks of sending Ivan’s hair to Ivy we had our lovely pieces.  The jewelry is well crafted and truly beautiful.  The best part is, as Ivy explained, the pieces are sturdy and durable and meant to be used and worn.   Ivy was a delight to work with.

Gina Post
Chicago, IL

05/22/09
Hi Ivy,
I just wanted to say “Thank You so much” for the lovely picture pendant you crafted for me of my Dear boy King.  We’re coming up on the one year anniversary of King’s passing… very hard again… but having this beautiful picture of him draped around my neck on his horsetail necklace brings me much comfort.  I still miss him terribly, you know that, and your consideration was once again deeply appreciated.  And I still wear his horsetail bracelet you made for me a year ago… never take it off… he’s always with me.

Thank you again for everything.

Warmly,
Sue Oberly

12/17/2009
My sister and I had the pleasure of learning to ride on Mozel Tov.  Mozel was kind and safe, but knew how to challenge us when needed; he taught us and many riders before, to be real riders.  You could find Mozel being ridden, in our back lawn, out on the trail, or winning in the show ring.  Mozel was so trustworthy, that when my sister was just two, she could brush him, sit on him bare-back, and hold him by herself.  Being able to create jewelry out of his beautiful hair seems like the perfect way to honor Mozel and keep him with us; he lived a long and happy life.  Ivy has been very easy to work with, and has had several good ideas as to what we might like.  I am very pleased with how the bracelet turned out and cannot wait to give it to our Mother for Christmas; this will truly be a special and memorable gift.

Clara Hall

01/26/10
My horse, Mango, was my best friend.  He was little guy, but his heart and personality more than tripled his body size.  There was nothing in the world that my horse wouldn’t do for me, and when we sadly had to put him down, I wanted to be able to honor him.  I decided I wanted to do this by having a necklace made from his tail. I found several websites offering these types of services, but when I saw Ivy’s website and read her personal write-up, I knew I wanted her to make my necklace.  Just like her website suggests, you can tell that Ivy is a wonderful person and loves horses.  She does this because this is her passion, not just some business.  Her love for horses really comes out in her work.  The necklace she made me was absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t help but smile every time I put it on.  I love it. Ivy was great to work with-sweet, willing, and very timely.  I felt like I sent my order to her, and in a very short amount of time, I had my necklace.  If you have a passion for horses, want to honor an amazing horse, like I did, or just want a creative, quality piece of handmade jewelry accompanied by great service, I would certainly recommend Ivy to anyone.

-Emily Morelli

11/10/11

I contacted Ivy by just looking on the Internet for horsehair belts.  I loved what I saw and asked her to design a belt for my guy for a wedding gift.  Not only did she work with me for ideas I had for extra tooling of the leather, but she kept in constant contact with me about receiving the horsehair I mailed and her every progress.  I loved the belt so much when I received it, that I ordered a buckle as well-and all of these 2 items were done under the gun because I didn’t give her much notice but Ivy was super.  I would recommend her work to any all who cherish a unique, personalized gift.

Cathie O.R in Ohio

11/23/11

Foxy came to me as a 7 year old full of spit and vinegar and left me at 28 a gentle spirit.  I thought I would teach him a thing or two but to my surprise he taught me a lot more.  He taught me that patient, kindness, and consistency go a long way.  The biggest lesson he taught me was his trust would be given in small increments until he decided I was worthy of his full trust.  Foxy gave me hundreds of hours of trail rides as well as friendship.  Even at 28 years old he was still so flexible he would starch his ear with his back left like a dog.  He loved eating bananas and watermelon and he especially loved getting baths on our notorious humid Maryland summers .  Foxy drifted off to horsey heaven on September 26, 2009 after a horrible bout of colic.  Almost two year later I was vacationing in Gunnison, Colorado where I came across Ivy and her horse hair jewelry.  Ivy does beautiful detailed work.  It is obvious she puts her heart and soul into her work to help people like myself have a forever piece of such a wonderful four legged friend to carry with me always.

Thank you for sharing your talent,

Kim

2/26/2014

Baillar joined my family as a scared abused and neglected Peruvian Paso yearling. He taught me to trust those you love, always ask questions and be brave when asked. Above all always be kind and trustworthy. Our journey together only lasted 15 years. Due to severe arthritis and DSL we made the decision he needed to be in a place where he could be free. That was 2 years ago. I still miss him dearly and even though I have a new friend….there will never be another Baillar. The necklace you made will be a constant reminder of his lessons.

Thanks again for doing what you do,

Deana

4/4/14

Ivy, Sarah and I wanted to let you know how much we love our bracelets.  What a wonderful way to keep our beloved horses close to us on a daily basis. We never take them off.  I often find myself stroking the braids and remembering the great joy those horses gave us.  Luke,   Comet, Tonka, and Dollar….Each one so different but so special in his own way.  You patiently listened with quiet compassion while I cried through the story of each one of our boys.  I had been saving the hair from Luke and Tonka for many years, waiting to find someone I could trust to make just the right keepsake.  When I met you I knew you were the one.  Thank you, Ivy, for creating these truly unique bracelets.  Your skill and talent is amazing.  My friends are impressed and hope to one day be able to remember their horses in the same way.

Many thanks again and May God Bless You.

Cheryl and Sarah Sheetz
Ft. Lupton, Colorado

4/29/14

When I was 10 years old Toby was given to me as a birthday present. From that day he was my best friend and my companion. We showed together for 10 years and then enjoyed trail rides and sunny days just hanging out in the field. This past August he passed away. I knew that I wanted something that would remind me of my best friend everyday. After lots of thought and looking through all the options I knew one of your bracelets was exactly what I needed. I received my bracelet from you on my birthday which would have been mine and Toby’s 16 year anniversary together. It was the  most special gift I could have ever received. Thank you so much for my bracelet and for getting it to me so quickly. I love how the bracelet is wide enough that it shows all the variation in Toby’s tail and the spacer with his name engraved on it just finishes it! You have wonderful products at such a reasonable price!

Thank you again!

Sincerely,
Alexandra

5/1/2014

Hello, It has been a pleasure working with IM Silver.  I was kept informed from the time they received my horsehair until the finished product was in the mail.   This gave me assurance that the jewelry was being completed in a timely manner and made me feel like an important customer.  The jewelry is beautiful, woven perfectly and the original hand tooled silver is ONE-OF-A-KIND.  I have placed 3 orders so far and hope to place more in the future.

Thank you, Ivy.

Sincerely,
Ann Schlater

5/15/14

A friend of mine told me about IM Silver, her craftsmanship and how wonderful she was to work with. Per his recommendation, my boyfriend Reed and I collected horse hair to send to Ivy for a Mother’s Day jewelry gift. We did not provide much time for Ivy to work on this, but her turn around time was fantastic. She thoroughly communicated with us to ensure the jewelry was made to our liking and it was beautiful. Our mothers were ecstatic with the sentiment of the gift! They love the personalization and thinking of their horses and children each time they wear the jewelery. We couldn’t be happier with her work!

~ Katie Davis

06/11/14

My daughter and I met Ivy at the Horse Expo in Denver. We spent a good part of two days visiting with her at her booth. My daughter had designed a pendant to attach to a necklace Ivy would make with Garfield’s tail. She had Garfield for 22 years and he had recently passed away at age 28. We both felt lost and sad without him. Ivy helped us in our grieving process. She is a kind and compassionate woman. That kindness and compassion goes into her work. My daughter and I have 4 incredible pieces of Ivy’s work. We never take them off. It gives us the feeling Garfield is still somehow with us. We have recommended her to friends and they have ordered pieces from her. They have been enthusiastic about the quality of her work and pleased with their pieces.

Ivy will forever be in our hearts.

Janet Nugent

My dad being a jeweler was the one that chose Ivy to design my special pieces of my beloved horse Brandy.  Out of all the artisans he believed she had the most professional looking web site, very reasonably priced for what she does and the quality was exceptional.  I enjoyed working with Ivy very much.  She was kind and compassionate as I told her about Brandy and how I lost her.   She was able to help me chose the right pieces to honor my horses memory.    I received my pieces a few days ago and loved them so much that I am sending Ivy some strands of tail from my new horse to make a bracelet.

Thank you so much for what you do.

Karen Wischow
Ellington CT

7/21/14

Serendipity Story 3: Horsehair It’s hard to lose a horse. Autumn’s Cinco had recovered but we almost lost him this spring to colic. My horse, Saturday, had since then broken his leg and is buried in the back pasture. Ken and Val, just a day prior to my trip to Colorado, had lost their beloved lead mare, Bert. Day two of my trip, Jan brought 2 small packages for me to take home. One for Autumn and one for me. Birthday gifts that I could open now or later, but if I did, I would know what Autumn’s gift was. I decided to wait. The last afternoon on my trip, I drove to town determined to do some casual shopping in Gunnison. Downtown Gunnison has lots of photography, jewelry, antique, gift and art gallery stores. The next to last store I ventured in was one of the many art galleries on the street. I gravitated immediately to a display with gorgeous, yet delicately woven horsehair necklaces, earrings and bracelets. The artist conisidentally happened to be there checking on her booth, Ivy McNulty. As I drooled and ogled her work and began to pick items off in a cluster of excitement to take a closer examination, Ivy came over. We began a polite conversation about her work which turned into: “I used to live here, I’m a Spann” “I’m a Paloni” “I have a sister here, Jan” “Oh, yes I know Jan.” “I have a horse that recently died” “What was his name?” “Saturday” “You could send me some of his hair?” Ivy had to go and I picked out 3 silver sets of earrings for Autumn, Abbey and myself.

It was time to get home and pack for the airport, but not before I showed Dad my great purchases and mention to him that with Ken and Val’s recent loss of Bert, this horsehair braiding would be so perfect. He smiled and agreed. Back in Tulsa, I was awakened early the next morning by a text ding from Jan. I rolled off the couch at Abbey’s apartment and read “you’d better open your present…” It was a horsehair necklace made by Ivy from Saturday’s hair and the silver pendent had his name engraved on the back! I squealed and cried and laughed in amazement. John had sent Saturday’s hair several weeks ago upon the horse’s death to Jan. Jan had already given me the necklace BEFORE I wandered into the store. And…I had unknowingly bought myself scroll earrings to match. Ivy and Jan had been frantically texting back and forth thinking I would send more horsehair. Such a fun story! The other package for Autumn contained a necklace from Cinco’s hair. And…I had unknowingly bought Autumn floral earrings to match. Everyone had been in on the gift, John, Jan, Lee and Ivy.

Serendipity at its best!

Sandy Ankenman

Hi Ivy,

About a month ago you made this bracelet for me. I know you asked for some pics to put on your face book page of the horses. The pic of me galloping the horse, his name is Ridge and he passed away from colic. The pic of me doing dressage is the horse I have now Paddy.  Thank you so much again I love it. Have had many compliments all ready.

Thanks,
Cassie Ball

1/29/15

Met Ivy and her husband at the NFR 2014, she had a beautiful booth with her braided and silver work. I bought a Horse hair braided necklace. Came home cut off hair from my horses tails and mailed off. We spoke and she was a pleasure to deal with. Will be ordering more as time goes on.

Thank you Ivy
Carol

3/22/2015

Hi Ivy, I received my bracelets in the mail today, and they are exquisite.  The workmanship is breathtaking and I am delighted with the wonderful way of honoring my best friend of 26 years. Chevy was simply the best horse I ever owned and ever rode.   We spent many hours together just enjoying the sights and sounds of nature, riding lazily through hills and woods.  When I lost Chevy, I was stunned and heartbroken.  Vital and alive one minute – gone three hours later.  When I made the decision to let him go, my vet asked about cutting some of his tail hair.  While I had done the same for owners of horses that had been boarded with us over the years, I could never understand why they would want to.  It seemed somehow morbid to me.  So, when Dr. Alex inquired, I think I visibly recoiled at the suggestion.  She went to her truck and showed me a simple braid necklace of her horse’s tail that had been done locally, on which she had a photo of the horse on a medallion,  which hung from her mirror.  I took the braid of Chevy’s tail reluctantly, vowing to never deal with it. A few days later, curiosity got the better of me and I went to the local jewelers to inquire about a bracelet.  I was shown what they would do, which was not what I wanted.   Disenchanted, I returned home and began my search.   I found you and your wonderful work on the web.  I was always torn about which of two designs I preferred.  I must commend you for your patience through the barrage of e-mails that I sent to you.   Metal color, design, all my questions which you answered promptly and with great care.  I send photos of what I was going to do to my friend, who had lost her Arab mare 14 years ago, and had her tail hair in her closet since then.  Upon seeing samples of your work, she drove the 80 miles to meet me, so we could discuss and submit the orders at the same time.   What I received at the end of this process is the most beautiful tribute to a once in a lifetime horse.   Although I can never replace my beloved Chevy, now I keep a part of him on my wrist along with in my heart.   Thank you for that gift.  I have put his remaining hair in a safe place, as I plan to have a double bracelet made of him and our remaining horse, Jack, when his time comes.

I cannot thank you enough for your talent, your patience, and your care.

Monica Scotti

3/23/2015

In June of 2013 my mare, Star, was diagnosed with an acute case of EPM. Two months later she lost the use of her back legs and I was forced to let her go. I cannot express the depth of my sorrow and was devastated by the loss of my best friend. I had purchased Star as a two-year old and she was very healthy at twenty-seven. I rarely missed a day at the barn with her and felt as though a huge part of my life was gone. My vet recommended cutting some of her tail hair and, all this time, I simply haven’t been able to part with it. However, I was given a gift certificate for Ivy’s work at Christmas and received my pieces just the other day. What a blessing Ivy has been! Her craftsmanship is simply beautiful and I was so comforted by her compassion and patience when working with me – she truly understands the depth of one’s relationship with their horse. I cannot thank her enough for these treasured pieces – now my tears of sadness mix with those of joy.

Nancy Ozburn

4/9/2015

I was there when Josh was born in 1985 and we are looking forward to celebrating his 30th birthday on Memorial Day 2015.  To say he is a significant force/individual in my life and the lives of others is an understatement.  He has been my constant companion through all of life’s ups and down since I was 12.  That is a lot of living!  He was also my learning buddy through veterinary school.  What he taught me has benefited many others.   I originally got connected to Ivy when a client gave me a gratitude gift because she said I was one of the few who understood the connection she had with her horse.  I understood it because of my relationship with Josh.  Her gift to me was a bracelet of Josh’s hair that she wanted me to enjoy everyday while he is still alive.  The gift was especially touching because she coordinated the acquisition of Josh’s tail hair with my husband who was in on the surprise! I wear this bracelet daily as a symbol of the privilege of having such a relationship (I call him my once in a lifetime horse) and the honor of being a veterinarian to care for others as I would care for my own.    Ivy has crafted several bracelets and a necklace from Joshua’s tail hair.  My most recent purchase was a Josh bracelet for a friend who has been Josh’s second Mom for more than 10 years.  She loves him like I do! Not only are these pieces beautiful, they also have so much meaning behind them.  Thanks Ivy! This is a photo of Josh under saddle at 24 years young and him enjoying a beautiful Colorado spring day a few weeks shy of his 30th birthday.  He just retired at the end of summer 2015.  What a guy!

All my best,
Christine

4/15/2015

Dear Ivy…The day I lost my “Miss T”, June 5th, 2013, will forever be one of the saddest days of my life.  She was 25 years old and had been with me for 21 of those years.  We spent every one of those days together.    A beautiful pure white, purebred Arabian mare, she was a champion western pleasure horse, my daughter’s 4-H horse, a wonderful mama to her two beautiful foals, my “heart horse” and my soul mate.  Our new barn and fence was built for her…only the best, she lived a wonderful life with us and was the queen of her domain!  I lost her on that beautiful sunny June day from a large internal melanoma.  She went peacefully and is buried under her favorite apple tree!  Stuck her tail hair away in a cupboard and just couldn’t even look at it for almost two years! I knew I wanted something very special made and when I came upon your website and saw your beautiful jewelry, you were the one to send her precious tail to!  I received my treasures last week…they are so beautiful!  I will be forever grateful to you for these wonderful gifts from my sweet mare.  I thank you so very, very much.  When I wear my necklace, a little piece of my “Miss T” will be close to my heart forever.  Although I miss her each and every day…how blessed I was to have had her in my life and blessed to have found you!  Miss T’s beautiful light will shine on forever in your jewelry!

Teri

4/15/2015

Hi Ivy. The bracelet that you made for my friend is absolutely gorgeous!  I took a leap of faith after finding your website online and you did not disappoint me. You were prompt with answers to my questions and your turnaround time was extremely quick. The bracelet is truly a work of art that my friend will cherish forever! I’ve already referred you to my many horse friends in NJ.

Thanks again,
Maris

6/30/2015 Hi Ivy,

My bracelet arrived yesterday. I love it. It is perfect. I am so grateful that you do this type of work (art really)! I’m so happy with the quality and attention to detail. I am sure I will have you make other pieces in the future. I have already passed your name along to a friend who I showed it to yesterday when it arrived. I appreciate your professionalism and communication throughout the process.

Best Wishes,
Karen H

3/17/2016

Ivy,  The pendant is beautiful!!  Troi loves and it.  It looks great.  The hat band is great.  I love the Brand HH within the hat band.  It is great the I got to use my horse hair for Scout.  Scout is a Missouri fox trotter that I use for Des Moines Mounted Patrol.

Dave M

3/21/2016

Hi Ivy. After referring you to many friends, it was finally my turn!  I received my beautiful bracelet this weekend!  So bittersweet after losing Waylan (29 years old) just about 4 weeks ago.  It I a pleasure to do business with you. Your craftsmanship and artistry are second to none!  I will truly cherish my bracelet forever❤!

Thank You!
Maris

4/10/2016

I am so very happy with my horse hair bracelet.  I have been wearing it every day.  We had to say goodbye to our horse Lilo, last October 2015.   She was an amazing horse.  She lived a wonderful life, she taught both of our boys (now ages 16 and 21) how to ride when they were younger.   Lilo helped me pass a Therapeutic Riding Certification test in 2009.   What a wonderful way to remember her everyday, with my bracelet made by Ivy.  The craftsmanship of the bracelet is beautiful, and Ivy was so great to work with.

Thank you,
Jane H

04/27/2016

Thanks for that info. I’m really excited about the buckle. When I saw the package at the post office and saw it was from you I felt like a kid that had received one of those prize toys you could get from a cereal box when I was kid That was a big deal. I always like looking at engraving on silver jewelry. Yours is special in that it not only catches my eye but I find myself being drawn into the piece and following the cuts loops and swirls as if I was following the contours of a topo map but I have no destination in mind. It is truely a work of art I will enjoy wearing.

John B

4/17/2016

Thank you, Ivy, for making such a stunning piece from my AliBaba’ tail hair. Just shy of his 26th birthday, on March 10, 2016, my handsome boy unexpectedly and quickly passed away leaving me with an aching heart and a huge hole in my life. For 17 years he and I were a team – sometimes I was in charge and sometimes he was but it never failed; if I’d had a bad day, all I had to do was go to the barn and all was right in my world again.  I have gotten so many complements on the necklace and when I tell people what it is made from, more often than not it brings tears to their eyes because it’s such a beautiful memento of him. It brings me great comfort knowing that every time I put it on, I still have a little bit of him with me. Thank you for bringing a little bit of Peace to a lost soul.

Gail & AliBaba

4/20/16

Thanks for the work you have done for me.  The piece you made for my shoulder bag looks great!

Ann

5/4/16

The work on the two bracelets I ordered was absolutely gorgeous.  I ordered two bracelets, one for myself and one for a friend.  Working with Ivy couldn’t have been easier.  All correspondence was quick and accurate and it took a very short time to receive the bracelets.    I highly recommend IM Silver if you would like to keep a part of your horse with you always.

Paul
Desert Horse Ranch

9/30/2016

I received my personalized necklace from Ivy at IM Silver and I am super happy with it!  She managed to used all my 5 horses hair in the braided necklace and  then put all tail hair of the 5 plus the tail hair of my 2 miniature donkeys in the beautiful amulet.  It is a stunning piece and so meaningful for me!  My herd is a hard working group of therapy horses and donkeys. They provide invaluable support for many of my clients. I feel blessed that I can carry them with me now wherever I go.

Pia Jansen, MSW, EAGALA advanced certified “UNBRIDLED” equine assisted learning and counseling

01/09/17

Hi,  My jewelry arrived and it’s amazingly beautiful! Thank you so much!!!!  I absolutely love it.    I posted photos to my Facebook page and tagged your Facebook page and your website.  All my horsey friends are jealous so I’m telling them to have one made from their horse’s hair!  Hopefully I’m sending lots of business your way.  Thank you again!!!!