Why Toy Horses are Not Just Horse Toys Anymore

In about 1950, the first toy horses were introduced in America. Since then, these toys have continued to grow in popularity. Along the way, toy horses became more than just a horse toy. They became a popular hobby that includes horse painting, photographing, prop and tack making, exhibiting and collecting valuable model horses.

Breyer capitalized on the growing collector hobby by introducing a hobby magazine in the 1970’s. Then they launched the first limited edition artist resins model horses in the 1980’s. By the 1990’s, the collectors hobby blossomed and continues to be very popular today. Limited edition artist resins are released now with very limited editions of a few hundred pieces, or in some cases only 50 pieces. These pieces usually sell out quickly. After these toy horses are sold out, they increase significantly in value in the collector’s market.

By 1996, Breyer toy horses were no longer the only game in town. Stone horses were introduced with horses just as detailed, some would argue more detailed, than Breyer. While Breyer caters to the huge toy market as well as the collector’s market, Stone focuses more on limited edition collectibles. Other brands also entered the market including Hagen-Renaker Horses. Today, Schleich and Safari also offer detailed, hand-painted model horses. However, Schleich and Safari are more popular as toys rather than collectibles, perhaps due to the smaller size of their 1:24 scale horses compared to the larger 1:9 scale for Breyer and Stone horses. Despite all the competitors, Breyer still dominates this market for both toy horses and collectibles.

Our company was first introduced to the world of model horse toys in 2007 when we added the Breyer products to our store. Since we already carried a lot of other toys, we assumed these would be just another toy category. We were surprised last year when Breyer gave us a gift of a few limited edition artist resins with a suggested price of $300 each. We thought they would never sell but we were wrong. Our customers were eager to pay that price because these were no longer just another horse toy to them. These toy horses had taken on a whole new value as rare collectibles.

What began as a horse toy has developed into a full-blown hobby with thousands of devoted hobbyists all over the world.

Click here to download a free toy horses guidebook filled with hobby tips, ideas and information.

Guide to Re-Making Your Model Horse Toy

So, you’ve decided to modify your model horse. Maybe the color is all wrong. Or you just want it to have a more active pose. Rather than trying to create your own version from scratch, relax in the knowledge that it is possible to do some nifty customizing.

The first step is to have a clear idea of what you want from the finished product. Then you can gather together the necessary tools and get started. Remember that, while it is possible to make some substantial changes, practice always makes perfect. It might be sensible to do minor modifications the first time, while you get used to the tools and processes. Take a little time to research how real horses look and move, as this will lead to a more accurate finished product. Live horses, videos, photos, and other models can all serve as inspiration.

Next you will need your model horse toy plus the right equipment. An x-acto knife or Dremel tool will be needed to remove unwanted features. A heat gun (or paint stripper) helps soften the resin. Epoxy putty is used to create new features, along with some simple sculpting tools for modeling. Aluminum foil and newspaper will fill empty spaces. Files and sandpaper smooth the surface of your new horse. Modeling paste and acrylic paint finish the job, making your one-of-a-kind model horse.

Changing a model horse’s position – To move the neck, tail, or legs, use your heat gun to warm up the target area, moving it back and forth to make it more pliable. Don’t forget to include all necessary parts – like joints and muscles – so that your model horse looks realistic. Start with small changes, and reheat as necessary. Once the right position is reached, run the area under cold water. If you are moving a leg from straight to a right angle, remove a small piece at the back of the joint to prevent folds.

A larger change involving the shoulders or haunches will require more careful and invasive toy surgery. Once the whole area has been heated, use an x-acto knife to isolate the part to be changed (but leave it attached to the horse’s body at the top joint). Then warm up the part again and move it into the desired position. For example, if you are moving a front leg forward, start at the shoulder and then move down to the lower joints. If there is a small hole left, fill it with foil, newspaper, or modeling epoxy-type filler.

Removing whole body parts – Sometimes, you may take off the entire head or a leg. This can be accidental or deliberate, but the reattachment principles are the same. One possibility is using stitches to put the body part back on. Since the toy is too rigid for normal sewing, create small holes in both the body and detached part, then attach with fine wire. Another option is to use sturdy wire to create a skeletal structure that extends from the body into the missing part. Make sure to cement the wire in place to set the position. Both approaches need filler to smooth over the join and other gaps.

Before you actually remove a large part on purpose, check the horse toy. Make sure your actions will not create bigger problems. If you are planning to move the neck and head, the mane will need to be reworked. If the tail is attached to a back leg, keep this is mind before starting to cut. It’s sensible to start with smaller changes and work up to complete remodeling – there’s a lot of horse anatomy to master.

Adding details – Adding windswept tail hairs or anatomical features will require some sculpting tools. These can be low-tech, from fingers and toothpicks, to high-end modeling tools. Depending on the details, some experimenting is useful. Consider how fine-scale the features are before selecting an appropriate tool. Small parts like facial features, ears, and hooves may require small bits of filler or epoxy. Wipe with rubbing alcohol to remove residual dirt and oil and help epoxy bond onto the surface. Keep referring back to reference pictures to get the right look.

To create tiny details like veins, try mixing water, paint, or gesso with some modeling paste until it is spreadable. With a fine brush or other tool, paint on the mixture.

Once the desired effect is reached, smooth the surface with a wet brush (either water or rubbing alcohol). Before continuing, clean all your tools to prevent the epoxy from hardening.

Finishing touches – When the model horse toy is dry, sand the surface down with a file or sandpaper. Be prepared to repeat the process several times to get a completely smooth effect. Fix the surface with gesso or white enamel primer. Then you can start painting. Before you know it, you’ll be able to create any look you want.

Click here to download a free model horse guidebook filled with hobby tips, ideas and information.