Introduction to the Hobby
Nearly all of us will have owned a model horse at some point of our lives, the difference between simply playing with Grand Champions as children and being a hobbyist isn't as big as you would think.
Like any hobby there is no one way to define a model horse hobbyist. Some may just want to collect, some may want to show and others may want to create, but most will take part in nearly every aspect of the hobby, even if one is more important to them than the others.
There are several main elements to the model horse hobby (although people may do all kinds of weird and wonderful things with their models that we simply do not have time to mention here). That said you can roughly categorise the hobby into three main areas:
Collecting
Showing
Creating
Collecting
Like many hobbies the start of the model horse hobby came with collecting. People have been collecting things for centuries and it is no surprise that people would want to collect model horses! After all what horsey mad child wouldn't want a stable yard of their own?
All hobbyists will have a collection of some sort. Some people have quite flexible collections, selling and buying models on a regular basis and keeping a smaller number of horses. They may want to just keep models for one or two show seasons and then find new blood, or maybe they just need to sell in order to fund that new pretty looking thing! Others may have more static collections, that simply grow and grow (I am definitely one of those). There is afterall a very fine line between hoarding and collecting...
Some people may just want to own anything and everything, others may be looking for a more precise collection. Several hobbyists will collect what are known as 'congas'. A conga is a selection of models all on the same mould. Most companies will produce lots of different colours on the same moulds and collectors can also add customised models to their congas (a custom is a model that is remade or repainted). Others may want to collect a single breed (such as Arabians) or a single colour (such as greys). Others may want to collect one particular brand such as Breyers or Schleich.
My own collection is large and mixed. However, I do like particular moulds, brands and colours. I conga three moulds, the Breyer Traditional Silver, the Breyer Traditional Bobby Jo and the Breyer Stablemate G2 Appaloosa. I also have a large collection of RubberNedz (in fact I own the largest). But these all sit within a collection of over 2,000 model horses of all makes and sizes!
A shot of my own collection in my old house. Note the huge variety!
Showing
I talk in more detail about showing on some of the other pages so I will just do a brief paragraph here about showing your model horses. Model horses are shown in a similar way to how real life horses are shown. Models can be shown in person at 'live shows' or online/post through 'photo shows' and 'postal shows'.
Sections at shows are usually (I speak very loosly here as all shows are different) by finish. The finish is the type of model horse. For example an original finish model horse is one that is the exact same state as it was when it left the factory whilst a custom finish model horse is one that has been altered in some way, such as through repainting. There are also performance classes in which the horse is shown with tack and a rider to create a replica of a real life event or scene.
Within these sections classes are usually split by breed, such as Arabian or more general things such as European Light Horse. In performance classes the split is by discipline, such as English Ridden or Western Pleasure.
At shows you can win all kinds of different prizes, from printable certificates to actual rosettes and trophies. Some shows even offer model horses as prizes (things such as the BreyerFest prize models are very valuable and definitely worth winning). But for many shows offer a chance to show off their collection and also meet up with friends. The best part of a live show is just having one day where you can escape real life and have fun with people who are just as strange as you are.
I have been live showing since 2006 and photoshowing since before then. I started running live shows in 2010 and have sat on the BMECS committee in the UK several times. I have been running photoshows for well over a decade and also run occasional postal shows. For me live showing are a chance to meet with friends and have a good laugh, they also make a great shopping opportunity.
I talk in more detail about showing on some of the other pages so I will just do a brief paragraph here about showing your model horses. Model horses are shown in a similar way to how real life horses are shown. Models can be shown in person at 'live shows' or online/post through 'photo shows' and 'postal shows'.
Sections at shows are usually (I speak very loosly here as all shows are different) by finish. The finish is the type of model horse. For example an original finish model horse is one that is the exact same state as it was when it left the factory whilst a custom finish model horse is one that has been altered in some way, such as through repainting. There are also performance classes in which the horse is shown with tack and a rider to create a replica of a real life event or scene.
Within these sections classes are usually split by breed, such as Arabian or more general things such as European Light Horse. In performance classes the split is by discipline, such as English Ridden or Western Pleasure.
At shows you can win all kinds of different prizes, from printable certificates to actual rosettes and trophies. Some shows even offer model horses as prizes (things such as the BreyerFest prize models are very valuable and definitely worth winning). But for many shows offer a chance to show off their collection and also meet up with friends. The best part of a live show is just having one day where you can escape real life and have fun with people who are just as strange as you are.
I have been live showing since 2006 and photoshowing since before then. I started running live shows in 2010 and have sat on the BMECS committee in the UK several times. I have been running photoshows for well over a decade and also run occasional postal shows. For me live showing are a chance to meet with friends and have a good laugh, they also make a great shopping opportunity.
Creating
It is no surprise that the model horse hobby attracts such amazingly creative and talented people. Imagine a full tack set produced perfectly in 1:64 scale (that's about the size of a 2p coin) or a beautifully sculpted horse complete with every detail and accuracy. This hobby offers so much opportunity to create I could write about it all day! Much of the creative aspect focuses around showing, so there is a definite strive for quality, realism and accuracy in everything the model horse artist does. However, there is also a really fun element to a lot of the creativity you will see and some very disturbing senses of humour...
The two main ways in which you will see creations in the model horse hobby are through customising/sculpting and performance items. Customising involves remaking or repainting a model horse to create something completely new. Some people will completely remake a model so that it is unrecognisable and others will simply add a new coat of paint so it is a different colour. You can even add realistic manes and tails! The hobby has also attracted a large number of equine sculptors. They produce incredibly realistic sculptures which are usually cast in resin or china and sold to the hobby.
Performance showing also leads to the need to create items for the performance piece. The first thing to note is the creation of tack pieces, these are very accurate working pieces created in a variety of miniature scales. Then there is the creation of all the props and bits of pieces to go with the horse and tack, from jumps to bridges. Some people even create tiny miniature scenes and stables! Finally those who are good with a needle could always have a go at creating new outfits for dolls (or even new hair styles).
But creativity isn't just expressed through things that can be put on the show table. As you spend more and more time in this hobby you will see cartoons, drawings, YouTube videos, stories, photographs, scenes and even fully function miniature stable yards, perfect replicas of their larger cousins. There really is no end to the creativity of the model horse hobbyist.
I have been customising model horses since around 2005 and have been making tack for a similar time period. I prefer to work in very small scales (around 1:65 and smaller). I also like to create accurate miniature scenes within boxes or details to add to my own stableyard. All my model horses have their own personalities and as you enjoy our site you will definitely come across Crackers the very very naughty Julip!
It is no surprise that the model horse hobby attracts such amazingly creative and talented people. Imagine a full tack set produced perfectly in 1:64 scale (that's about the size of a 2p coin) or a beautifully sculpted horse complete with every detail and accuracy. This hobby offers so much opportunity to create I could write about it all day! Much of the creative aspect focuses around showing, so there is a definite strive for quality, realism and accuracy in everything the model horse artist does. However, there is also a really fun element to a lot of the creativity you will see and some very disturbing senses of humour...
The two main ways in which you will see creations in the model horse hobby are through customising/sculpting and performance items. Customising involves remaking or repainting a model horse to create something completely new. Some people will completely remake a model so that it is unrecognisable and others will simply add a new coat of paint so it is a different colour. You can even add realistic manes and tails! The hobby has also attracted a large number of equine sculptors. They produce incredibly realistic sculptures which are usually cast in resin or china and sold to the hobby.
Performance showing also leads to the need to create items for the performance piece. The first thing to note is the creation of tack pieces, these are very accurate working pieces created in a variety of miniature scales. Then there is the creation of all the props and bits of pieces to go with the horse and tack, from jumps to bridges. Some people even create tiny miniature scenes and stables! Finally those who are good with a needle could always have a go at creating new outfits for dolls (or even new hair styles).
But creativity isn't just expressed through things that can be put on the show table. As you spend more and more time in this hobby you will see cartoons, drawings, YouTube videos, stories, photographs, scenes and even fully function miniature stable yards, perfect replicas of their larger cousins. There really is no end to the creativity of the model horse hobbyist.
I have been customising model horses since around 2005 and have been making tack for a similar time period. I prefer to work in very small scales (around 1:65 and smaller). I also like to create accurate miniature scenes within boxes or details to add to my own stableyard. All my model horses have their own personalities and as you enjoy our site you will definitely come across Crackers the very very naughty Julip!
