How To: Verifying Vintage Breyer Horses Part 1

I get many questions at the Golden Oak Stables’ shows asking what a horse is or when it was made. At one point or another you’re going to have a horse that ends up in your collection that isn’t brand new. Sometimes they are gifts from friends or family that may have had a horse or two are some point in their life, or maybe you picked it up at a yard sale. Either way, there are some distinct things that can help you identify the time period your model was made during and from there identify what your model is. Its also interesting to understand a bit of history for the Breyer company and how they have changed over the years.

The Breyer Molding Company was around for many years before they went into the production of model horses, but the first examples of model horses we see from Breyer was sometime around 1950. There were only a few molds that were in production in the 1950’s so these are some of the easiest to identify. The vast majority of the molds used in the 1950’s had a molded on bridle and a detachable saddle. There were also other horse models that did not have tack, but many of them did.

In the 50’s Breyer horses had not received the iconic “Breyer Stamp” yet. Without the stamp they are easily misidentified and looked over. Horses from this time period are made from the same plastic we are used to today. Not many model horses are created from this type of plastic, so being familiar with the “Feel” of Breyer horses will help you identify the plastic.

Breyer’s of this time period were all made in a glossy finish. The paint of this time period is still very similar to other vintage models, but they feature soft shading and delicate details. Models with tack often had hand painted details to the tack or very delicately airbrushed details.

In the 1960’s Breyer was still finding themselves as horse producers. They introduced many new molds during the 60’s and expanded greatly. Many of the iconic Breyer’s that we think of today were released in the 1960’s: the Fighting Stallion, the Five Gaiter, and the Running Mare and Foal.

In the early 1960’s Breyers were often glossy; during the late 1960’s many of the models that were released in glossy were later released in a matte finish. At this point, most Breyers had received the iconic stamp so that will help you identify that you have a genuine Breyer. The last thing to look for in Breyers from this period are details like eyewhites painted in the corner of the eye, and foot pads on the hooves and or tail.

By looking for a few things you can easily identify not only what time period your horses are from but also help you identify the exact model as well as the value.

Next week we’ll go over horses from the 70’s,80’s and 90’s!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

How To: Overview of Live Showing Breyer Horses

Tomorrow is the first annual Golden Oak Stables’ New England Fall Live. In honor of that, today we’ll take a look at all of our past articles on Live showing with a few more tips tossed in!

Showing for the first time can be very intimidating for anyone, especially if you don’t know anyone that is showing with you. While its quite easy to make new friends at the event itself, we took a look at how to find collectors in your area. You may also want to mention to the show holder that you are new to showing and may not know anyone that will be there. In most cases, she’ll be more than happy to put you next to someone that lives near, or someone that she feels would be a good table buddy for the day. Its also normal to ask to be seated next to someone who’s more experienced and can help you with you questions. Breyer horse collectors are very friendly and eager to help by nature, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Before you go to the show you’ll want to take some time to pick your very best horses to show. Choosing which models to take to a live show can be difficult, but you’ll need to remember to choose your very best models only with the least amount of flaws. Once you’ve chosen what models that you own that are the best condition, you’ll want to try to pick the ones that you feel are suited best for the breed. Choosing horses that are realistic and that have realistic coloring will show best. If the show has collectiblility classes, it may seem confusing as to what makes a Breyer horse collectible, but a few simple guidelines will help you understand why it is rarer than the next model.

Lastly, before you leave for your show you will want to make a first aid kit so that you have everything you could imagine in case of emergency. It will be the best thing you can do for yourself the day of the show.

If you are in the New England area tomorrow please make plans to stop by Golden Oak Stables! Its an event not to be missed. If not, try to seek out a model horse show in your area. Its great to get involved with your models and meet others that have the same interests.

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

How To: Authenticating Breyer Horses

There’s no question as to authenticity when we purchase a new Breyer from our favorite dealer, but sometimes we purchase used or rare models from individual collectors. The vast majority of collectors are very honest and upfront about the history of a horse, but sometimes, especially with rarer horses, its best to cover all of your bases.

In the past month or so there have been several cases of fake models being sold as real; I’ve had this happen twice to myself. This can happen to anyone, regardless of experience in the hobby. Commonly we purchase second-hand horses via the internet, which is great and convenient for all of us, but we’re purchasing through photographs instead of seeing the model in person. We also may not always know our seller.

The most commonly reproduced models are the glossy prize models that Breyer awards at their sponsored shows and as prizes for other contests. These models have become very valuable and collectible in the past decade and are very desirable. There have been countless cases of these models being reproduced. The common way to tell the difference is the feel and smell of the gloss. Unfortunately you can’t tell this until you get the model home.

At every Golden Oak Stables’ show I give the same speech that I’ll give here. Make sure you know the owner. If you are going to spend several hundred dollars on the model be sure to get the seller’s full name and if he or she won the model, if not, find out who did win the horse. Once you have that make contact with the original winner (If you don’t have their email a google search can help find it) and see what the history of the model is. You can also check JAH for Breyerfest winners for each year, I suggest checking this out and looking for the winner’s name.

These steps aren’t always full proof, but it is a good start. In addition you should ask for up close photos of the horse including the stomach, legs, hooves, tips of tail, under the chin, ect. These are areas where the gloss would drip. It is very easy to purchase a regular run model and place a coat of gloss over them, so checking these places for drips and bubbles will help you weed out the fakes. All Breyerfest models come with a Certificate of Authenticity, but these are VERY easy to reproduce, so do not rely on this to authenticate the horse for you. After you’ve done some homework and if you feel the horse is authentic be sure to use a secure method of payment such as a credit card as well as working out a return policy in writing should the model end up being fake.

Decorators are the second most commonly reproduced models. Decorators (Blue, Gold, Woodgrain, ect) are quite rare and are much harder to reproduce than a glossy model. Most decorators are very easy to tell from photographs which are real and which are fake. Most vintage decorators were produced prior to 1970, so one way to check is to ask for a photograph of the mold mark. No vintage decorators should have the U.S.A mark. Taking a look at the current Breyer guide as well as familiarizing yourself with what these models look like will help you if you should decide to make the plunge.

After you purchase the model though you’ll want to test the model. There’s a cleaning solution by the name of Lestoil that will take off any paint that is not original finish leaving the original paint below. Diluting this in water and leaving the horse soak for a short period of time will either do nothing, meaning your horse is authentic, or the paint will start to peel, which means the horse is a fake. I have yet to hear a story of Lestiol disturbing an original paint job.

Its always best to purchase models in person if possible, but do your homework if you decide to buy online. Check out your seller on Model Horse Hobby Reference for detailed accounts from other buyers about prior transactions and always purchase with a bit of buyer beware, and always remember, you can’t go wrong with a new Breyer from your dealer!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

How To: Breyer Horse Restoration-Removing marks

Continuing from two weeks ago, today we’ll learn how to remove those pesky black, brown and sometimes white paint marks that Breyer horses seem to pick up. These marks can occur for many reasons, the most common reasons are falling or bumping into another horse. These marks are not rubs, they are small remnants of paint that have left on the horse. These marks can be difficult to remove, some people might even believe they are permanent, but with these tips, you can save your models!

Black and brown marks are pretty easy to tell, but white marks on your horse could easily be mistaken for rubs. Take a nice close look at your Breyer. As you can see on the horse below, there are many thing wrong with this horse, including black marks on him.

The first step to any restoration is to give your horse a good bath. Using a mild soap like Dawn is best. Dilute a small amount of Dawn in warm water and bathe your horse in it. Take a soft cloth and do a light scrub. Some horses have texture that will hold dirt. Be sure to get in the nooks and crannies as well.

You can first try a little bit of Dawn or other dish detergent on a wet rag to get the mark off. Gently scrub the mark with a rag with a bit of dish detergent on it. Scrub lightly, you can even use your finger nail over the rag, but do not scrub harshly or scratch at your model. If after a few moments your mark doesn’t budge you might want to try another method.

Another tool to use is a pencil eraser. This works best for black marks on a white model, but may work on other colors, be very careful not to damage your horse. Using the eraser move in small circles over the mark and apply a bit of pressure. Within a couple minutes you will know if it is working.

One of the harsher methods to use for stubborn marks is Lestoil. Lestoil is an industrial cleanser and should be used very carefully. It can be found in hardware stores as well as some grocers. Fill a large bucket with water and add a small amount of Lestiol, put your model in there for a few hours and check it. Lestoil does not remove original finish paint but will remove any other paint. Wipe over your horse and if the marks come off give him a good bath, if not let him sit for another couple hours.

There are many choices when it comes to repairing your models, but the most important thing to remember is to have patience and take your time. Rushing will only hinder your restoration project and in most cases make more work for yourself.

Stay tuned to Golden Oak Stables’ Stable News for more restoration projects and tips to come, along with the latest Breyer news!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

How To: Breyer Horse Restoration-Touchups on a Bay Horse

At some point we all end up with a model or two in our collection that might have been played with a bit and has some rubs and marks. This is very common for Breyer horses. Those of you that were at Golden Oak Stables’ workshop day in August may have seen me doing touch-ups on a few horses there. This is very simple to do with a little practice!

For this project you’ll need.

• Acrylic Paint
• Water
• Paper towels
• Breyer horse
• Paint Brush
• Q-tips

You’ll first want to clean your horse really well with water to get any dirt off, you want the cleanest canvas possible to start your project on.

Once your horse is clean you can begin to work with the paint. For this dark bay horse I only used two colors, a medium/dark brown and a black. By using acrylic its completely washable if you should mess up. Mix a color that you think is closest to the color that your horse is. When you do have that color, start putting a light layer of paint down withe either your paintbrush or Q-tip. You’ll find one that works best, for this project Q-tips worked best for me. Your first layer might be too light, if you can see white still through the paint put down a second layer.

Moving onto the ears and nostrils are some of the most common places for rubs to occur. On a dark bay horse these places will most likely be black. Using the black I began to put the color on the nostril as well as the ear tips lightly.

Here you can see where the black on the eartips are. They still need to be blended in with a bit of brown on the opposite side so that it isn’t noticeable where you have painted the horse. Using the Q-tip blend these colors together so that the black line you see evens out.

Once you’ve touched up the places that are needed let your horse dry completely. As you can see here, he’s almost done!

The ear tips and nostrils look brand new, you can barely tell that they ever had rubs!

This example of a Breyer still has a few spots on him that need removed. These are white and black marks that are on top of the paint, not through the paint. These are very common too. Next week we’ll go over how to get those off and turn this guy into the handsome boy he once was!
Good luck!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

How To: Tacking Up a Breyer Horse

Most of us all have a few pieces of tack lying around our stables and you might not know how to put it on properly. Whether for play or show its fun to be able to put tack on properly.

I’ll be working with Breyer’s Elegance Dressage tack set which is the crème da’ la crème of Breyer tack, there are many options of Breyer tack that is available through Golden Oak Stables. Any kind of tack will work, but the more realistic the better. The only difference will be that some Breyer tack has one large buckle for the girth and some will have smaller buckles that fit under the saddle flaps.

Once you have your tack and horse picked out start with the saddle pad. Those of you that have tacked up a real horse will have a bit of an advantage, tacking up a Breyer horse isn’t much different than tacking up a real horse. Place the saddle pad on the horse so that its centered on the back and sides and so that it isn’t hanging over the hind quarters. Once you have that centered put the saddle onto the pad, again making sure it is centered. Place your hand over the saddle and pad to keep it in place and lay the horse on its side so that the un-done buckles are facing up. Fasten those buckles tightly, but be careful not to break the tack. Pick your horse up and straighten the blanket and saddle again.

The bridle is a bit more difficult to put on. If possible buckle the noseband prior to putting on the bridle and place the reins around the neck. Slide the noseband up onto the horse and pull the crown piece over the ears. Adjust any of the buckles so that the straps fit snugly. Buckle the throatstrap. If your bit is a separate piece you’ll want to put a little tacky wax (Found at any drug store as dental wax) on the corners of the mouth and placing the bit in that spot.

Once you have your bridle on you might want to pull your reins tight and sticky them in place too with some wax.

Now that you can tack up your horse, you’re ready to play or show! Take a look around online for pictures of real horses tacked up, it will help you get all the details exactly right. Good luck!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

How To: Finding Breyer Horse collectors in your area.

Finding other Breyer collectors in the area can be a great experience, having friends close to share you hobby makes it easy to get to model horse events as well as having someone close to share the hobby with. Even getting together to make tack or organizing your collection is easier with someone near! When I moved to New England a few years ago, I didn’t know anyone. I was very lucky to have my model horses, live showing and chatting online helped put me in touch with great friends that I never knew I would or could have!

We are lucky that we have the internet in today’s day and age. When I first began collecting we had to use the post office for any form of communication in the hobby. The internet makes it easy to contact others, as well as keeping in touch with them. Some of the best places to find other Breyer horse collectors are on the internet. The easiest place to find collectors in your area is through the North American Model Horse Showers Association’s website, http://www.namhsa.org . They offer a contacts list that offers a breakdown of representatives by state as well as links to individual discussion pages for each region in the nation. They split the country into 10 regions and one for Canada. The page outlines which region your state is in. The discussion pages for your region are a great resource, the discussion lists are often very busy and very friendly. They can be great places to find events as well.

Another good place to look is also online, model horse websites. http://www.modelhorseblab.com is a very active model horse message board with thousands of members. Regional discussion is encouraged and you’ll find collectors of all ages and experiences there. Another good model horse message board is http://www.fallen-leaves.net . Fallen Leaves is also very active and is an easy place to find people in your area. Both of these websites are very active and have thousands of members, you will notice once you start navigating the sites a bit that most people list what state they are located in. There are also often discussions of events in certain states or live shows in the area.

One of the best places to find model horse collectors are live model horse shows. Live shows can be found on the NAMHSA website as well as www.breyerhorses.com under the events section and in Just About Horses. Even if you aren’t showing, visiting for the day can be great fun. If you are entering, be sure to ask the show holder if you can be sat next to someone that is near you geographically. Its something we automatically do at Golden Oak Stables‘ shows, and great friends have been made just through our few shows! You’ll find live shows are very welcoming and that most people there are very happy to meet someone new. Just be friendly and introduce yourself and you’ll find new friends in no time!

One thing to always remember is to never meet anyone you don’t know alone and be cautious when navigating online, never give out personal information and if you are a youth do not ever contact anyone without your parents knowledge. The internet is not always a safe place and care should be taken. That said finding other Breyer horse collectors can be a great thing. My very best friends have been met because I collect Breyer horses, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse Restoration: Removing Acrylic Paint Part 2

Last week we did a bit of Breyer horse restoration. Removing acrylic paint is a lot of work but can produce great results. Last week we loosened the paint and removed the larger portions of it. This week we’re going to work on the mane and tail. If you haven’t had a chance to take a look at last week’s part one, you can click here to read it.

After you’ve removed the larger potions of acrylic paint you’re going to notice what’s left is very stubborn. Paint that slips into the crevices and into creases is difficult to get out and harder to remove. If you’ve taken a break in between steps you’ll want to once again soak your horse. This loosens the paint. Acrylic paint is water soluble, so water is going to be one of your greatest weapons against the paint.

Once you have soaked the horse, you’ll want to start scrubbing it again with the toothbrush and acrylic soap. Again, you want to loosen this as much as possible. Dry paint will be almost impossible to remove. This might even remove a bit more of the paint and save you a bit of trouble.

Once your paint is soaked and loosened you’ll want to get some toothpicks and start to loosely pick at the paint, getting into the crevices and lightly picking and scratching at the paint. If the model you are working with has a bare plastic tail (This is common on models with a white mane and tail) you don’t need to be as careful when picking and scratching, but if your model has a painted mane and tail be VERY careful not to scratch off the original paint.

Take your time and pick at the paint until it is all removed. If you are still having difficulty another soak and scrub with the toothbrush and soap is in order. For difficult paint this may need to be done several times. Use care and patience and the paint will be gone in no time!

After you feel like you’ve gotten all of the paint on give your horse another soak in a bucket. Leave it sitting in there for an hour or so and wipe it off with a wash rag or paper towel. Your model should now be done!

Patience will get you very far when you are restoring models. Don’t rush and take your time.

If you are in the Concord, NH area drop on by tomorrow to Golden Oak Stables for our Fun Day and Workshop Day, drop me an email for more information!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse Restoration: Removing Acrylic Paint Part 1

In honor of Golden Oak Stables‘ workshop day being held next weekend I wanted to do something a little special.

Today we’re going to take a look at Breyer horse restoration. Breyer horse restoration is a very complicated trade, it takes hours of time and years of skill, but done correctly it can produce beautiful results. Breyer horse restoration artists are few and far between and finding a good one is hard, for today we’ll focus on something that you can try yourself.

Materials

• Breyer Horse that has been repainted with Acrylic
• Bucket
• Water
• Acrylic Brush Cleaning soap
• Regular toothbrush
• Electric toothbrush
• Toothpicks
• Papertowels

Everyone has done it once, gotten excited about repainting and slapped some paint on a beloved model, and even if you haven’t, you’ve probably come across one in your travels that was badly repainted. Today we’ll learn part one of removing acrylic paint from an original finish Breyer Horse.

Restoration takes hours upon hours, and can be extremely frustrating. I would only suggest doing it if the horse is rare, hard to find, or sentimental. There are times when its just going to be cheaper to buy a new model.

This Breyer has been repainted using Acrylic paint. Acrylic paint is a water based and water soluble paint that is commonly used for painting Breyers. You can check if the paint is acrylic by trying to flake it lightly with a fingernail. Be VERY careful not to scratch the model. If it flakes easily, its probably acrylic.

The first step is to initially loosen the paint. Place your horse in a large bucket and fill it up with water. Its best to do this outside so that you don’t make a bit mess indoors. You may need to use something to weigh your horse down, Breyers are hallow and will float, wet rags work well for this. Start off by leaving him in there for a few hours.

After that you’ll want to work on your horse immediately. Using a clean toothbrush start scrubbing lightly. Areas of paint on the body will be easiest to get off. Manes and tails will be difficult. There are crevices that require lots of time and detail work, we’ll cover that in part two. At this time though you can start loosening it by scrubbing it too, but don’t expect it to come off on your first try.

If you still have stubborn paint on the body after scrubbing with the toothbrush, try using a bit of acrylic brush soap. Acrylic brush soap is created to remove acrylic paint from paint brushes, and it works similarly by loosening the paint.

Next week we’ll finish up with the mane and tail. Don’t give up! This takes time but at the end you’ll feel so great knowing you brought back a horse to its former beauty!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

How To: Choosing Breyer Horses

I’ve had the privilege of not only attending dozens of live shows but also hosting and judging Golden Oak Stable’s novice series. As a judge its much easier to look critically at a model horse, much more so than looking at your own horses. Those of you that show might find it hard to understand how a judge can pick out a winner when there are 10 of the exact same model on the table, but today we’ll look at part one of how to choose a horse that is ready for the ring.

All Breyer Horses have flaws. Its nearly impossible to find one that does not. This is because all Breyer’s are painted by hand and all painted individually. There are other flaws that occur due to damage and regular wear and tear. Taking good care of your horses is the first step to having live show quality Breyers, but you also want to be able to enjoy them. With careful play and care you can do both easily.

Some things to look for when choosing a horse to bring to a live show are rubs, paint marks, and flaws.

This arabian mare would be a perfect live show model if not for her flaws. She is a great representation of the breed, she’s also got great coloring as well as being a little rare. But she has flaws.

As you can see, she has multiple rubs as well as paint marks and discoloration on her. Due to these flaws she would not make a good show horse despite all of her positive qualities.

Roxy looks perfect to the blind eye. This Roxy is brand new out of the box, but sadly she has a flaw that will hurt her in the show ring.

She has a shiny rub on her barrel. This isn’t as bad as a normal rub, but it won’t help her in the show ring and is considered a flaw. She could still show in halter, but won’t do as well as a Roxy without a shiny rub. She’d also do well in performance.

One of the most common flaws can be seen on this Ashley. Ear rubs.

Ear Rubs are really common, probably one of the most common damage that can incur to your horse, and judges do notice them as flaws. Taking care not to hit the tops or sides of the ears when playing or displaying your models will help keep them nice.

Taking care of your models is the first step to having live show quality models that can hold their own in the live show ring.

~ Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com