Curly coated horses :-)

Three years ago, Collecta launched a curly coated mare and foal, but even if I like unusual breeds, I didn't considered buying it.

This needs a bit of explanation :
My old, beloved blue-eyed mare had to be put to sleep after she developed  Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction  , also called equine Cushing's disease.
One of the symptomes was that her coat became immensely thick and almost curly, but worse, she got bad laminitis, and as she was 24 years old, the vet advised that we free her from suffering.  
It was very, very hard to say goodbye to such a good friend ( I had her since she was a foal ), so I certainly do not have good vibes about curly horses

But the breed stems from a mutation and is not an illness.
Reading Wikipedia about Curly coated horses , I see that they come in all sizes and colours, which is good, because breeding a rare mutation from only few horses often brings forward reccessive illnesses .

However, in spite of this mixed background it is claimed that they are all very gentle  
But I can think of an explanation :
The curly fur is not very smart from nature's point of view : It doesn't protect as well from rain and snow, and it gets dirty all the time.
So I imagine that the owners have to brush them all the time, take them out when the weater is good so they are not covered in straw,
To run out to bring them indoors when it rains, and out again when the rain stops, and brush in between    very tame and cuddly horse  

Well, back to models, - of course, after having eyed the CollectA curly horses, I gave in  

So here is my little collection of models of curly horses  
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The mare from Bullyland was only made in 2008, and there is not even a picture of her in the catalogues.
Only this one, - a photo of the breed, which Bully often did at that time, if the model was not ready when the catalogue was being printed:
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It is a nice model, I think it is a kind of larger pony.
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Schleich made a curly coated mare and foal in 2015, and it only lasted 2 years and was retired in 2017.
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I would not like to ride that mare, - there is almost no shoulder, and I would fear that both saddle and I might slip up on her neck  
But I like the colour and the foal is ever so cute
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The mare and foal from CollectA were launched in 2017, and are still produced.
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Certainly not one of the best horse models CollectA has made,
her shoulder is steep, and her front leg too long, but worst : it is like she has not got a breast  
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but a lovely face...
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....even if they put a strange, snowy white spot on her nose  
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The foal is adoreable, so all in all, they are ok
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Also Safari made a curly horse in 2017, - it is retired in 2020 as far as I know.
He is the only stallion in my flock, so he is very happy  
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He is a fine, strong horse, and I like him a lot , only....
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.... his face is strangely narrow  
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But as my old riding teacher said : The rump is the motor of the horse, - so what that way he is great  
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END of curly story    

I saw the bullyland in a toy store once, and should have gotten her. I have not seen her since. I like the curly horses, and I like that they are all so different so far! Thanks for the presentation. :)

These horses are lovely, especially the mare and foal Collecta.

I am not exactly a horse guy but I liked so much this topic that I think I've red it three times. I also think that I couldn't remember any of these figures, I know Curly horses were released but they vanished from my memory. I think I also never noticed the Safari model was so beautiful, a very appealing design in my opinion and even these "free" hairs at the end of the tail give a little but special touch to it. I also like very much the Bullyland model, it represents surely a small horse. Oh, when I watched the catalogue picture, I almost thought it was an Icey!

Thankyou for your ikind komments, friends

Roger, about the picture : An Icey never lifts the tail much.
It is said that the Icelandic farmers find it ugly, but it could also be because the croup slopes down and the tail is very heavy

Very nice array of curly horses, I only have one in my collection: the Schleich mare. I am not considering to buy any more figures of the breed or their real life counterparts

Lovely comparison of all the Curlies!Lots of discussion of how they got their coat and they are somtimes called Bashkir Curlies in the USA but the origin Bashkir horse-a Russian breed-is unlikely to be the ancestor!

Thanks, Adam and Taylor

It`s makes me sad , reading the reason, why you didn`t buy the Collecta models for so long time..
But I am glad , that now you desided to do it. Now you have a very sweet, little collection of these unusual , curly horses :)
If I have to pick a brand from these, I will go with Collecta, although I agree with you, that these are not the best Collecta models, but the foal is especially nice :)
I also like the curly details on the Bully one . The even made the tail veeery curly
Thank you for making this nice topic for us Susanne

Happy you find it interesting, dear Kosta