My Breyer Stablemates: G1 Drafter and another Appaloosa

This is such a wonderful set, I bought the exact one many years ago and still treasure it today! Although I'm convinced mine also came with their little border collie.
Their cat is lovely, so tiny but very sweet and detailed, again I love how everything in this set is to scale. And nice to see that you got the palomino stock horse too, it's a beautiful model!

George wrote:

The donkey is my favourite, though they're very similar they're different enough to need both releases if you're collecting! From what I see on IdentifyYourBreyer, the hospital building roof changes colour several times over the years it's been sold, and that might mean the accompanying animals' paintwork varies too?

Yes, the colour of the roof changed a few times. The hospital is currently sold with a blue roof. I believe the colours of the animals have always remained the same, but they probably made a subtle change to the donkey, because I don't see any other donkey that looks similar in colour on Identify My Breyer.

Bonnie wrote:

This is such a wonderful set, I bought the exact one many years ago and still treasure it today! Although I'm convinced mine also came with their little border collie.    

Thanks, Lilias. You are right, the tri-coloured border collie is missing, unfortunately. I knew when I bought it, so there was no disappointment. I hope I don't need to buy another hospital to get the tri-coloured collie!

Lisbon is needing a new hospital for a long time, maybe you can sell it to our central Administration. Maybe they can offer two cats and a collie but don't ask the dog, they may think it is a kind of bacteria.
About slightly different models, it is not so surprising, mostly for figures with big production numbers. After a certain number of copies, the mould gets worn and useless and they need to make a new mould. Basically, they sculpt again the same figure copying from a sample of the previous mould. It is impossible to replicate it exactly alike. Sometimes they try to make it as close as possible but sometimes they update it slightly. That's one of the reasons why we can find some Schleich models with some differences in terms of sculpt even when they are the same product. The other situation is when the same figure is produced in different factories. Naturally, each factory has its own mould.
There's still the remastered mould. It is when a mould is still in good shape but for any reason some changes were needed. Don't ask me how they do it but a good example is the first and 2nd Mojö Fun moose models. The first figure was having safety issues and the mould was remasstered and the newer figure has a completely different pose. It is also applied to slight changes in design, I am convinced the Safari birds without food or the cape buffalo without oxpeckers resulted from mould remastering.
Today I am writing a lot but there are still the almost identical Schleich sculpts, especially horses, I believe the Perswalski horse resulted from a zebra mould or the other way round.

Congratulations

Thanks, Andreas! Rogério, I'd be surprised if the cat model was made a lot, as it is hard to find, but it is always possible that the original mould somehow got damaged. The moulds of some of the G1 Stablemates were changed, but I am not aware that they made changes to any of the later moulds even though they sold a lot of them (especially the G2s).

What an absolutely delightful topic

Wonderful addition!I quite like the Breyer buildings and have the Red Barn but again as you say they tend to take up too much space!

rogerpgvg wrote:

Thanks, Andreas! Rogério, I'd be surprised if the cat model was made a lot, as it is hard to find, but it is always possible that the original mould somehow got damaged. The moulds of some of the G1 Stablemates were changed, but I am not aware that they made changes to any of the later moulds even though they sold a lot of them (especially the G2s).

Maybe the cat is not a Breyer mould. I suspect those non horse figures are partenered with other manufacturer.
About the Stablemate horses, the manufacturing is quite different from what we see with pvc figures, So, I don't have any idea how it works.

Your collection has expanded brilliantly, many lovely new additions! Those tiny cats are so cute! I'm glad you were able to get him with most of his friends as well. It's interesting to see the horses alongside all the other animals, the textures are so different.

Those resit dapple effects like on the Valegro have almost always fallen under "decorator" it seems, they just never look exactly like any real colors. I usually love the effect, despite that - the vintage Copenhagen and Florentine models and especially the "old style" roan and dapples are really beautiful (and incredibly expensive). This one is different from those, but like them, I feel like it is more of an imaginary color than anything.

Thank you, Susanne, Taylor, Rogério and Jill.

Rogério: The companion animals are different in style and plastic (PVC), so yes, it's quite possible they were made in partnership with another company.

Jill: You are right, even though the resist dappled Valegro doesn't look entirely natural, at least it looks different, so quite worth having.

A few newer Stablemate models that I recently bought. They are all from the “Horse Collection 1 Series” from 2021. I had to get them from Modellpferdeversand in Germany, because most had already sold out in the UK. Fortunately, their prices and postage costs are quite reasonable and UK customs didn’t charge me Brexit taxes.

The first is the “Sport Horse”. It was first released in 2019 as an Irish draught. I read that Irish draughts are often used as sport horses, but I am not sure whether they can be semi-leopards. It’s fine to have one of these, but it is rather large for my taste and doesn’t have anything very special.
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Another large one, but a more interesting sculpt is the “Andalusian”, originally released as a Stablemate in 2018 as “Alborozo”. I first thought it was another unruly horse, but I then learnt from George that he is performing a well-trained pirouette. Alborozo was a real horse; you can see him performing here (but no pirouette).
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As far as I can tell, he has a typical Andalusian long face (although the real Alborozo seems to have had a rounder face). His face is very similar to that of the “Andalusian Stallion”:
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Then we have the “Cantering Morgan”. Perhaps not so special either, but at least it isn’t so large. Still too large for a Morgan though.
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The last one, the “Mustang”, is my favourite of the four. When I saw it in pictures, it looked rather unexciting, but it’s much better in reality. A very charming horse and quite an artistic sculpt. It was originally released as a “Cob” in 2016. It is not such a large horse, but size-wise, it would be better as a large-type cob, because mustangs are quite small.
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It’s a bit similar in style to the “Fell Pony”, especially the way the mane and the tail are sculpted, and I thought they might have been done by the same sculptor, but they aren’t.
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Ahhh, you've managed to get more of that batch than I have yet. I'm still kind of hoping that they'll produce another batch (they were announced as mid-year regular runs rather than limited editions, I think?) and some more of the UK stockists will get them in this time, cos I really did want that Alborozo

I agree the cob doesn't look very mustangy, but with that frame overo pattern he doesn't look very much like what we know as a cob here in the UK, either, which are invariably the tobiano type pinto (or sabino/tobiano combination patterns). I think a US draft cross would be better, they're quite a common type over there (usually used for trail riding and as leisure/family-pet type horses rather than draft work), and you can imagine a heavy horse crossed with one of the American breeds carrying frame overo would make something tall, roan, pinto, and feathered on chunky legs.

The Irish Draft is just the mould name, rather than what Breyer are calling the exact spotted release, they often re-use moulds in colours which just don't match the original breed at all IDs are usually crossed with thoroughbred (or other light riding horse) to create a sport horse offspring, as the pure breed is too heavyweight for higher level competitive sport - so as long as you imagine the cross to be some breed which comes in spotted, you're fine.

I LOVE to see your pictures !!
My Andalusian and blue dun pinto mustang are whinnying in the piano because they can spot thir relatives in the screen

George wrote:

Ahhh, you've managed to get more of that batch than I have yet. I'm still kind of hoping that they'll produce another batch (they were announced as mid-year regular runs rather than limited editions, I think?) and some more of the UK stockists will get them in this time, cos I really did want that Alborozo

I didn't want to take the risk, especially because these sculpts are not very common. PonyClubStore had them, but they were sold out before I could get my hands on them. 

George wrote:

I agree the cob doesn't look very mustangy, but with that frame overo pattern he doesn't look very much like what we know as a cob here in the UK, either, which are invariably the tobiano type pinto (or sabino/tobiano combination patterns). I think a US draft cross would be better, they're quite a common type over there (usually used for trail riding and as leisure/family-pet type horses rather than draft work), and you can imagine a heavy horse crossed with one of the American breeds carrying frame overo would make something tall, roan, pinto, and feathered on chunky legs.

The Irish Draft is just the mould name, rather than what Breyer are calling the exact spotted release, they often re-use moulds in colours which just don't match the original breed at all  IDs are usually crossed with thoroughbred (or other light riding horse) to create a sport horse offspring, as the pure breed is too heavyweight for higher level competitive sport - so as long as you imagine the cross to be some breed which comes in spotted, you're fine.

Thank you, I find this very useful information. It's great to know what cross-breed they could be rather than just fantasy horses.

SUSANNE wrote:

I LOVE to see your pictures !!
My Andalusian and blue dun pinto mustang are whinnying in the piano because they can spot thir relatives in the screen

Thanks, Susanne. I think I can hear them. Or is that my tinnitus?

And thanks, Andreas. Good to see that you enjoy Breyer horses too even though I guess you haven't collected many (?)

After watching your great pictures, my favorite is Alborozo and after watching that video you linked, my favorite is Alborozo.

I love that "mustang," he's one I'd like to nab someday, and also the Alborozo, both the highlights for me! But all of them are nice, congrats on getting them!

That gray Andalusian face is so handsome, though, I really need to find one of those at some point.

Stunning stablemates! You must have an amazing herd now, they must look beautiful altogether! I love the mustang too, the colours and pose and he has something unique about him, maybe because I am used to stablemates being really delicate, but this stockier style works really well too!

Thanks, everyone. Yes, Alborozo and the "mustang" are the best ones of these four. Alborozo is rather large for my taste, but it is not so obvious next to the other Andalusian. I have never seen all my Breyers together, Lilias. My shelves are too small!

Lovely additions especially the pinto'mustang'.Would agree with George about the Irish Draught.I knew one when I lived in Ireland and she was a beautiful horse.They are generally crossed with Thoroughbreds to create either hunters or Sports horses.They come usually in chestnut,bay or the classic colour is grey.Sadly they are a threatened breed now

Thank you Taylor!

Another bunch of Stablemates, one that I am particularly happy with. Two new G1s, Native Dancer and Swaps:
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Both were famous thoroughbred racehorses, Native Dancer winning his races in 1952-54 and Swaps in 1955-56. Native Dancer was a (rare) grey thoroughbred and may have looked somewhat like the Stablemate in his later years. Black-and-white photos suggest that he was darker grey in his race days. Swaps was chestnut, so he looked very different from my Stablemate.

I love the contrasting black and white of Native Dancer. The original sculpt is from 1975, but this colour version was made much later in 1990.
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The yellow colour of Swaps is beautiful too. Not such a realistic colour, but stunning nevertheless. According to “Identify my Breyer” it’s meant to be buckskin. Like other G1s, the sculpt is from 1975. This colour version is from 1992.
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Then we have four foals: 
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Two are G1s, a standing and a lying foal. It’s my first G1 standing foal and I am very fond of him, he is very charming. This colour version is from 1998.
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The lying foal (2000) is another “yellow” horse, but this one is meant to be dun.
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The foal looks great together with Swaps:
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I now have several of these “yellow” G1s. Here were have the Morgan mare and foal too. The foal is a bit similar but not quite the same. I like “yellow” horses!
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Also two G2 ponies, a scratching and a trotting foal. Both were made in 2000-2001. They were both the first colour versions Breyer made. It doesn’t make them any better than later versions, but I find it interesting to see what Breyer chose as the first colour and it’s fun to have the “originals”. It’s tempting to think that this is the colour that Breyer really intended, but of course, they always planned to make them in many different colours.
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The trotting foal didn’t stand up. I tried to bend his legs after putting him in boiling water, but without success, so in the end I cut of tiny bits from his hooves.

Three G2 adult horses that are also first versions. All three are from 1998.
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It’s only my second Standardbred sculpt, a red roan horse.
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You may remember that the dun Standardbred was my very first Breyer. I am surprised that it took me so long to get another one.
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And a chestnut Thoroughbred:
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The last one from this bunch is a dapple grey Andalusian:
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It’s interesting to see that Breyer produced the first Andalusian and Thoroughbred in typical colours for the breed. Red roan is perhaps less typical for a Standardbred, but it’s possible according to Wikipedia.

When I checked, I discovered that I have several other G2 first colour versions. Here they are:
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It is impressive how Breyer entered massively in your collection and thinking you didn't like them at all when you started.
Now you even love yellow horses. I confess, my favorite color for horses is green like those [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] presented. No better color. I also love green flamingos but that's another subject.
I feel like you are enjoying the Stablemate fever I almost felt tempted to some years ago when I acquired my first models. It was not much before a big break in my collecting hobby so I could control the fever just in time.

Wonderful newcomers, and so many! Congrats! I love the G1s, Swaps is my favorite Stablemate mold. I'm sure you looked him up already, but I believe that one is from one of the JC Penny special run sets of 12. Lovely G2s as well, I've always liked that Andalusian and the standardbred looks great in both shades of roan. It definitely seemed you have discovered how addicting Stablemates can be.

Roger wrote:

I confess, my favorite color for horses is green like those [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] presented. No better color.

Breyer has a few green ones as well, so it must be a legitimate color.

The G1 sculpts are so delicate and graceful, without being stylised or over simplified and smooth - they have an artistic look to them which very few later moulds come close to.

I really do wish they could re-release the Native Dancer mould today, and as an easily available regular run please - imagine all the colours I could paint him if they weren't too rare and precious to customise!

The foals are lovely too, I think the scratching one is my favourite of the bunch but they're all nice.

And the chestnut TB, what a lovely nose! I really like the airbrushed pink marking, the way the edges softly blend into the dark shaded muzzle, just like you see the marking mapping on the fine peach-fuzz-velvety nose of a real horse. I don't have that one, seeing how nice she is puts her on my wishlist (strictly speaking I did have one once, in a batch of beaten up bodies, but the chestnut colour had faded to a sickly greenish shade, with pink stains right through to the plastic, so I don't know what'd happened to the poor thing in the past but I repainted it as one of my racehorse portraits so it looks much better now!)

Interesting to see just how many of them are first editions on their moulds, that's quite a lot! Things have changed a lot since the G2 era, now it's rare to have any Stablemate make it's debut as an attainable regular run - apart from a few of those 70th Anniversary minis, they're used only for exclusives and specials before they filter down to the readily available regular run range.

Thanks. I am quite a compulsive collector and the Stablemates are easy to collect: They are quite common in the UK and I don't need to measure photos like I have to do with my other 1:32 scale figures. I can just buy them if I like them and ... I usually like them .

You are right, Jill, the yellow Swaps is a JC Penney special run and was also produced as a Sears special run. The Native Dancer is just a Sears run.

The Thoroughbred indeed has a beautiful nose. Thanks for pointing that out, George, I hadn't paid much attention to it yet. Yes, it would be nice if Breyer re-issued the G1s, perhaps using modern painting techniques so that the old G1s still remain different and special. I think they re-issued some G1s as part of their Stablemates Collectors Club, so it seems like they still have the rights to produce them.