The Curious Compendium 2023 Tour Finale: Frenchies!

Thank you both! And Jill, feel free to share any horse stories that you like to! That appy sounds like a punk, but sometimes those are fondest memories you have for an animal.

Mustangs and Brumbies!
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These are largely considered "feral" horses as they either came from domestic stock many generations ago, or were recently "released" from captivity. Wild horses repopulated America (the origin if their evolution) when Spanish conquistadors tried to resettle the continent. The domestic horse settled back into its native land quickly; redeveloping traits for survival such as incredibly hard hoof walls, long thick.winter fur, and adapting to harsh climates with extreme temperatures or food shortages. Today, a mustang can present any color or pattern possible in horses; though many of them are bay or chestnut/sorrel. There is quite a lot political upheaval regarding these animals; ranging from management concerns, to the reality of if they truly are considered a wild animal or a feral release. In some populations, recently domestic animals are abandoned to the wild when owners can't feed or otherwise care for them. This in turn leads to a variety of logistical issues for the wild herds and the groups who try to help manage them.

There are a number of unique animals and populations amongst these wild groups; Kiger mustangs of Southeastern Oregon preserve some of the oldest lines of the original Spanish horses, Cloud was a famous stallion in Montana's Pryor mountain range, Picasso eas another flashy stud hailing from Wyoming's Sand Wash Basin. There are countless other examples, but the essential takeaway is that these animals are incredible survivors and powerful icons or the North American West.

The Brumby is descended from horses who came to t
Australia with the First Fleet. They are so named because of James Brumby, a soldier with the New South Wales Corp and farrier in the area at the time (1788). They too can be any color or pattern and have developed adaptations to deal with the continent's challenges. They too suffer the same political and ethical concerns of the North American mustang; some deem them pests, other see them as a representation of the Australian spirit.

Thank you both!

Icelandic horses!
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This is another ancient breed hailing from as far back as the viking era. Many people mistake them as ponies, but they are generally considered as simply small horses by the breed enthusiasts. They also come in many colors; up to 42 different coats with hundreds of variations! The breed is protected in their homeland of Iceland by the government; No horses are allowed to be imported= in order to protect the breed's purity (started in 982 AD!); and no horses that have been exported are allowed back in the country= to protect them from disease. It is thought that because of this they are so long lived (up to 40 when many horses are lucky to get past 20-25). They are treasured as another uniquely gaited horse; they have 5 natural gaits instead of 4! The walk, trot, canter, and gallop are the integral horse movements, but a tölt is their signature; described as a lateral ambling gait with a smooth 4 beat movement known to be comfortable and rather ground covering; and a skeið is a gait where two legs on the same side move forward in unison rather than than alternating. This breed pound for pound is the strongest in the world!

The Safari Ltd and CollectA 88932 are very nice but I still prefer the old Schleich 13274 Brown

Mustangs are my favorite! Beautiful Icelandics!

Iceys!

I love Safari's stallion. His coat colour is wonderful and his tölting pose is also nicely made.
But my favourite will probably stay the Schleich mare from 2014.

Southland's Brumby family is really nice as well.

Thank you everyone!

@Kiki, I really need to catch up on CollectA's releases...

Well, CollectA or not, your horses collection is far better than mine

Thanks Kiki, it helps that this was about half of my original collection as a kid, before I turned info a bonafide collector in real practice.

Mixed horses: Lusitano, Holsteiner, Mangalarga Marchador, Selle Francais, and Criollo.
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Lusitano- originates from Portugal! It hails from Baroque period horses that the aristocracy preferred. Another ancient breed, its ancestors were painted on cave walls dating back to 1700BC. The breed is well known for its athleticism, this is the equine foil to the Spanish Bull in the ring. Praised for its agility and reflexes in evading injury from an angry 2,000+ lbs bovine. They are now in nearly any solid color; spotted eas once common but slowly bred out and is now rare.

Holstein(er)- this breed is from Northern Germany and were originally developed by monks located in monasteries in the region previously know as Holstein. It is the oldest "warmblood"(a term for a group of medium sized riding horses primarily bred for sports) horse, earliesy records present in the 13th century.
The breed is athletic and disciplined; in 1976 it was a prominent breed that excelled during the olympics. Originally used for farmwork and mounted cavalry, today they are predominantly athletes; excelling in dressage, hunting, driving, show jumping, and much more.

Mangalarga Marchador- this is a Brazilian breed and is named after the hacienda that they originated from. Famously known for their unique gaits; the marcha batida and marcha picada (unique 4 beat gaits that reduce friction and are comfortable for riders). They are also known for their extensive long distance pursuits- the record is from 1994 and was 8,694 miles! They were developes from portuguese Alter Real horses and local Criollo stock; they are the national horse for the country.

Selle Francais- a much younger breed from France, it began development in the 19th century and its modern name by 1958. This breed is also a top athlete similar to the Holstein; excelling in dressage, eventing, and the like. Originally it was a trusted cavalry mount and carriage horse. Native horses were breed to warmblood studs such as arabians, thoroughbreds, and Norfolk trotters. The name means "French saddle horse".

Criollo- These guys come from the South American Pampas and were developes from Spanish feral horses that were around for 300 years before they were organized into a breed circa 1920. Orignlinally used for war mounts for use in Europe and Africa today they make great ranch animals for their cow sense, and some sports such as reining; gAuchos even play polo on them! They are a relatively small horse and present some primitive traits such as leg striping and thick manes and tails.

What is that beautiful horse please ?
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That is Schleich's 2024 Mangalarga! Lovely isn't he?

Camargues!
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Where can a white horse, a black bull, and a pink flamingo all live in harmony? In Camargue!

This small horse comes from the South of France, the region of their namesake, Camargue, around the Rhone River. Another ancient breed, it is thought they descend from the now extinct Solutré horse. Despite their small size, they are strong and hardy, and perhaps the most water loving of all horses since they developed in marshy areas. Their hooves are hard and very flat/wide, helping them navigate intertidal and marshy terrain. Perhaps of most interest, is that they are immune to mosquitos! Commonly used for farm and ranchwork, they make great trail riding animals today. An important part of their work is herding the Camargue cattle from the marshy ranchland. There is a myth involving the Greek god Poseidon, white horses, black bulls, and man; but I will leave you to discover that story for yourself.

I love the Camargue, it's the most exotic region in mainland France. I love its landscapes, its flora, its fauna and, of course, its horses. For me, they represent freedom, robustness and grace. Not bad for just one animal! My favourite is Papo, even if he's not the most realistic, he has the soul of the Camargue.

I love Criollos!
They are really underrepresented on the toy market just as the Mangalarga Marchadors and the Selle Français. Hopefully CollectA will pick these breeds up as well someday (Criollo and Selle Français, I love they're MM stallion).

The Camargues are wonderful. I love Schleich's last family but Papo's stallion took my heart. His pose is really photogenic.
I thought that the Terra model was meant to be an Icelandic originally though, wasn't it?

Thank you everyone!

@Katy, dangit! Of course you are right! They were stored in the same box and obviously I just grabbed all the white ones... I will fix that error this weekend. THANK YOU for pointing that out! This is the downside of not having them on displays anymore, my organization works (and fails) differently now.

Percherons!
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These are my favorite draft breed, though one other has a special place in my heart to be discussed later. They were originally developed from the Huisne river valley and Perche province in Normandy, France. They are thought to be descended from war horse stock, hence their bulky frames. Generally, they are about the 4th largest breed, but Dr. LeGear was once the world's biggest horse at 21 hh and 2,995 lbs! They have draft animals for anything you can think of! War, circuses, sleigh/hay rides, stagecoaches/carriages, farm work, transportation of goods, forrestry; they have been used in Disneyland pulling trams, at Arlington National Cemetery for funeral processions, amongst other high profile jobs. They can pull loads of more than 300 lbs! This breed is unique to other drafts in a few features; they lack heavy feathering (the long hair around the feet), are quite energetic and active in comparison, and can be ridden for miles without tiring (it is thought that Arabian and Barb outcrossing is responsible for this). Their intelligence, easy going nature, and willingness to please makes them popular for adaptation to other disciplines (they've even been seen used in dressage and western riding!).

I love these horses, for no particular reason. They were always my favorite to see and visit at my local autumn fair in Southeastern Idaho. It was the state fair, and thus hundreds of animals would come to be judged and shown. The percherons, while not the largest, were always the ones interested in coming to their stall door to say hello and get some scratches under the forelock. Lovely and gorgeous animals.

I love Percherons too, I don't know why but I always thought the Safari 159605 Percheron Gelding was very big, I was wrong.It is my favourite model, too bad it is discontinued.

Percherons are awesome. I probably never saw one in real life but I certainly would love to.
My favourite from these is probably Schleich's retired mare. She just has some charm to her. And the little foal is also very adorable.

No problem! Having space to display such an extensive collection like you have is most probably not easy.
Horses are currently my main collecting object so I am quite deep into it and therefore am familiar with a good amount of moulds from various brands.
And to be honest: most Terra horses aren't breed typical at all anyway.

Thank you everyone!

@Katy, I was once a very active horse lover and collector. Its been put on hold for a while I focused on some other areas of my collection but I am resurrecting it and plan on working to get caught up on models of them. I used to have my entire collection on display you can see [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] But thank you again for catching that mistake. I try to store the species/breeds that are so similar in separate boxes to keep them straight in my head (especially since TAW updates regularly and throws me off). But I am slowly getting back into my horsie know-how and back up to speed.

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

Thank you everyone!

@Katy, I was once a very active horse lover and collector. Its been put on hold for a while I focused on some other areas of my collection but I am resurrecting it and plan on working to get caught up on models of them. I used to have my entire collection on display you can see [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] But thank you again for catching that mistake. I try to store the species/breeds that are so similar in separate boxes to keep them straight in my head (especially since TAW updates regularly and throws me off). But I am slowly getting back into my horsie know-how and back up to speed.

Your collection is amazing (and the display of course)
I don't know how I missed that topic back then
Your dog is also very adorable!

To keep them in separate boxes is a good strategy for sure.
Will be eager to see you catching up on more horses  It's definitely worth it in my opinion.
Meanwhile I need to catch up on farm and wildlife.