Some new Collecta horses released in February 2013

Until this year, I thought that all CollectAs recent horse models looked the same.

Well, this February`s releases surely do NOT look the same


Funny enough, most of my favorite breeds are represented, so I went a bit berserk

These Clydesdales are supposed to be black sabino roan. I think the designer mixed roan and grey. A black roan has black head, legs and black ( or mixed black) mane and tail.
Never mind. They are beautyful






Here is the old model.
Not so elegant, but the artist definitely has read the standard for the breed, and I still love this model


The new Dartmoor ponies are absolutely fabulous






Akhal-Tekes should have a shiny coat...this one is ...SHINY




Very, very pretty Fjords...a little too pretty perhaps ?
I think I like Izzy better


The much discussed przewalski horse.
if you lift his front a bit, he actually looks ok






The cutest little Shetland
Like the Przewalski, he looks better when lifted a bit off the ground.
I see the idea, - when playing with this model, he can really "jump around" with a little help from the owner


Arrrw ! Isn`t she cute ?

First, congratulations for your new additions.
My impressions are very ambiguous among models.
The Clydesdale looks not more than interesting.
Dartmoors look terrific and they are maybe the best horse figures of 2013.
Akhal-Tekes are nice but I don't like the way back legs play with front legs. Maybe it looks strange to me because I'm not very used with horses.
I agree with you about Fjords, seeing pictures of the real thing I have the same feeling that I had with catalogue pictures, too prety, somewhat childish, a Prince. Definitively, not the serious look of a real horse that Ana was able of getting with her work
The przewalski's, although not from the same sculptor, has the same problems has maned wolf, lynx, hyena, it looks they used pictures of animals in an angled perspective. That's the reason why they look better slightly angled.
We cannot see these mistakes easily because most of the pictures we watch online, the animals are also angled.
Shetland is very cute indeed, but Shetlands are cute. So it is nice, also a pose full of action!

My opinions:

Clydesdales - I love the stallion, although he reminds me more of a Shire. Clydesdales are generally a bit more slender and leggy than this model. The foal is nice, but a bit too light for a draught breed foal - maybe could pass as some crossbreed.
I think I wrote it somewhere, but I'll write it again - sabino roans are not the same as true/classic roans. They can be roaned all over the body, including head, lower legs, and mane and tails. They are caused by sabino gene, not roan gene :) Basically all Clydesdales have sabino gene, none has true roan gene. And sabino roans are not uncommon in this breed :)

Dartmoor - this mould is simply beautiful! In other paintjob (e.g. with moderate sabino markings) it could pass as a Welsh A as well :)

Akhal-Teke - way too shiny for my taste. Also a bit too heavy-boned for a typical Teke. I'm thinking of this mould as of Akhal-Teke partbred. I'd love to see a typical, lean Teke someday.

Fjords - the stallion still reminds me more of not fully matured colt, but he's very nice. The foal is just too adorable, I like him/her even more than after seeing promos!

Przewalski - merely looking at him really hurts. Harsh words, but that's how I feel about this model. It could have been such a great model... It looks worse than a caricature for me. For me this is the worst model of all coming out this year.
Deborah, Collecta - I know you CAN do better than this!

Shetland - she could be a bit bigger, but other than that, she's fabulous! I'm thinking of her as of some mini pony after I saw some comparison photos on other forum :) This colour could pass as a mushroom (rare, and still a bit mysterious dilution found only in British Shetlands).

Congrats!

Thankyou Roger !
You always say you know nothing of horses, but what you write here is "spot on"

Magda, thankyou for telling me about sabino "roans" !
I didn`t know they could be so grey, only that they could be "flecked"..and I never heard that they are called roan It is wonderful to learn something new

Just as a bonus - here are some photos of a sabino roan Clydesdales: http://www.adhorse.co.uk/horseforsale_53263.html :)
Very often the term "roan" is used for describing any horse with coat ticked with white hairs, not only true roans.

By the way, do you mind if I share those photos on two Polish forums? We're hungry for real life photos of these models while we're waiting for them to appear in our country :)

Thankyou VERY much for the link, Magda (o)):

Yes, yes, of course you may use the photoes, - that is why I make them

Great pictures and great additions to your collection Susanne!! I love Clydesdales especially and, for my own part, even though I agree that the Akhal-Teke is probably slightly big boned and shiny, it really looks like an Akhal-Teke to me. And I like that, and I like it in general as a model. Overall, the whole set is wonderful and is wonderful set of CollectA figures!

(The one exception is that I agree entirely with Magda: I think the Przewalski's is painful to look at. I don't want to go so far as to say that I think it is objectively awful. But I will say that personally, it does not please me. I may go out and buy another Schleich Przewalski's horse (for a reasonable price) to fill the void in my soul left by collectA's Przewalski's this year. Melodramatic? yes. True? alas, yes.)

But this is just whining. I love your models and your pictures, and I'm also so happy to see more pictures of even the Przewalskis. Thank you!!

Wow! Susanne, after the maned wolf, now the horses! Big congrats! (o)): (o)): (o)):
And thank you for sharing the pics!

Congratulations Susanne

Thankyou Scott , Donny and Andreas

Nice horses, congratulations!
I'm glad I didn't order the Fjord horse, it looks too cute too "Schleichy". I can't wait to see the Przewalski in real, like the Schleich's Shire Mare this is probably the most discussed figurine of 2013 in this forum!

Bojan wrote:

I can't wait to see the Przewalski in real, like the Schleich's Shire Mare this is probably the most discussed figurine of 2013 in this forum!

It sure is a weird model
Funny how they found the most clumsy heavy looking model for this species, when all the other models are so elegant...perhaps, as Roger said, McDermott looked at a photo at an angle
Had she just made it with a huge belly, it could have gone for a tired, heavy old mare

Congratulations Susanne! Wonderful newcomers!


I think this year Deborah did phenomenal work, she is wonderful artist but 2013 news have so much more character and are really AMAZING!! (o)): (o)):
I love pose of Clydesdale, it's so beautiful horse model (o)): Dartmoor are incredibly good, just wow, and bay one is must have for me
I love very shiny look of Akhal teke too, it's different than most of horse models and I think this is pros, at least for me
Only Przewalski came out not good, perhaps too many sculptures had to be done in short time or so, and thus serious mistake appeared. What a shame they didn't wait with showing this breed in 2014, maybe then model could be resculpted and proportion issue fixed
Shetland may finish in my collection too (ahh what a lovely action pose indeed). And Fjord stallion too, because I know Izzy would be happy with such a handsome boyfriend and I think she will be also happy to adopt the foal

Great additions of some beautiful horses. Thanks for the great photos. Really gives you a good idea about each model.

Thankyou, Anna and Amy

Congratulation Susanne Unlike Roger... I really know nothing about horses

Agh!!! How did I miss this topic! Great new additions Susanne! The Akhal has almost the shiny metallic quality of Sumo's painted animals, I like it. Beautiful horses, although I am a little disappointed in the Prezwalski's head (its still a little big for my taste) he does look really good other than that. Congrats!

SUSANNE wrote:

Thankyou Roger !
You always say you know nothing of horses, but what you write here is "spot on"

Thanks for your comment Susanne and Kiki ! I really don't understand anything of these wonderful creatures. However, I enjoy your presentations and the love all of you put in these horse collections. :) A tread is also made of comments from non experts like me. I think it is interesting to drink the different perceptions from the same subject, it helps understanding the market too!
After reading all comments I feel that the 2013 CollectA horses assortment is very well designed in commercial terms. The Fjord is clearly not a typical Deborah sculpting. It is an approach to Schleich style as Bojan pointed. Maybe a figure designed to atract the traditional Schleich collectors? I feel it was very well accepted among them in the presentation topic. The boy is charming!
I had the feeling, when the cooperation between CollectA and Deborah started, that it was an intention of bringing some Breyer collectors to the brand, contrasting in terms of style completely with Schleich and previous CollectA. This year we have some ponies , a heavy horse with action, a not very usual breed as it is the Akhal-teke and even a wild horse. Some variability and correctly planned in my point of view, somewhat similar with the strategies of Safari with prehistoric animals and Mojo with Wild Life.

Thank you very much for sharing, Susanne Very good with this kind of pictures, when having to order online, as I must do if I want CollectAs.

But MY GOD! If that Fjord enters my collection all of my mares are gonna Faint! - And suddently I will have lots of crossbreed foals running around - and lots of very angry stallions...
If you're looking for a player horse - CollectA Fjord is your man!

Now.. Very lovely new additions! The Przewalski does look very odd, but he has a very neat face and expressive eyes. The Akhal Teke is a very different one, and will stand out from the cowd with that shiny coat. Google tells me, it's possible to be so shiny. Very nice

But CollectA paintwork could be better with more definition, a little too much airbrushing at some points. Might be because I'm used to Schleich.

And again, thanks very much for very useful photos

I just wanted to add this fellow, since you have him in another colour.


And he's huge, compared to the Mojö Andalusian:

Bojan, I'm surprised with difference of sizes! Clydesdales are not small horses but this is a huge difference. Considering Schleich horses, is it the Andalusian very small or the Clyde very large?

Hey Roger, the Mojö Andalusian fits Schleich horses by size. The Clydesdale and also Shire Mare from CollectA are much larger (like Schleich's new Shire Mare & Stallion).

Bojan wrote:

Hey Roger, the Mojö Andalusian fits Schleich horses by size. The Clydesdale and also Shire Mare from CollectA are much larger (like Schleich's new Shire Mare & Stallion).

Thanks Bojan! I've noticed already how large are Schleich Shires when compared with the Andalusian mare. But these two look so differently sized from this angle. Great that almost all horses fit in size.

Maybe these photos will show the size difference better:

Much better Bojan! Now they look from the same planet! Thanks!