) I collect model horses. No, not so much Beswicks and the like, though I do have a few of those, I'm talking about plastic and resin model horses.
The most commonly available plastic horses are the Breyers which you may have seen at your local agricultural feed store but there are also the more expensive (and not as easily obtainable) Stone horses.
Now (and don't laugh as this gets very serious) we actually 'show' our model horses just as you would at a real live event except its indoors and the 'rings' are tables. Models are judged on their correctness to breed type, its biomechanics (if it was a real horse would it really walk/trot/ etc like that?), and the finish.
With regard to finish there are three main sections (it gets complicated here!
):
Original Finish: This is primarily for such models as Breyer, Stone, Schleich, etc that are shown in the same state as they left the factory with no rubs, dings, scratches etc.
Custom: The same type of models but these have either been repainted or changed in some way or both.
Artist Resin: The expensive end where some models can be worth upto £1000 because only 25 or less of them were produced. The majority of these models are made in the States where this hobby is really BIG so the likes of myself and many others have to pay for them to be shipped here to the UK and also pay the inevitable customs charges that go with it.
Apart from showing my models, I also paint some too and below are two of my own:
This particular 'lady' affectionately known as Mabel has won a few Supremes for me. Unfortunately, I didn't paint her but a good friend of mine did:
I used to deliver papers to the houses behind a park, they had massive gardens one had a Shetland pony tethered up in their garden obviously set me off again. I never got my horse and my father is no longer with us but what I did get was prints of horses and a beautiful silver model of a horse for my 21st which I've treasured and will never part with.
