breyer safari horses

Hot to Trot Model Horses

Bringing you the best in quality with their range of realistic horse models and accessories. We are a stockist for Breyer, Schleich and Safari and hope to continue to grow our stock in the future whilst keeping model horses affordable.

For many, owning a horse of their own is a dream that isn’t always fulfilled. Maybe due to circumstances or physical and financial restrictions a life with horses is no longer an option.

Perhaps you have just discovered a pleasure for horses and are looking to increase your knowledge and have fun at the same time. That is where Hot to Trot Model Horses can help!

Jane is a passionate model horse collector who knows only too well the heartbreak and reality of having to give up a life of horses. Having achieved some of her British Horse Society teaching qualifications she started the business in 2014 hoping to reach other equine-less people who share her passion.

Her aim is to promote the model horse hobby both to collectors of these works of art and to those who would like to take it further as a hobby. Meeting like minded people through forums, clubs and live showing helps connect those who want to find a way of being involved in the hobby of horses.

For some it can be an opportunity to use their knowledge in a way that they never would never have envisaged. Ever fancied judging an Arab Stallion Championship? Or perhaps it’s becoming a Master Saddler and making minute real leather tack for your favourite model show pony. The possibilities are endless!

So why not join Jane on this journey of discovery and perhaps together you’ll win those accolades you had always dreamed of.

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What others say!

I received Full Moon Rising today and she's absolutely flawless, which is truly a testament to the care that's put into Hot To Trot from the heart of a hobbyist. The packaging within the box was perfect; I didn't need to worry one bit - this was made [ ... ]

Rowena Headley

I ordered Sjoerd from Jane originally and Breyer delayed in sending him to the UK. Not only did Jane keep in touch by email and personally phoning and texting, I was kept informed at every juncture. Then the bad news, Breyer decided not to supply Sjoerd [ ... ]

Larrisa Croan, Scotland

Thanks again for your excellent service – I came back to your shop for these, as you were so helpful with the Minnie Whinnies advent calendar! [ ... ]

Kate Waddon

Jane is an amazing salesperson, fantastic communication! My models were so well packed and taken care of, I couldn't ask for better service. Highly recommended! [ ... ]

Marina Caenazzo, South Africa

My hackney & tb foals arrived today and they're absolutely gorgeous and packaged carefully. Thank you! [ ... ]

Charlie, Burgar

Model horse, LV Integrity arrived today. Very well packaged and promptly sent. He's lovely. Many thanks. [ ... ]

Judith, Haffenden

Very satisfied - item came within the time stated- vet carefully packed so model reached us in perfect condition. Excellent customer service when I phoned with a query too. Would definitely recommend [ ... ]

Karen, Walton

I received my Cortes C in the post today and I am over the moon! I am very thankful and definitely will be ordering from this website again. Thank you! [ ... ]

Hollie-May, Scotland

I received my Breyer Northern Dancer today. Very pleased with your service. Thank you very much. [ ... ]

Melanie, Stubbs

You are an amazing seller! [ ... ]

Nadia, Nadia

Fantastic customer service with a personal touch, Jane ensured my daughter got the model pony she had seen at a show just from my vague description and now I can look forward to a very happy Birthday girl! Thanks so much , Sue [ ... ]

I got my stablemates today, thank you - so quick! [ ... ]

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From a lamp to a legacy: breyer horses.

I was one of those kids who’d snoop for Christmas presents every year. By the time I was 10, I knew every single hiding place in our house—from my parent’s closet, to the craft room, to the downstairs coat closet way back behind the moving boxes that had been there since before I was born—it was pretty hard to keep a secret from me!

• December 15, 2010
• Coree Reuter

• Breyer horses have appealed to horse lovers of all ages since the first model was created in 1950. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

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I also became quite adept at peeking at presents under the tree. Cleverly sliding my finger under the taped ends and lifting the corners just enough to see if I could discover what was hidden beneath the bows. Of course, sometimes I couldn’t tell, but I was always happy to find that distinctive yellow box with the blue Breyer logo on it.

In 1950, the F.W. Woolworth Company requested a special order western style horse from the Breyer Molding Company for a mantelpiece clock. The Breyer Molding Company was a plastics manufacturing company based in Chicago, Ill.

However, when the #57 Western Horse made its appearance, the company was flooded with calls from people who wanted the horse, not the clock!

That single horse changed everything for the Breyer Molding Company. When the clock company was unable to pay for the molding expenses, Breyer decided to keep the mold and sell the horses as requested by so many people. The horses sold incredibly well, so the company began to create other molds.

In the 1960s, Breyer transitioned into making toys and affordable art. Some of the older molds, like the clock or lamp molds, were leased to other companies as the demand for animal molds continued to grow. Breyer continued to add more and more models to their line, increasing their popularity and their collector base.

In 1984, Reeves International, a forerunner in the toy industry during the time and today, purchased Breyer Animal Creations. Swiss entrepreneur Werner J. Fleischmann founded Reeves International in 1946. The company entered the toy industry in the United States as a distributor of European toys and collectibles from brands such as Stieff, Corgi and Britains.

In the 1970s, Reeves began to shift from sales and distribution to manufacturing proprietary brands. Reeves acquired Breyer Animal Creations with that goal in mind and has now completed the transition from distributor to a manufacturing and marketing company. The company is still privately owned by Anthony Fleischmann, son of Werner.

Artists At Work

But Breyer models aren’t just generic toys. An artist designs each mold, and Christian Hess was one of the most influential artists for Breyer.

Hess wasn’t necessarily a horse person, but he was a phenomenal artist. He did visit some of the horses he molded in person, but for the most part he sculpted from a picture or drawing.

The very last Breyer mold Hess designed was Secretariat. He was 71 at the time, and he died a year later in 1988.

Today, Breyer’s main sculptor is Kathleen Moody , though Susan Sifton (Smart Chic Olena, Cigar, Flash, Idocus, Newsworthy) also contributes to the line.

So how does a Breyer model come to life, anyway? First, artists design the horses in clay, which is then used to create a steel mold. Cellulose acetate pellets (hard plastic) are melted and injected into the steel molds. After the molds cool, they are assembled and passed on for painting.

The horses go next to the painters, where they are each airbrushed. Some of the finer touches, like the eyes and nostrils, are hand painted. Approximately 20 different artisans work on each individual Breyer model from start to finish. Even 60 years later, Breyer models are still made by hand, not machine. This means that no two Breyer models are exactly alike and greatly increases the value and significance of the product.

Devoted Fans

Today, Breyer horses dominate the model horse market, and the company releases 300 unique animal molds per year. They are created in five sizes and seven different lines, which vary between porcelains and resin figures to stuffed animals. Approximately 5 million model horses are produced each year, and that doesn’t include the special editions or the tack and accessories!

A special aspect of Breyer is its fan base. Collecting Breyer horses has been a popular hobby since the company’s first model, the #57 Western Horse, and I’m willing to bet a majority of us horse-crazy people have Breyer models in our history. Every year, thousands of fans flock to the Kentucky Horse Park to attend BreyerFest , and there are many websites, like Andrea Gurdon’s “ Breyer History Diva ” site that are totally dedicated to Breyer and model horse collecting.

Now, I’m not telling you all to run out and buy an armload of Breyer horses for the horse-crazy person in your life for Christmas, but I do reflect fondly on the Breyer horses I received throughout my youth. Of course, if you do purchase one, I recommend a stellar gift-hiding job. I’m sure I’m not the only girl in the world who likes a pre-Christmas gift preview.

One of web writer Coree Reuter’s favorite parts of working at The Chronicle of the Horse is adventuring up into the attic. While it’s occasionally a journey that requires a head lamp, GPS unit and dust mask, nearly 75 years of the equine industry is documented in the old issues and photographs that live above the offices, and Coree is determined to unearth the great stories of the past. Inspired by the saying: “History was written on the back of a horse,” she hopes to demystify the legends, find new ones and honor the horses who have changed the scope of everyday life with this blog.

Curious about anything in particular? Have a question or an interesting topic? Please e-mail Coree , she’d love to hear from you!

• December 16, 2010

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• History Blog

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Breyer, Schleich, Stone, Oh My!: A Guide To Model Horse Brands

One of the hallmarks of a horse crazy kid (or adult!) is the amount of horse models they have laying around. It might be a collector’s horde or a customization hobby, but one thing is for sure– there are a lot of horse model brands. How are you supposed to figure out which brand is the best and will give you the most bang for your buck?

Today I will share five model horse brands and their pros and cons, so you can tell a Schleich from a Safari and a Breyer from a Stone.

By far the most popular of the horse model brands, Breyer has been in business since the sixties and is famous for their hand-painted, collectable models. Since no two models are alike, some models are extremely rare and very expensive.

They come in several sizes, from Traditional to Mini Whinny. By far my favorite is their Freedom/Classic size. Breyers have gotten more expensive over the years, and have lost a bit of quality since their early days. While they are definitely one of the nicest looking of the models, their price for single models varies between $60-$45 for the Traditional, $30-$25 for classics,$12-$8 for Collecta, and $7-$5 for Stablemates. They are also more breakable than some of the sturdier models like Schleich and Safari.

Where You Can Find Them: Several websites and retailers carry Breyer models, including the Breyer site , Amazon , Walmart, Tractor Supply, and occasionally Target. There is also a Christian homeschool online store called Rainbow Resource that has really great deals on discount Breyer models.

2# Schleich

This is the second most popular horse model brand, especially since they have a lot of other animals. Schleich are about 1:18 size, and made of solid plastic. They have detailed hair on their bodies and are a bit clunkier than the Breyers. Their eyes aren’t nearly as detailed as Breyers either.

Schleich are really great for kids because they are so unbreakable. The plastic is slightly bendable, allowing for the wears and tears of play. However, they’re really not that different from Breyer’s Collecta, which in my opinion are better and more detailed than Schleich. Schleich do have more accessories that fit their size. They run for about $12-$8, with the accessory sets being much higher at $20-$30+.

Where You Can Find Them: Schleich are a common feature at the checkout in feedstores. You can also find them on Amazon , the Schleich site, and Tractor Supply.

Another brand similar to Schleich, these two are often confused with each other. While much more elusive, Safari is still a fairly good brand and is definitely cheaper for the quality that it has.

There is more smaller details, like the eyes, than in Schleich and they are cheaper at $10-$6 per model. While they don’t have as many accessories as Breyer and Schleich, they are still very sturdy, durable horse models and are great if you can’t afford to spend half a fortune on horse models.

Where to Find Them: Safari ‘s website, Amazon , Rainbow Resource , and Michaels often supply them

Sometimes called Peter Stone, these are the most fragile and the most collectable of the horse model brands– however, they are also ridiculously expensive, which doesn’t make sense considering they are not that different from the Breyers.

There really aren’t that many differences between Stone and Breyer when it comes to how the horses are made. Both of them are hollow plastic. Both are hand painted. Stone makes less models per year, and their general marketing relates more to collectors than to the wide range of ages that Breyer reaches. If Breyer is for kids, then Stone is for the serious horse model collectors.

Stones generally range from $300 to $600 for the large models, with the foal models being about $200-$300.

Where You Can Find Them: Pretty much the only place you can find models for retail sale is the Stone website, or secondhand on Ebay.

These are the cheapest– and least detailed– of the horse models mentioned here. While the models are $5 each, they lack the detail of any of the other brands. The eyes are plain black, and the limbs and head are often poorly formed.

While the site labels them as collectable, they don’t have the same variations in model, style, and color as the other brands. They are best for kid’s toys, not as collectables. Their cheap price does make them great stocking stuffers.

Where You Can Find Them: Target , the Terra site, and Amazon are the primary retailers.

So, as a quick roundup–

Cheapest Models — Terra

Best for Collectors — Stone

Best For Kids — Schleich

Most Bang for Your Buck — Safari

Best All-Around — Breyer

Of course, these are just my opinions. Check out the models for yourself! It’s a fantastic hobby both for adult and kids, especially when you learn how to customize and make your own tack (Both Breyer and Rio Rondo have excellent resources on how to do that.).

Which of these brands do you own? Do you have a favorite brand? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Austin Cowboy - Traditional Series 1:9 Scale (Breyer)

Breyer Advent Calendar - Unicorn Magic (Breyer)

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Holiday Horse - Snowbird 2022 (Breyer)

Makayla Schooling Rider - Traditional Series 1:9 Scale (Breyer)

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Unicorn Luna - Bath Time (Breyer)

Unicorn Picnic Adventure - Piper's Pony Tales (Breyer)

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Comparing Brands of Model Horses | MiniZoo Blog

22nd Jun 2016 Tahnaya

MiniZoo is Australia's #1 home for high-quality model horses at the best prices. We frequently get asked about the differences between one brand compared to another brand of model horses.

Which is more sturdy, Breyer or CollectA?

What other brands are the same scale as Schleich horses?

What are the scales of the different Breyer horses?

Young model horse collectors are most familiar with the Schleich brand, but want to expand their collection and try other brands too. Today I will be answering the above questions using different breeds of horses as examples, and I will show you what can work, and what might not.

Example #1. Standard size, Arabian

From left to right: Breyer Stablemate , Schleich , Safari Ltd , Bullyland , Papo , Mojo , CollectA , Breyer Classic , CollectA Deluxe , Breyer Traditional

These images show the difference in the top 3 Breyer sizes. All Stablemates are made in 1:32 scale, while Classics are 1:12 scale and the Traditional are 1:9 scale. CollectA deluxe horses are the same scale as Breyer Classics, making these two brands work well together. However, the CollectA horses are more sturdy and are heavier than the lighter plastic that is used to make Breyers. As you can also see in these images, our top brands ( Schleich , CollectA , Papo , and Safari Ltd ) are all very similar in scale (approx. 1:19) to one another with their model horses too.

Example #2. Heavy Horse, Clydesdale

From left to right: Safari Ltd Mini , Safari Ltd , Mojo , Papo , Schleich , Bullyland , CollectA , Breyer Traditional

Neither Papo nor Bullyland carry a Clydesdale in their range, so I used a Papo Black Shire and Bullyland Shire Mare for the comparison of heavy horses instead. When compared to a Clydesdale of 23ocm in height (head to toe), we measured the Safari Ltd Mini Clydesdale approx. 1:120 scale, the standard Schleich Clydesdale Gelding to be approx. 1:18 scale and the Breyer Traditional 1:9 scale.

Example #3. Small Horse, Shetland

From left to right: Safari Ltd Mini , CollectA , Mojo , Schleich , Bullyland , Papo , Breyer Traditional

Here I'm focusing on the comparison of our top six model horse brands. Safari Ltd has a 'Good Luck Mini' pony, but are yet to make 'small horses' for their standard horse range. When compared to a 140cm high Shetland Pony, the Safari Ltd Mini Pony is approx. 1:75 scale, the Schleich Shetland Pony approx. 1:20 scale, and the Traditional Breyer again at 1:9 scale.

CollectA horses as a whole are the best for scaled dioramas as their scaling stays consistent throughout the range. For example, while a Schleich Clydesdale and Schleich Shetland Pony might not look in scale next to each other, those horses in CollectA would (see above images for examples). CollectA is also the most sturdy of all the model horse brands. The legs do not bend easily like Schleich or Mojo horses can, and this makes them my #1 choice for collectors. Bullyland horses are made of the softest material out of the top six brands. They are quite easy to bend and therefore are a great choice for kid's playtime.

If you haven't read our last blog on the size comparisons of animal figurines, click here to read it.

Should you have any other questions concerning product sizes, or would like to see a particular animal, don't hesitate to send me a message at [email protected] and I will be more than happy to assist you.

Thanks for reading!

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Size: 6" L x 5" W x 5" H

Model #10155

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