horse tack and supplies

Model horses or toy horses are scale replicas of real horses and are highly collectible. Model horses can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or gender, although the vast majority of collectors are women. The hobby originated more or less simultaneously - but independently - in North America and the UK, followed later by Sweden (UK-influenced) and Germany (US-influenced). The hobby encompasses a wide variety of activities, from those who simply like to collect to those who enthusiastically show their models at model horse shows. Unlike many model cars or model trains, the horses do not need to be assembled from kits, although they can be altered to the collector's liking. Horse Supply, Horse Product, Equine Product, Equine Supply, Horse.

Brief history of model horses

The first mass-produced model horses were created by Britains Ltd in the UK in the 1920s, with Julip Model Horses arriving on the scene after WWII. Roy Selwyn-Smith created some very detailed 54 mm ('mini') horses for Britains, but the real quantum leap in quality came with Pamela du Boulay's Rydal models in 1969 - highly accurate, airbrushed sculptures, each an artist original. Beswick also produced a line of horses, but due to their fragility and price few were owned by collectors in the early days.

In the US, Breyer Animal Creations, now a division of Reeves International also emerged after the war.