Farewell, Utterly Horses

You may have heard by now that Utterly Horses is sadly closing down at the end of this year.

For almost 2 decades they have been one of the biggest and best model horse shops in the UK, especially online. Their service is unbeatable, their dedication is profound and their presentation is the best I’ve ever seen. Their almost exclusive focus on model horses has made them one of the best sellers of Breyer and Schleich model horses in Britain, and if it wasn’t for them I would have never discovered the CollectA brand. I adored the fact that they gave names to all the previously unnamed models. You weren’t just buying the Schleich Dartmoor Pony Mare; you were buying “Thistle the Dartmoor Pony Mare”. Their delivery was always prompt, their boxes were always safely and well packed, and I loved the fact that they wrapped each individual model in purple tissue paper and even included fun horse themed confetti in the packaging too.  That extra mile made it even more rewarding and exciting to receive a package with new models in.

I first came across Utterly Horses through a link in a model horse fan site in about 2008 or so. I don’t remember doing so but I must have signed up for an account with them because a little while later I received their lovely glossy catalogue through the mail, which was a nice surprise. Flicking through that catalogue I was amazed at the variety and availability of all the wonderful horsey models they had for sale and it wasn’t long before I was a loyal customer. All the extra effort they put in to the packaging and delivery convinced me to buy my models from them, and I only shopped elsewhere if I wanted a model that Utterly Horses didn’t stock. The only downside was not being able to see the models for myself, but that’s true of any online shop, not just them.

Utterly Horses even launched their own mini Breyerfest-like event for UK hobbyists, appropriately titled the Utterly Horses Hullabaloo. Unfortunately I was never able to attend the event, as much as I would have loved to, but I know many, many hobbyists loved it. It was just so nice to have an event for collectors in Britain, many of whom would never be able to attend the official Breyer hosted event in America. It made us feel included, appreciated, not forgotten about or ignored because we happened to live on the other side of the Atlantic. It made us feel connected, and that’s all thanks to Utterly Horses.

I always found Utterly Horses to be polite, considerate and happy to help me as the customer. When something I bought was sold out they immediately rang me to let me know and arranged a refund or replacement. I loved the fact that they stocked all kinds of brands, from Breyer to Schleich, CollectA to Sugar Cubes, and their little extras like horsey pencils and hobby supplies such as acrylic paint and tack making materials made them the ultimate source for model horse shopping in the UK. So it’s crushing to see them go at the end of 2015. Utterly Horses will be sadly and greatly missed, and I can only hope another model horse shop will step in to fill the void.

We won’t forget you, Utterly Horses. The Copperfox project will still continue, and I wish the whole team the very best in their future endeavours. There is no doubt they will be greatly missed by UK and international hobbyists alike. Thank you, Utterly Horses, for everything you’ve done for us all.

2015 Schleich Knabstrupper Mare

My last (for now) 2015 Schleich model: the new Knabstrupper mare.

 She's a black leopard spotted (appaloosa) colour, with a black mane and tail and black socks. Her pose is dynamic and full of energy, and if they'd braided her mane I'd say she looks like a dressage horse in mid canter. Her head is a bit behind the lateral line, however.

 Her spots are both very deliberate and very messy. Sadly, Schleich have neglected to paint any spots on areas of her body that are harder to reach, presumably to make it cheaper and faster to produce the finished models.

 This leaves her looking very unrealistic, especially on her belly and inner legs. Her ears and the underside of her face also lack spots, and for some reason known only to Schleich her skin is shaded black instead of pink. Like the other 2015 horses she lacks horseshoes.

 Her spots are very weirdly shaped, some looking more like paint smears than appaloosa spots. However, Knabstruppers do tend to have larger, more unevenly shaped spots than most other spotted breeds. I'd have preferred more oval shaped spots personally, and I find her black socks a bit weird: it would have been nice if they'd merged them into the coat colour a bit more realistically, like this or this.

 Her hooves are nice, but a bit boring. With spotted horses it's always nice to see striped hooves. Again, I imagine the plain hooves are cheaper and faster to produce.

 

Her ears are too big (very common with plastic horses), but she has a nice face with large, expressive eyes. The spot just below her forelock between her eyes resembles a charming black love heart, but it's subtly hidden among her other spots and doesn't leap out at you as unrealistic.

 

 

Over all, I think she's quite lovely. Not my favourite of the new models: she obviously has conformation flaws and her colouring annoys me if I look at it too long. On the other hand, it would be very easy to paint on some more spots on her blank undersides and neaten up her mane and other spots with black acrylic paint (something I'll very likely do). I'm even tempted to extend her black points to resemble more of a near leopard appaloosa, although whether I've got enough skill to make it look good remains to be seen. I still prefer the old Knabstrupper mare that this girl replaces, but I understand why the company would want a model that is cheaper and faster to produce.

2015 Schleich Icelandic Mare

You're already seen her in the Curly Mare post, so here's an in depth look at the 2015 Schleich Icelandic Mare.

 

Whilst the last Icelandic mare (that this one replaces) was very clearly a flaxen chestnut, this mare is more of a palomino or flaxen chestnut pangare. She's got a lovely soft coat colour that is admittedly hard to photograph accurately: you'll probably see a lot of photos on line that make her look very orange, where in fact she's a much nicer palomino gold.

 Whilst her pose is very static and plain, the whole model is lifted out of regularity by the wonderfully windswept mane and forelock, which covers her near side (left) eye.

As with the other 2015 horses she doesn't have horseshoes. However, a wild horse living on the hills of Iceland probably doesn't need horseshoes anyway.

 She's solidly coloured with no white markings (unless there's a star hidden underneath that forelock). As with a great many toy horses her conformation isn't perfect (especially in her back legs), but the charm and character of this little mare makes her a lovely addition to the Schleich stable.

2015 Schleich Curly Foal

As promised, here are the photos for the lovely 2015 Schleich Curly Horse Foal.

This lovely foal is a female, although, to be honest, I'd have preferred it to be male. It just feels like there are far too many fillies and very few colts in Schleich's stables. But that's a minor complaint. This girl has a charming palomino coat with the same fuzzy, sheep's wool-like fur as her mother.

 Judging by her dark hooves I'd hazard a guess that her light legs and muzzle are the result of baby pangare (light undersides and areas of soft skin common on foal coats, thought to aid camouflage, that disappear after the foal shed's it's first coat). In other words, she'd probably lose the white legs and muzzle as she gets older and be totally solid like her mother.

 

 There's a bit of over spray on her mane, but I'm not too worried about that.

 Her tail is a little under sprayed (you can see the base coat showing through here), but again I'm not too bothered by that.

 Like her mother, he hooves are nicely carved with detailed painting. Her logo and text take up the entirety of her belly.

 Again, like her mother she has a sweet face, with totally black eyes and little smile on her lips. Looks like she's planning to get up to mischief :)

Here she is besides her mother. She looks quite big, although it's not really a fair comparison since the foal is standing square whilst the mare isn't. Even so, I don't think the foal is meant to represent a newborn. Since they've both got thick, woolly winter coats, perhaps baby is around 6 to 10 months old?

2015 Schleich Curly Mare

I've been collecting Schleich horses for probably about 7 or 8 years by now. Like most Schleich collectors I think the horses and ponies that have been released in recent years vary quite drastically with the models that were available when I started collecting. I believe the difference  is due to different sculptors, and perhaps a different direction for the company as a whole. Some of the new models I like a lot, some take time to grow on me, and some I'm really not that keen on.

As a general rule, I find that the official release photos don't always give an accurate idea of what the model will actually look like in real life. Some even have a drastically different paint job, depending on where the model was made (Germany, China, Tunisia, Portugal etc). That's why I normally like to see a model with my own eyes and turn it over in my own hands before I decide to buy it or not. Sadly, my local toy shop has just stopped selling Schleich, which is disappointing, so I now have to buy them online and hope I get sent nice models...

When I can't see the models in real life, the next best thing is to see photos that other collectors have taken of their models from various angles. And since there's more than likely others of you out there in the same situation as me, I thought I'd post some photos of my 4 new 2015 Schleich horses. Since these will be quite image heavy, I'll split them up into separate posts.

Curly Horse Mare

  

 Like most of my Schleich, this lovely girl is made in China. She has basic shading on her flanks, around her eyes and on her muzzle, but her main attraction is her wonderful thick, curly coat.

 

 Her mane and tail are black, and her body colour is a wild bay: that doesn't mean that she's a wild horse, but refers to the name of her colour. Instead of black lower legs, her black is restricted to her knees and fetlocks. I assume that the thick, curly winter coat makes the black on her fetlocks even more faint, but you can see it on the backs of her ankles.

Of the 2015 Schleich horses, I think this mare is one of the nicest. This combination of her unique curly coat and unusual wild bay colouring really make her stand out from the herd, and the way she's sculpted make her seem really sweet and gentle.

 

 

 

  Unfortunately this photo is a bit dark, but you can just make out the black on the backs of her legs and fetlocks.

 The painting on her mane is a little bit hit and miss, but I can easily touch up the bare spots with some black acrylic paint

 

 

 She's got really quite a sweet face.

   

 

 As with most of Schleich's newest horses and ponies, she doesn't have horse shoes. But her hooves are nicely carved with visible frogs (the triangular bits).

 

  

Since the breed is about 14.2 - 15.2 hh, she's quite small. Here she is next to the 2015 Icelandic mare for comparison.  Next time I'll show her foal.

What's In A Name?

I love names. I love finding out their meanings and origins. I love names that have sentimental meanings. I love names that contain an in-joke, or names that make clever references. I love finding out what names other people have chosen. I love names that were carefully chosen, names that genuinely fit whoever or whatever they were chosen for. So it's little surprise that one of my favourite things about collecting models is naming them.

Whether it's the people in my Schleich stable, my vintage Puppy in my Pocket dogs and cats or my many, many, many model horses, I just love finding the perfect name for each and every one of my models. Sometimes I'll keep the original name the model comes with (if it has one at all), but for the most part I prefer to choose my own names. I find it makes them feel so much more personal to me.

That doesn't mean it's easy to name most of my models, however. Occasionally I might have the perfect name picked out before I even get the model, but more often than not I only start to consider names for them after I've got them. It's a little bit like naming a baby: you just don't know what will suit them until they arrive.

So, here's how I normally go about finding a name for my models, and a few little tips and tricks I've found that help me.

I start off with the model I want to name, a pen and paper, and a list. This list consists of 3 A4 sized sheets of paper with about 2,000 words and names all together, split into 5 columns per page. I know 2,000 may seem like a lot, but if you actually sit down and write out all the animal names you can think of, you'll probably find it's not far off. My list contains regular words that are often used for animal names, like Thunder and Flame, as well as words that sound interesting that I think could be used for names, like Metronome and Burgundy, with a few human names thrown in (I don't normally like to use human names for animals, but sometimes nothing else fits).

I used to split my list into Male, Female and Unisex names, but when I realised that most of the names could be unisex anyway I rearranged them into alphabetical order. This is helpful, as it's easier to spot if I have a name duplicated on my list. Some of the names I've thought of myself, some I've found from websites and books, and some are just words or names I've come across in daily life that I've thought would suit a model someday. Every time I find a new name I add it into the list, which is how it's grown to 2,000+ by now.

Now for the naming part. I run through the list word by word with the model in front of me, writing down each one I think might suit my model onto my spare paper.  Once I've reached the end of the list I then go back through the names I've written down, saying each one out loud as I hold the model. Sometimes I go through the names a few times before I settle on the one that 'feels' right for my model.  Of course, this doesn't always work. A number of my models I've gone back and renamed later because I just wasn't happy with the name I chose first time round.  But, for the most part, the name I choose by this process is the name that sticks for my models.

If you'd like to start your own list of name ideas, check out these websites below:
Most popular horse names.
This site is one of my favourites: horse names by category.
Massive alphabetical list of horse names
Another alphabetical list

Other ideas for naming your models:

• How about naming them after a famous character in a book or cartoon, like Spirit, Black Beauty or Rarity?
• You might find some inspiration by reading wild horse blogs - most name the wild horses in their blog so that it's easier for readers to understand which horses they're writing about.
• If you're trying to name model people, or just like human names for your animals, why not check out baby name websites, or even buy yourself a book of baby names!
• Why not look for a name in the native language of your model's breed, like an Irish name for a Connemara pony or an Arabic name for an Arabian? You could even get a map of the country or area that the breed came from and choose a name from the local towns and villages.

Model Suffolk

As you probably know by now, I adore chestnut horses. I also happen to be English. Combine the two and it's almost inevitable that one of my all time favourite breeds of horse is the Suffolk Punch. 

If you're not familiar with the breed, Suffolks are one of the oldest breeds of draught (heavy) horse in the world. Developed in the county of Suffolk in the east of England, these horses are traditionally short (for a draught, standing at about 16hh) and stocky, and only ever chesnut (spelt without the first 't' for this breed). Their legs are short and clean, meaning they lack the luxurious feathering (long hairs) on the fetlocks that many other famous draught breeds have. They are also extremely docile in nature, and have wonderfully kind faces. 

Unfortunately, Suffolks aren't as popular or well known as other draught breeds like Clydesdales, Shires or Percherons, and since the working farm horse was long ago replaced by machinery their numbers have declined rapidly and the breed is now endangered. Thankfully, there are a few dedicated breeders working to stop the Suffolk Punch going extinct, but they are still listed as critically endangered in both the UK and USA. 

I strongly believe that the entertainment industries, such as model/toy makers and television producers, can do a lot of good when it comes to raising publicity about rare and endangered breeds of animals. Oftentimes, the first time some people even hear about a rare breed is when their favourite model maker includes it in their lineup, or when they see a documentary about it on TV. And that is why I'd love to see more toys and models featuring Suffolks. 

I appreciate that there have been a few Suffolk Punch models produced by various companies in the past, but they're not really shining examples of the breed. The Britains Suffolk is woefully inaccurate, sporting a tiny head and a terrible bay coat. Although I haven't had a chance to see her in person, something about the Mojo Suffolk mare just feels off to me: I think it's those back legs, they just look too long. And Breyer's Suffolk Punch is an easily overlooked Stablemate on a discontinued mould.

Of all the model horse companies, Copperfox Model Horses is the most likely to eventually include a Suffolk Punch in their lineup, since they're exclusively set up to produce models of native British horse and pony breeds. I imagine there's likely to be more demand for other, more popular breeds like Clydesdales and Shetlands first, though. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them, however.

What I'd really like to see is a regular run (or at least English Exclusive) Suffolk Punch on Breyer's Cedarfarm Wixom (a.k.a. Belgian Mare) mould. The mould has (I think) a conformation that could comfortably pass for a Suffolk mare, and done up in a gorgeous standard, red or liver chestnut would just scream 'Suffolk Punch'. The one thing that bothers me is the tail: the mould has a very short, show-braided tail. To me the tail looks like it's been docked (a process where the end of the tail is cut off, through the fleshy part or 'dock', so that only part is left). And since docking horses tails has been illegal in the UK for decades I don't think the mould's original tail would serve as a very good representative for a British breed. Still, Breyer have added new tails to many of their existing moulds, so it's not impossible. 

With that in mind, I've made a photoshop mock-up of a chesnut Suffolk Punch on the Wixom mould with a replacement tail. The new tail was made by simply copying and pasting sections of the mane together onto the existing tail. Please excuse my poor photoshop skills (or lack there-of); this is just a mock-up to suggest what she might look like. 

 

Maybe if Breyer's Best of British line continues long enough we might just see a chestnut Suffolk Punch Wixom trotting into the lineup eventually. Hey, I can dream, can't I?

And So It Begins...

Welcome, kind reader. You've stumbled upon a blog that aims to talk primarily about horses, both real and model, but may well get diverted and talk about other subjects from time to time as well. 

You may be wondering why I chose the name 'Chestnut Heartbeats' for my blog. I wanted something with meaning, something that would tie together all the subjects I wanted to blog about. It took me a while to come up with the right title, and I'm still not 100% sure about this one, but here's the reasoning behind it.

Firstly, I adore chestnut horses. I'll talk more about why in a later post, but I really wanted to include 'chestnut' somewhere in my blog's title to give people with a knowledge about horses a clue that my blog features equines. The second part of the title, 'heartbeats', not only references my love for chestnut horses, but also references the fact that I'll be posting about other things that make my 'heart beat'. 

So, there you have it: my overly long winded introductory post giving you an idea of what this blog will be talking about. I'm still very new to the art of blogging, so please forgive me if it takes me a while to get it right. I'll try to post fairly regularly, and I'm always open to suggestions and friendly feedback.

Thanks for reading, and I hope there will be many more posts in future. :)