Here is something that not many people know about me. I grew up with horses. My sister saved her money when she was a teenager and bought her own horse (although I highly suspect mom and dad helped her out A LOT). We transformed our backyard into a corral and my dad put up two barns - one for the horse and one for the supplies.
My sister’s horse was named Poco Loco (“A little crazy”). Ha! He was a lot crazy when he was younger. The older he got the more mellow he became.
Even though he was my sister’s horse I did help to take care of him and clean up the manure. I even got to ride him from time to time.
Poco threw me off his back, stepped on my bare foot, bit me, kicked me and drooled in my hair. But I still loved him. He was a great horse.
Sadly Poco had to be put down. He became lame. He had some disease that was eating away at his hoof. The vet told my sister that one day she would come to the barn and find his hoof had completely come off. She had to put him down. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do.
She has since gone on to have other horses. I don’t think any of the truly replaced her first love, Poco.
I have loved horses since I was a little girl, even before my sister bought Poco. I think they are beautiful, magnificent creatures. I wish I could have a horse. We live in a condo so that is not possible. I certainly can’t afford one either. They are expensive to keep.
I still have all my horse books from when I was a young girl. I don’t know why I saved them. I guess because I enjoyed reading them over and over again.
One of my favorite books is Misty of Chincoteague. From the first time I read that book I have wanted to go to Chincoteague, Virginia to see the running of the ponies. Someday…
When I was younger I LOVED to collect horses. I played with horses more than I did dolls or Barbie dolls.
I didn’t have any young neighbors growing up. I spent a lot of time playing by myself. I honestly didn’t mind because I had my toy horses and I was able to get myself lost in my imaginative play with them.
As far as I’m concerned there are no horses like Breyer Horses. I had so many of them over the years. Some my niece have, some I have in my basement storage and some were left behind at my parent’s house which I no longer have access to (long story).
My all time favorite Breyer Horse was my Clydesdale Stallion. He looked like this (image found on Google).
They no longer make this one (they have other versions). I WISH I had him back. I know where he is but for reasons I can’t get into I can’t get him back. Sigh…
Breyer Horses are amazing. They are so life like looking. The company puts so much detail into each horse that they make. They look exactly like the actual breed.
Here is an example of a real horse and the Breyer Horse created to look like it.
Even the mark on is head is identical.
Here are a few other stunning examples.
Horses like these provided me with HOURS of imaginative play. Thankfully Breyer Horses are very well made and can withstand normal play. They do have more collectible figurines, but I prefer the ones that you can play with.
Over the years I haven’t given my horses much thought. It’s not that I don’t want to, I simply don’t have any place where I can display them in my home. Our home was on the market so we kept our “stuff” to a minimum. I hope and pray that some day we have a house and I can FINALLY dig my horses out of storage and display them, not so much for guests but more so for me because they were such a huge part of my youth.
Breyer Horses have changed a lot over the years. I think they have become a bit more “child friendly” offering sets and pieces that fuel the imagination. They have sets that I wish I had when I was a young girl.
Not all of the new Breyer Horses appeal to me, but that doesn’t mean young girls don’t go crazy over them.
Not my “cup of tea”
I would have gone crazy for this as a young girl.
Breyer Horses is not just about horse figurines and collectibles. They have books, plush, jewelry boxes, crafts and so much more.
One thing that the company offers are book and horse combinations. I think its a fabulous idea to read a story and have a replica horse to help you act out what you read in the book. That is what I did with my Misty and Story set. I had the book and would re-enact the story of Misty and Stormy when I played.
This is the same set (horses) that I had but I don’t know what happened to them. The book I have has a different cover but it’s the same story. I also have the book/set pictured.
The horse and book sets sell for around $24.95 on the Breyer Horse website. Honestly, if I had the space for them I would buy all of the sets and display the books and horses together.
If you have a horse lover in your life you should see what is new at Breyer Horses. From fine collectibles to adorable plush, they have something for every horse lover in your life – including yourself.
Even though I can’t replace my beloved Clydesdale, I do have a small replica of him that is normally on my desk (along with Misty and Stormy) but is currently packed away so my holiday decorations could be put on my desk. In the next two weeks my beloved Breyer Horses will return to my desk for me to enjoy every day.
Are you a horse lover? Have you ever owned a Breyer Horse? Do you have a favorite horse (either a Breyer Horse or horse breed)? I’m partial to draft horses but all horses are beautiful in my eyes.
Kimberly
*I received a couple of samples in order to do this review however I am a long time lover of Breyer Horses and would have gladly sung their praises without a sample. There was no compensation. All the opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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