Custom Mini Model Horses

I’m working on an American Cream Draft Horse. He is part resin and part Breyer... so I’m not sure how I’ll show him. The head and neck were a gift from Maggie Bennet —she noticed that I was wearing a name tag at Breyerfest 2018 and gave me a Stablemate casting of a drafter head and neck.  I chose the G4 Vaulting Horse for the Body. I like this mold, but prefer the feet be more underneath the body. So a few leg changes, hoof fixes, and new hindquarters and he’s coming along. This breed often sports a long tail, so that was sculpted separately and is in the process of being finished, Where the mane changes color is where the resin and Breyer meet. Not one to waste a cute face, the Drafter head is on a Gypsy Vanner body... lots of work needed. And the Vanner head is on an Alborozo... the Alborozo head is on a Dungaree... I’ve been making a little progress in prepping this guy: Here’s the model with his Breyer half... the Vaulting Horse A...

I've decided to challenge myself to learn more about horse coat colors by painting mini Alborozos in different colors. This guy, Ignacio, is chestnut, one of the more common colors in the real-horse world... although maybe not in the model horse world where buckskin pinto shows up quite frequently. Because who doesn't love a splash of white on a dilute? I made his mane and tail a little darker than his body color for a little variety in contrast. December, January and February have been cloudy, snowy, windy and rainy. In other words, not good for my favorite photo spot... King of the Wind Farms in Macomb, Michigan where my horse, Mr. Pots lives. So I was happy to be out taking new photos yesterday! Chestnut Stablemate Alborozo by Sarah Tregay

This little sport horse is an Equus Kinsky. His name is Czechmate. I chose the breed because who doesn't love a dapple palomino with metallic tones? Around 40% of these horses have coats in various shades of gold, due to the cream dilution gene while others are bay, chestnut, or black (although black is rare). The coat is extremely glossy and almost metallic.   I got distracted from pastelling and finishing models by the International Customizing Equine Event where I began (and finished customizing) a pair of Akhal Teke buddies. So I'm pleased with this cutie.   The weather has been gray and cold. Maybe the sun will shine on me for a photo shoot!  He looks handsome in the sun!

My horse, Mr. Pots who is half Appaloosa and half Mustang. Appaloosas can be tricky to capture in miniature. They seem to have endless intricate markings from a speckled nose to a striped (or not) hoof, from an oblong heart-shapped spot to a perfectly round one. One of my favorite molds (back when we long-time hobbyists only had G1 Stablemates) was Seabiscuit. This is one of my Seabiscut customs from years ago. So for this Appaloosa project I chose a Seabiscuit. He needed a little help in the feet department due to some mold flaws, but other than that he's pretty similar. Confetti is a leopard Appaloosa mare I used burnt sienna Pan Pastel for Confetti's spots. They seemed like they needed more layers than the black Pan Pastel spots on Party Invite. Party Invite, a mini Alborozo in leopard Appaloosa

There’s an old saying that goes “no hoof, no horse.” And I’m always reminding myself to check in on my model horses’ hooves. Especially those models whose hooves are supposed to be flat on the table.  I feel that a show-quality model should stand well. All feet that should be in contact with the table should be on the table—not hovering above it, not touching on one side and not the other. My boy’s feet on a flat surface. Right without shoe, left with a shoe. Enter two things: one, a piece of sandpaper. Two, a table-height view. If the model has a problem hoof (or four), I hold the sandpaper flat to my desk and move the model’s hooves across it. Back and forth, side to side or in circles—it can depend on the horse. The trick is to go slowly and check your progress often. This Rivet custom had a hovering right hind hoof. But I didn’t want to sand off the toe of the right fore. So... I sanded only the hind feet, letting the forefoot scrape ...

I went to two shows this fall, the Michigan Show Series Halloween Show in Hastings, MI. Melissa Hart was a wonderful host, the show hall was a great size, and the autumn drive in the country was beautiful. The show was for all scale models from Trads to Micro minis so the tables had a little bit of everything on them! Drafters with spots in Stablemate and Classic scales. This custom pair caught everyone's eye. But it was the CM minis that I admired. So sweet! Mini Alby's in all sorts of yummy colors... And every shade of gray! My Copy Cat Custom Project went to her first show! And the minis held their own against the big horses! This presentation worked so well—showing off belly details and helping this little resin show up on dark tablecloths. The second show I went to was in Riga, MI near Ohio. The show was for Classics and smaller sizes. Trina Houser hosted  Riders Up on the Hill Veteran's Day Live to raise funds for...