Breyer Variations: Delighting Collectors for Decades

By Kirsten Wellman

Photos by Sarah Wellman, Jen Boss, and Beau Horst

Breyer is celebrating its 75th anniversary of making model horses this year, and like any company that has been in business for such a long time, there are bound to be production variations – most of them unintentional, but a few of them deliberate choices. Whatever the reason for the changes, collectors enjoy tracking down examples of of these nuanced variations to expand their herds.

In the early days of the company, many models in the line remained in regular production for decades – the most iconic of which is the #57 palomino Western Horse, made from 1950 to 1991. Not surprisingly, the palomino Western Horse changed a bit over those 41 years, varying from rich caramel shades to soft golden hues to bright lemony tones. In addition to the color of the model, details like hoof color and saddle design changed over the years as well. 

The Western Horse’s smaller companion, the Western Pony, was likewise made for many years and had similar variations in terms of color and tack. One of the most distinct variations can be found on the #41 black pinto Western Pony, made from 1954-1976. The shoulder spot on the right side varied in position, sometimes higher on the shoulder and sometimes lower, depending on how carefully the mask for the spots was aligned by the painter. Some ponies escaped the production line without any shoulder spot at all!

Several interesting variations can be found in the color and pattern of the beloved #20 Misty of Chincoteague model, which has been in production since 1972. Like the Western Horse, Misty’s palomino pinto coat has varied from deep honey gold to a pale sunny yellow hue. Her pattern also changed almost from the get-go. When the model was first released, author Marguerite Henry asked Breyer to change the initial pinto design to better reflect that of the real pony, resulting in several distinct variations.

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Color variations over time are to be expected, and variations in white markings abound as well. Some were stylistic choices, such as changing bald faces to masked stars on models like the #48 black and #49 bay Stretch Morgans. Models like the #62 chestnut Saddlebred Weanling also had varying numbers of socks and several slightly different blazes over the years. The earliest #89 Black Beauty models had four white socks instead of just the one described in Anna Sewell’s best-selling novel. Even after the number of socks was corrected, variations still cropped up occasionally. Some models have the sock on a foreleg while others have it on a hind leg.

Sometimes model decoration changed over the years as a time or cost-saving measure. The earliest #175 pinto Indian Pony models were painted with red and blue war paint symbols, but later in the run, the models were sold without them.

Occasionally, variations are the result of physical changes to the sculptural details of the molds known as retooling. One of the earliest examples is the Clydesdale Stallion mold, which was updated to have more defined musculature around 1961. 

Occasionally, molds have been retooled to fix damaged or even lost pieces. For example, the Sherman Morgan model was removed from the production line in 1993 due to damage to the mold. When the mold was subsequently reissued in 2000, it sported a new flowing tail.

In recent years, Breyer has pushed their molding technology to new heights by incorporating interchangeable parts such as heads and necks, manes and tails, and even legs that offer a number of fun variation possibilities. The first of these innovative models was the walking Arabian Mare sculpted by Kathleen Moody, which comes in both a head up and head down pose with several different mane and tail options.

Whether unintentional or deliberate, variations in Breyer models add spice to the collecting experience. Many collectors enjoy acquiring models that display the nuances of color variations over a span of years. Others enjoy hunting through antique malls and online auctions looking for models with hard-to-find differences in markings, patterns, or other subtle details. Variations offer a little something for every collector, and with so many of them to be found, the search for new exciting models is never-ending!