Breyer Review: Halloween Horse Poltergeist

Hi all!

I have another Breyer review for you, this time it is the 2016 Breyer Halloween horse; Poltergeist!


So as this is a decorator I won't have my breed history or standards sections but just jump straight into the model!

The Model

So this model is on the male version of the Ruffian mould. He is flat black with 'unique pinto markings' that look like flames going up his legs and a demon-skeleton that is riding on the model's back, he also has a bald face. He is one of 3,000 and glows in the dark (how cool!!)

Firstly I will go over in more detail his markings (as they are his main feature and very impressive!)

So here is some photos of my Poltergeist so you can see in detail the markings I will be talking about. So starting from the legs and working our way up, his back legs have a semi-flame like design in the white markings that are (at least on my model) very crisp, I had my doubts if Breyer would pull this design off well as it is so intricate but it seems to have been executed very well! I haven't heard any complaints about this guy so I believe in general his markings have been successfully done.

Then of course there is the demon on his back, my first thoughts from the original photos released by Breyer that the demon only had one head but it turns out it has a head on either side of the horse. This is a very cool and creepy design but also helps out those who are into showing as you can still choose either side to present to judges at a show without losing any of his design.

Unfortunately my camera could not pick up his glow in the dark feature, but like Ichabod he really does glow! It's very eye catching and isn't just a faint glow he really shines!! I love this added feature as it makes his already cool design stand out even more.

He also has in orange letters Halloween 2016 printed on his stomach, this gives him a nice collect-ability aspect (as if you're like me) now you can start collecting all the Halloween horses!

So in conclusion I would say if you are a fan of Halloween or cool decorators definitely pick this guy up. He has a unique design that is pulled off very well and would make a great addition to anyone's collection.

Breyer Review: Best of British Connemara Pony

I wanted to start doing semi-formal reviews of horses in my personal collections (as I can give in depth analysis of them not just my opinions of them from a photo/video). So I decided to start with my newest model the best of British Connemara pony! (who I got in TKmaxx for a steal!)


So firstly a little background on the breed (I promise I won't go on a boring lecture about the breeds origin... or at least I'll edit it before I publish it.)

Breed Background

This breed orginated in Ireland in (as the name suggests) Connemara, Co Galway. They were bred from a now extinct breed called the Hobby Horse. However today they have a bit of everything in them! It is believed Andalusians (shipwrecked from the Spanish Armada), Thoroughbreds, Hackney ponies and Arabian blood all contributed to the modern Connemara pony. However the amount of crossbreeding began to dilute the bloodlines so in 1923 the Connemara Pony Breeder's Society was set up to preserve the breed, they subsequently opened the studbook in 1926.

Connemara's were originally know for their stamina and strength (before we all found out they were jumping stars). They were used from farm labour and carrying turf from bogs. Any horse not hardy enough for this kind of work was not kept for long and thus the breed became even more renowned for its strength and durability.


Breed Standards

Colour: Grey, black, Bay, Brown, Dun with occasional Roan & Chestnut, Palamino, & Dark Eyed Cream.

Height: 12.2 to 14.2 Hands.

Movement: free, easy and true, without undue knee action, but active and covering ground.

General Conformation: compact, well-balanced riding type with good depth and substance and good heart room, standing on short legs, covering a lot of ground.

The Model

Breyer chose to do this model on the Newsworthy mold, a popular mold released in 2008.

(original Newsworthy, not my image property of identifyyourbreyer.com)

He is a dappled bay gelding, who comes in two variants; loose mane and tail and braided mane and tail. (I only own the braided version so that is what I will be reviewing). He is also a regular run released as part of the Best of British series in 2015.

Okay and now to the actual review part! I shall be showing you photos owned by me of my lovely model Hopper, whilst giving my opinion on the model, enjoy!!

Okay to start here are a few photos of the model from several different angles so you can get a feel for him if you don't own him.

I bought mine as he has nice shading however he does have a few paint flaws (but this maybe because he was being sold as a toy and might have gotten banged around a bit.) 

His dapples are well blended and not very fish scaly as Breyer is sometimes known to do... However he does have dapples on only one side of his neck and not the other which is a little odd. 

I would also have liked him to maybe be a little darker (this is just personal preference) but I thought he was a sooty dun until I saw he had no dorsal stripe! I just think if he was going to be a bay he could have been richer in colour.

Conformation wise I don't think he makes a bad Connie but his face might be a little small compared to some (just might have a bit more Arabian in him!) They are quite muscly ponies as they were used as work horses so he is definitely a more modern jumping Connemara. (Duuhh look at his pose!!)

A nice feature I tried to capture is his eyes, they aren't the standard Breyer black, which in my opinion almost makes the horse! It makes his eyes seem big and kind (just like a Connemara's eyes).

His braids are well set, no lifting and they are sculpted well for a mass produced model. Mine has a slight bit of over spray but it is very minor.

Over all I think he's a great little model to add to your collection and would make a great performance horse if you are into showing. They can be found in TKmaxx at the moment for very cheap so I wouldn't hesitate in picking one up!

References 

https://cpbs.ie/breed-standards/

http://www.theconnemarapony.ie/?page_id=28

http://www.identifyyourbreyer.com/identify/Newsworthy.htm

Breyer Review: Best of British Connemara Pony

I wanted to start doing semi-formal reviews of horses in my personal collections (as I can give in depth analysis of them not just my opinions of them from a photo/video). So I decided to start with my newest model the best of British Connemara pony! (who I got in TKmaxx for a steal!)


So firstly a little background on the breed (I promise I won't go on a boring lecture about the breeds origin... or at least I'll edit it before I publish it.)

Breed Background

This breed orginated in Ireland in (as the name suggests) Connemara, Co Galway. They were bred from a now extinct breed called the Hobby Horse. However today they have a bit of everything in them! It is believed Andalusians (shipwrecked from the Spanish Armada), Thoroughbreds, Hackney ponies and Arabian blood all contributed to the modern Connemara pony. However the amount of crossbreeding began to dilute the bloodlines so in 1923 the Connemara Pony Breeder's Society was set up to preserve the breed, they subsequently opened the studbook in 1926.

Connemara's were originally know for their stamina and strength (before we all found out they were jumping stars). They were used from farm labour and carrying turf from bogs. Any horse not hardy enough for this kind of work was not kept for long and thus the breed became even more renowned for its strength and durability.


Breed Standards

Colour: Grey, black, Bay, Brown, Dun with occasional Roan & Chestnut, Palamino, & Dark Eyed Cream.

Height: 12.2 to 14.2 Hands.

Movement: free, easy and true, without undue knee action, but active and covering ground.

General Conformation: compact, well-balanced riding type with good depth and substance and good heart room, standing on short legs, covering a lot of ground.

The Model

Breyer chose to do this model on the Newsworthy mold, a popular mold released in 2008.

(original Newsworthy, not my image property of identifyyourbreyer.com)

He is a dappled bay gelding, who comes in two variants; loose mane and tail and braided mane and tail. (I only own the braided version so that is what I will be reviewing). He is also a regular run released as part of the Best of British series in 2015.

Okay and now to the actual review part! I shall be showing you photos owned by me of my lovely model Hopper, whilst giving my opinion on the model, enjoy!!

Okay to start here are a few photos of the model from several different angles so you can get a feel for him if you don't own him.

I bought mine as he has nice shading however he does have a few paint flaws (but this maybe because he was being sold as a toy and might have gotten banged around a bit.) 

His dapples are well blended and not very fish scaly as Breyer is sometimes known to do... However he does have dapples on only one side of his neck and not the other which is a little odd. 

I would also have liked him to maybe be a little darker (this is just personal preference) but I thought he was a sooty dun until I saw he had no dorsal stripe! I just think if he was going to be a bay he could have been richer in colour.

Conformation wise I don't think he makes a bad Connie but his face might be a little small compared to some (just might have a bit more Arabian in him!) They are quite muscly ponies as they were used as work horses so he is definitely a more modern jumping Connemara. (Duuhh look at his pose!!)

A nice feature I tried to capture is his eyes, they aren't the standard Breyer black, which in my opinion almost makes the horse! It makes his eyes seem big and kind (just like a Connemara's eyes).

His braids are well set, no lifting and they are sculpted well for a mass produced model. Mine has a slight bit of over spray but it is very minor.

Over all I think he's a great little model to add to your collection and would make a great performance horse if you are into showing. They can be found in TKmaxx at the moment for very cheap so I wouldn't hesitate in picking one up!

References 

https://cpbs.ie/breed-standards/

http://www.theconnemarapony.ie/?page_id=28

http://www.identifyyourbreyer.com/identify/Newsworthy.htm

A new facebook page!

Hi all,

I decided to make my own facebook page for Bambles Studios, this is mainly for displaying my customs and sales pieces, so most of my reviews, hobby news and other fun things will stay here.
But if you are interested in seeing what I have for sale from time to time or would like the chance to win competitions I'd love it if you'd like the page!


More content coming soon...
I promise it will be more lengthy than these quick updates!