One of the hallmarks of a horse crazy kid (or adult!) is the amount of horse models they have laying around. It might be a collector’s horde or a customization hobby, but one thing is for sure– there are a lot of horse model brands. How are you supposed to figure out which brand is the best and will give you the most bang for your buck?
Today I will share five model horse brands and their pros and cons, so you can tell a Schleich from a Safari and a Breyer from a Stone.
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1# Breyer
By far the most popular of the horse model brands, Breyer has been in business since the sixties and is famous for their hand-painted, collectable models. Since no two models are alike, some models are extremely rare and very expensive.
They come in several sizes, from Traditional to Mini Whinny. By far my favorite is their Freedom/Classic size. Breyers have gotten more expensive over the years, and have lost a bit of quality since their early days. While they are definitely one of the nicest looking of the models, their price for single models varies between $60-$45 for the Traditional, $30-$25 for classics,$12-$8 for Collecta, and $7-$5 for Stablemates. They are also more breakable than some of the sturdier models like Schleich and Safari.
Where You Can Find Them: Several websites and retailers carry Breyer models, including the Breyer site, Amazon, Walmart, Tractor Supply, and occasionally Target. There is also a Christian homeschool online store called Rainbow Resource that has really great deals on discount Breyer models.
2# Schleich
This is the second most popular horse model brand, especially since they have a lot of other animals. Schleich are about 1:18 size, and made of solid plastic. They have detailed hair on their bodies and are a bit clunkier than the Breyers. Their eyes aren’t nearly as detailed as Breyers either.
Schleich are really great for kids because they are so unbreakable. The plastic is slightly bendable, allowing for the wears and tears of play. However, they’re really not that different from Breyer’s Collecta, which in my opinion are better and more detailed than Schleich. Schleich do have more accessories that fit their size. They run for about $12-$8, with the accessory sets being much higher at $20-$30+.
Where You Can Find Them: Schleich are a common feature at the checkout in feedstores. You can also find them on Amazon, the Schleich site, and Tractor Supply.
3# Safari
Another brand similar to Schleich, these two are often confused with each other. While much more elusive, Safari is still a fairly good brand and is definitely cheaper for the quality that it has.
There is more smaller details, like the eyes, than in Schleich and they are cheaper at $10-$6 per model. While they don’t have as many accessories as Breyer and Schleich, they are still very sturdy, durable horse models and are great if you can’t afford to spend half a fortune on horse models.
Where to Find Them: Safari‘s website, Amazon, Rainbow Resource, and Michaels often supply them
4# Stone
Sometimes called Peter Stone, these are the most fragile and the most collectable of the horse model brands– however, they are also ridiculously expensive, which doesn’t make sense considering they are not that different from the Breyers.
There really aren’t that many differences between Stone and Breyer when it comes to how the horses are made. Both of them are hollow plastic. Both are hand painted. Stone makes less models per year, and their general marketing relates more to collectors than to the wide range of ages that Breyer reaches. If Breyer is for kids, then Stone is for the serious horse model collectors.
Stones generally range from $300 to $600 for the large models, with the foal models being about $200-$300.
Where You Can Find Them: Pretty much the only place you can find models for retail sale is the Stone website, or secondhand on Ebay.
5# Terra
These are the cheapest– and least detailed– of the horse models mentioned here. While the models are $5 each, they lack the detail of any of the other brands. The eyes are plain black, and the limbs and head are often poorly formed.
While the site labels them as collectable, they don’t have the same variations in model, style, and color as the other brands. They are best for kid’s toys, not as collectables. Their cheap price does make them great stocking stuffers.
Where You Can Find Them: Target, the Terra site, and Amazon are the primary retailers.
Roundup
So, as a quick roundup–
Cheapest Models— Terra
Best for Collectors— Stone
Best For Kids— Schleich
Most Bang for Your Buck— Safari
Best All-Around— Breyer
Of course, these are just my opinions. Check out the models for yourself! It’s a fantastic hobby both for adult and kids, especially when you learn how to customize and make your own tack (Both Breyer and Rio Rondo have excellent resources on how to do that.).
Which of these brands do you own? Do you have a favorite brand? Tell me about it in the comments!