The Complete Collection

"Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?"

 -- Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid

There's something almost magical about the lure of having a "complete collection."  Although it's probably not possible to have a complete collection of any one brand of model horse, there are ways of having mini "complete collections" within your larger horse collection besides having a model horse "conga line."  (Technically, the correct term would be a chorus line, unless you display identical molds nose-to-tail.  However, "conga" is the term the hobby latched onto, and there's no going back now).

In order to have a complete collection, all you have to do is pick a subsection of the manufacturer's total output and then collect all the models issued under that subsection.  For instance, if you joined the first year of Breyer's Stablemate club and collected all nine models released that year (five single models and a complete set of four "gambler's choice" models), you would have a complete collection of the 2016 Stablemate Collectors' Club offerings.

Similarly, you could pursue a complete collection of HR unicorns, Hartland 5-inch family sets, Beswick bay draft horses, North Light grey grazing horses, or whatever you fancy.  The trick is to find a subsection of the manufacturer's goods that has a limited or known quantity so that you know when you have them all.

First in a series of six Breyer Premier horses in costume

Breyer subsections are probably the easiest off all the collections to complete as so many of Breyer's offerings are already divided into separate categories by Breyer itself. Classics alone have been categorized into the After School Herd, the B-Ranch, America's Wild Mustangs, Sunshine Stables, Blossoms, and the Zodiac Series.  Most of these series are closed now, so having a complete collection of any one of them is entirely possible.

I have at least one complete collection within my larger collection that gives me a great deal of pleasure, even though it isn't from any of the major model horse manufacturers.  Instead it's a complete set of Hong Kong copies of the Hartland Tinymite series.  It's not analogous to having a "complete set" of Hartland Tinymites since the original Tinymites were issued in a variety of colours whereas with this particular set of Hong Kong copies, the colours I have are all that were issued, so far as we know.

Fleetwood Farm's Collectors Series of faux Tinymites

The breeds featured, in case you're interested, are the Tennessee Walker, the Arabian, the Belgian, the Morgan, the Quarter Horse and the Thoroughbred.

Like most model horse collectors, I'm not big on mint-in-box models, but these ones I'm keeping in their boxes just because I love the groovy 60's/70's vibe of the box colours and patterns. 

Overall, I think there's a great deal of satisfaction in having mini complete collections -- along with the usual thrill of the hunt as you seek to acquire them, you get a sense of accomplishment when you complete your task, and that can be a very elusive thing in collecting circles.