The Identify Your CollectA database is a great source of information about all the CollectA critters, including the horses. It tells you what CollectAs are made of, where they come from and how long they've been around. It explains their marketing in comparison to Schleichs and describes their sizes as compared to Breyers.
Just lately I added a new "Breyer by CollectA" to my herd -- the stocky little Przewalski (pronounced more or less as "sheh-vahl-skee") stallion. I love the details on this little guy -- the short, thick neck, the sparse mane, the heavy head, and the mealy muzzle -- all typical of the Przewalski horse.
(You'll have to pardon the fuzziness of the pictures -- my camera was in revolt on picture day)
Prior to getting him I only had one other "Breyer by CollectA" horse in the herd -- the British Spotted Pony. All the CollectAs I purchased before these two were just ordinary CollectAs, created some time after artist Deborah McDermott started sculpting the horses, but before Breyer bought the North American distribution rights.
Or, perhaps I should say that almost all my CollectAs fit this description. All except two.
In early 2017 I had the opportunity to buy a couple of the older CollectAs, from the time before Deborah McDermott came on board. The interesting thing about them is that were once salesman's samples. As such, they were a little beat up as they'd been living loose in a plastic bag, having been hauled around the country to tempt prospective retailers to start stocking the line.
I wasn't expecting much from them -- besides being samples they were also pre-McDermott, which meant their conformation was probably a bit wonky. But I liked the idea of having some salesman's samples in my collection, so I bought one of the pairs that was on offer.
They're not marked as samples, so only the original seller and I know their story, but I still think they're kind of cool to have. And although I thought I might just sell them on, I have to admit that the longer they stay with me the more they've grown on me.
My other horse is the old standing Thoroughbred mare, and this one is definitely coarser than you would expect a Thoroughbred to be. She's nothing like the natty new trotting mare designed by McDermott. When I got her I dismissed the thought of making her a Thoroughbred right away. But what could she be? Well, to me she looked like some kind of old-timey multi-purpose farm horse: the kind a pioneer family might use to work around the farm, drive to church, and let the kids ride to school and back. The kind of horse the Amish still use today.
Now, I've really got no idea what horses the Amish today are using (I just looked it up and found that ex-racing Standardbreds are the most common). However, I did find one horse, the Tuigpaard, or Dutch Harness Horse, that seemed to suit my needs. Like my little CollectA, Tuigpaards have a longer back, more open loin, and a flatter croup. Although today's Tuigpaard, like Breyer's Harmonie, is a a more stylish animal than my homely little mare, the early Tuigpaards were were "elegant, though heavy, carriage horses which could work on the farm too" (Wikipedia). Exactly what I was looking for.
Conformationally, she has her faults, not the least of which is a tendency to stand sickle-hocked, with her hind legs much too far forward under the body. Her head is smaller and coarser than it should be, Her chest is a little puffy, like a pigeon's. She is certainly not a great breeding prospect, but she does strike me as a horse that could be a beloved family friend, despite her faults.
And, as I said, she's grown on me. Just like the wee-headed Shire, she makes me smile when I see her. And I can't ask much more of any model horse in my herd.
