Custom "Smooth Sailing" (Copper)

My newest custom is a custom Thoroughbred portrait of "Smooth Sailing," (Aka, Copper) a high maintenance lesson horse at my barn. Copper is a 16.1 sorrel thoroughbred and a grandson of Secretariat. He's not just sorrel, though, he's coppery. In the sun his coat glistens like the real thing! He's a hunter Jumper, which means he can jump BIG. No wonder his name is Smooth Sailing - his canter is indescribably amazing! My custom is on the Breyer Stablemates Thoroughbred mold, and I painted him with acrylics and a "Antique Copper" color. The pictures don't really capture the coppery glow, but in person it looks just like the real horse.

How to Pink a Custom's Muzzle

When you paint a custom's face white, you always have to try to mix an extremely light pink color. This color rarely comes out right, so you end up mixing it again and again. What if I told you there was another way to pink noses without mixing a color? Well, I've found that there's an easier way. All you have to do is paint red under the white paint, so let's begin.

What you'll need:

White Acrylic Paint

Red Acrylic Paint

Paintbrush

The Model

Say your custom has a blaze or a splashed face, or maybe he/she is all white or grey. When you're pinking the nose, paint it white as you normally would, and do as many layers as you like. When this is dried completely, use red paint -yes, completely red-  and cover the area you want to be pink. Allow this to dry, then use the white paint to cover it. The red paint should show through, giving you a nice pink nose.

Stablemates Pinto Mare

Yesterday I began work on this stablemates mare. She was previously an etchie, but I thought she was still drab and boring so I decided to customize her. First I sprayed her with a coat of sandy tan paint (though she didn't need it).

Here's the model before any customization.

BEFORE ~ Left

BEFORE ~ Front

BEFORE ~ Right

BEFORE ~ Back

BEFORE ~  Left Face

BEFORE ~ Right Face

 Here are the pictures from after she was etched.

ETCHED ~ Left

ETCHED ~ Front

ETCHED ~ Right

ETCHED ~ Back

ETCHED ~ Appaloosa

Here are the in progress pictures.

Paint Coat 1

Paint Coat 2

Paint Coat 3

Paint Coat 4

Paint Coat 5

Paint Coat 6

Markings

Markings

Markings

Finally, here is the finished model. So pretty!

See more of her in the Pintos section!

How to Prep a Model Horse for Repainting

Here's how to prepare your model horse for a repaint:

1. Rinse the horse off to remove dust or anything else that may come off after the primer. Let the horse air dry.

If you plan to sand a seam or something do it now and rinse the horse again.

2. Prime the model horse with a nice white primer. Allow this to dry. Two thin coats are better than one thick one!

3. Allow the horse to dry completely.

Breyer Traditional Brookside Pink Magnum

I'm sure you've noticed that the Brookside Pink Magnum is small, but how small? Well, I just added him to my collection and I have pictures for size comparison. First off, he his a blue roan with red roan points. He is about 5 inches high at the withers and 6 inches high at the eartips. I do like the model, but I would not recommend him if you intend to show your models. He came with a hoof rub, a rub on his shoulder, and there is a little piece of plastic that sticks off his mane. Overall a great model though. To scale he would be about 11.2hh. (The Lady Phase mold is about a scale 15.2hh, and the Idocus mold is about 16hh)
Here he is...

Left Side

Front

Right Side

Back

Left Side- Back to Front

 And here he is with a Lady Phase mold for size comparison...

 And with a ruler...

Please comment if you would like more pictures!

How to Make a New Hoof

When a model's hoof breaks off and becomes lost it causes a big problem. For one, the model won't stand up, and because of that it will get scratches. Another thing, the model cannot be played with or shown, and this can be aggravating.

Materials
Rubber Gloves!
Super Glue (the dollar store stuff will work)
Baking Soda
Nail File
Aluminum Foil

First, either prop the model up with clay for the missing hoof or lie it on a soft towel in a safe place where it won't get scratched. Now you can begin making a new hoof.

Step One
Set up your work area

Lay out a square of aluminum foil out on a smooth countertop or other table. Make two small mounds of baking soda. You will find that this gives you an advantage in covering the new hoof once the glue is in it.

Step Two
Make the Hoof

Find a horse that has a similar hoof to the one you are trying to replace. Use it to make a negative imprint in one of the small hills of baking soda. Now you are ready to begin the hoof.

Wear your gloves for this part. Drop enough super glue into the divot in the baking soda to make a hoof. Immediately sprinkle baking soda from the other mound on top of the dropped glue. This will cause it to harden within seconds. Wait about a minute for this to set, then remove the piece from the mound of baking soda.

Step Three
Attach the New Hoof to the Leg

When you remove the hoof from the baking soda it will be misshapen. Do not worry about this, as you will grind it down later. Be sure to keep your gloves on.

Glue the hoof onto the bottom of the leg by putting glue on both pieces and putting them together. Sprinkle baking soda all around this and let it sit for about a minute.

Step Four
Sculpt the Hoof

You can now take off your gloves. Use your nail file or sandpaper to make the hoof look like the old one. Make sure the surface is smooth when you are finished. If the horse has frogs, try to make some on the new hoof. If you do not intend to show the horse you can just leave it without a frog. Once the hoof is filed down you can file away any excess material from when you attached it to the leg. Make sure the bottom of the hoof is flat!!!

Step Five
Paint the Hoof

You will need to paint the new hoof once it is on the model. If you are not an artist this may seem very difficult. Here are some tips when painting the new hoof:
> Hooves on white, socked or otherwise light colored legs are shell colored
>Hooves on dark colored legs are dark brown or black
>Appaloosas have striped hooves
>Frogs should just be the same color as the hoof
>Globbing paint is not good, it is better to do multiple thin layers of paint than one thick one

Custom Mini Whinnies Arabian

Here is a custom Mini Whinnies Arabian. I had two of the same mold and color so I decided to change this one up. She was a chestnut Arab with a long mane and bushy tail, so I decided to give her a braided mane, thinned tail and buckskin coat. She was pretty hard to paint because she's so small, but it did eventually come together. I cut of her mane, thinned her tail, and used drops of Elmer's Glue All for her mane.

                                                                           Before...

After:

How to Fix a Leg

Ever broken a Breyer's leg and wondered how or even if it could be fixed? Here's how to:


Reattach a Broken Leg

        ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES!!! Use Super Glue (which can be purchased at a local Dollar Tree) and baking soda to glue the leg back on. Put the super glue on both halves and stick them together, then sprinkle baking soda on the 'outside'. Wait about a minute for this to set, then use a nail file to file away the excess material. When it's done, you will probably need to touch up the paint. Be careful with the new leg; repairs will never be as strong as the original mold.


Create a New Leg

      ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES!!! Start with two piles of baking soda. Make a negative imprint of a similar leg to the one that is gone. Fill this with liquid Super Glue (Cyanoacrylate) and sprinkle baking soda from the other leg on top. Wait about a minute for this to set, then take the piece out. You will need to file it down to look like a leg, creating the new leg. View the Reattach a Broken Leg column to attach it. You will need to paint the new leg.


Leg Wraps
      You can make the break stronger by adding solid leg wraps. Make these out of a clay or trustworthy sculpting resin and put them on the leg. These will need to be painted.

Wonder No More!

Wondering if you should get the Breyer Traditional Snowman? Wonder no more! I love this model. He is a nice Traditional horse and a great addition to any collection. His coat is fleabitten, not white as it may appear in photos. The horse has frogs, a part of the bottom of a horse's hoof that is usually not found on Breyer models. There is a pinkish mark on his shoulder, but it is supposed to be there. This mark is called a "bloody shoulder", but it has nothing to do with blood. The bloody shoulder occurs when too many spots are confined to one area, usually the shoulder, and appear pink. Real images of Snowman show that he did have this marking. It is a natural marking and not something to worry about. He is pricey, but worth every penny. This is a great tribute to Snowman, a true champion.

Snowman Left View

Snowman Right View

Snowman Face- Left

Snowman's Coat (Blurry~Oops!)