When I was a horse crazy girl. . .

As a child my pride and joy was my Breyer brand model horse collection. I think I've loved horses ever since first laying eyes on them whenever it was I was able to see a horse for the first time. Recently I went home to visit my folks and drug my collection out into the yard for a photo session. Because they were plastic horses, not children, I didn't have to love them all equally so I definitely had favorites.

I can still remember countless attempts where I wished my tiny horses to life. Funny, it never worked. LOL

This was my A Team. My chestnut tovero (pinto) Indian Pony and the horse I'd partnered her up with for life, Yellow Mount. He was a legendary American Paint Horse Stallion. The gracefully windswept and walking tovero was the model I used from memory for the wire horse sculptures I made years ago.

The first horse I ever bought was named the "Old Timer." He was a grey dapple and had a little straw hat on. His harness was attached but the hat was removable.

Because he was first he will always be special.

The B Team was my bay Rearing Stallion. . .

Brighty of the Grand Canon made famous by the Margurite Henry book of the same name was my C Team.

The D Team was my Jumping Horse. This was another two piece set with the horse and wall being two separate pieces. What keeps them together is the wall has a notch at the top and the horse has a hole in its stomach. He was pretty but not real practical since he couldn't stand on his own.

And the only horse I ever regretted purchasing was this Lying Down Buckskin Foal. I don't know why I ever chose him. He's probably in the best condition now because I played with him the least.

Following this photo session I had to laugh seeing them all scattered across the lawn. It reminded me of all the times I'd drug these horses out into the yard to play with them when I was a kid. I even brought some of them back to San Jose with me.

I think they were all purchased at a sporting goods and toy store called the White Elephant. To this day I can still remember the adrenaline rush I'd get when I'd see these cartoon elephants painted on the side of the building. I'd want to run in past the fishing gear and head to the back wall that was always loaded with model horses.

They still carry them to this day though the packaging has changed quite a bit. The boxes used to be a thin cardboard with a picture of the horse printed on the outside. It's name was emblazoned on the front of the box and there would be a colored background with a black line drawing putting the model into some type of context as far as the design of the backdrop.

I'd venture to guess if you were a horse crazy girl as a child, odds are you had at least one Breyer model horse or, for later generations, a My Pretty Pony. And if you were lucky, you had a whole herd. I had a friend who had over twice as many horses as I did. I was so jealous. Ha ha. Those were the good ol' days when the biggest problem I had in life was worrying about how many plastic horses I owned.