Breyer Traditional Horses

Breyer Traditional Horses has long been a favorite and most popular size for collecting. A key reason may be that it was the very first size model that the Breyer Company introduced in 1950. It was that first Breyer Model Horse standing over the clock that was the beginning of a very successful business that has grown steadily through the years and is now part of Reeves International.

I have collected Breyer Traditional size models since I was three years old and cherish each and every one of them. They spark the imagination and let the dreams just roll out of you like few other collections can. Maybe because they are fashioned after one of God’s greatest creatures, the Horse. Think about it, the horse can be very mysterious, elegant, beautiful and graceful and if they choose to be, full of fire all at the same time. They are most always wonderful to watch and to dream about.

To see some of my Traditional size models visit my model horse gallery.

The traditional size has varied to some extent through the years, the first model measuring 10" tall at the top of the ear. Since that time the sizes have changed on many models that are still considered "traditional" scale. For example the Christmas model Wintersong done on the Othello mold is quite large and heavy and seems to be longer than the other traditional size models. At the same time, the BreyerFest celebration model of 2008, Alborozo is a bit smaller in scale than the Indian Pony or the American Saddlebred but he is still considered a traditional size.

So in general, a Breyer Traditional Horse is to scale of 1:9 and is generally up to 9 by 12 inches in size. The older models have less detail in their frame than the newer ones, and also have a different feel to them that the newer ones do not have. Most likely this is because the type of plastic used years ago is different compared to what is used today.

Even with the differences and inconsistencies with the size of any Breyer Model, and largely in part to the promotions and offerings by Breyer-Reeves International, the traditional size has been easy to find and collect. If you compare the way the company has used the traditional size models for promotions, whether with the Just About Horses (JAH) magazine, or the prize models that are given away at BreyerFest, you will be sure to find a great deal more traditional size models that hold a higher value than any other size.

However, don’t be too quick to rule out the smaller ones from your choice of collecting either. Another popular size is the classic. The Breyer Classics models are smaller than a traditional size model and often more affordable. Other sizes are paddock pals, called "Little Bits" when they were introduced in the mid 80s and the stablemates models.