Prince - 1/9th Scale Poseable Pony!

Introducing...Prince!

Yet another late post, this project was actually done in March 2025, but for me that’s still a pretty good timeframe from completion to blog post. 😂 

One of my long term hobby goals is to make Max a horse. Not just a static statue, but a fully poseable articulated 1/6th scale horse so she can go out on hacks and jump and gallivant to her heart’s content.

(As per usual, I don’t give myself easy projects!)

I’ve made articulated creatures before (obviously Baxter, and a handful of other art dolls from back in the day) but horses are very different beasts, and something I knew would be considerably trickier, especially considering the fact I’d need it to be sturdy enough to support the weight of a doll and tack, whilst still being able to be posed. Once upon a time I made a 1/6 horse; Inky, whose decidedly wobbly and battered body still leans precariously against one of my shelves; her wire core being far too weak for the rest of her. She was a labour of love, and while I do cringe a bit looking at her now, she was a good first attempt all things considered.

I’ve got lots of ideas for a new horse using much improved techniques, but at the moment I don’t have all the materials to get started the way I want, so in the meantime I thought I’d do a test run and start off with a pony. I’ve got a few 1/6 child dolls, so I thought it would be fun to make a Shetland for them to ride. Unfortunately as you’ll see, it ended up not turning into one so I just dropped down a scale to 1/9th (better known in the model horse hobby as Traditional scale) and decided he could be a crossbreed instead. The irony is that I don’t really do much in trad scale, so he’s become something of a rarity in my collection. 😂

Anyway, onto the step by step!

The teeniest of teeny tiny stables.

I meant to post this weeks ago but you know what I'm like so better late than never. XD

I'd had so much fun with the Bridle Tree Barn-Raising challenge that I didn't want to stop, but I was totally out of space for any more stables. Well, there's an exception to every rule and mine was definitely that small things don't count.

 

Julip Live 2018!

 -Photos without my waffling here-

As mentioned in the previous post, I travelled down to Tetbury last week to stay with my friends Tomas and Rory and the three of us drove to Oxford for the show. We had intended to arrive super early so we could nab all the good spares and get set up, but alas, the best laid plans and all that. We did get to drive through some seriously spooky mist though...

Behind the scenes at Magpie Model Horses!

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,  
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.

I've been waiting a while to make this particular post!

The UK has produced a number of model horse companies over the years, only a scant couple of which are still on the go. Magpie Models (once known as 'Dream Ponies') was one such company, much beloved by collectors. I have a modest herd myself, almost all customs, but there are some folk I know that have loads!

 

The company has changed hands a few times over the years but production ceased a while back and its future was uncertain.When then owner, Becky Benfield of Utterly Horses (and now Copperfox) put Magpie Models up for sale a few years ago, speculation was buzzing. Just who would take the reins of this much loved stalwart of the UK hobby?

After the initial excitement when word got out that it had sold, all went quiet and a couple of years on, nobody knew anything about the new owner's identity or even whereabouts, and it was all rather mysterious. It was around about this time that my friend Heather Forrest, who I've travelled down to the Lake District Julip shows with the last few years, dropped a rather large bombshell when she was picking me up from the station at Perth, having very kindly invited me up to stay with her family for Thanksgiving last year...

NaMoPaiMo - A few finished ponies!

Against all my original predictions I've not only finished my designated pony, but several others too and I've still got half the month left to go!

NaMoPaiMo - Day...3?

I've kind of lost track of the days a bit here, haha!

Progress has been made on all fronts however, and some are getting closer and closer to completion!


After another couple of pastel layers, the Shetland had his markings outlined, which is one of the most tedious, yet fulfilling parts of doing pintos.



I always love this stage, as the coloured areas really start to pop, even with just the basic outlines done!

NaMoPaiMo 2017!

As many of my regular readers will have noticed, other than the recent Julip one, there's been a distinct lack of pony posts over the last wee while. I've always had something of a wandering muse; one minute I'll be really into something, but in a matter of days or weeks I'm in the mood for something else, and so I've been doing a lot more with my dolls over the last few months while the horses took a back seat.

 I really needed something to get myself back in an equestrian mood, as my body piles have been mounting up whilst my motivation to paint them ebbed away. So, you can imagine my delight when Jennifer Buxton announced a brilliant challenge for February - NaMoPaiMo!

Inspired by NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) she came up with this one specifically to get hobbyists back into painting and interest in it has been rather dramatic!

I had no shortage of bodies and quite a few awaiting primer, so choosing my victims wasn't too difficult. Only one model would be counted in the challenge, but I've picked four I'd like to get done this month.

From left to right; 'Horatio' by Clare Stokes, 'Truffles' by David Mayer/Horsing Around, 'Night Heather' by Kelly Sealey and 'Hamlet' by Clare Stokes.

All of them have been sat next to my desk for the best part of a year. I occasionally sanded a few seams and carved out some hooves but other than that they've lain more or less untouched.

UNTIL TODAY!

Lake District Live 2016!

I had great plans to make many dioramas and setups for this show, but in all honesty...I forgot about it until literally the week before!

Luckily I had enough bits and pieces from previous setups and photostories to bring so I was able to do more scene classes than I'd originally thought!

Anyway, every good show report starts at the beginning, so here we go!

Model horse rug tutorial!

 I honestly thought I'd already posted this on here before as I'd had it on a few forums about five years ago, but I can't find it anywhere so I suppose it's better late than never!

As it's quite an old tutorial, I make my rugs slightly differently these days, but hopefully this should give you all a simple and relatively easy to follow guide to make your own.

First of all, you will need...

Felt. (I'm only going to be concentrating on felt for this one but you can of course use fabric as well)

Bias Binding. (You can get this from most haberdashery shops or buy online. Wide ribbon works just as well if you don't have any)

Glue. (I use 'Bostik All Purpose')

Ribbon/leather for straps. (I used fake leather ribbon in the end so it's not visible in this pic)

Needle and thread. I used a single strand of embroidery thread as I couldn't find my normal sewing stuff in the right colour. You can of course use a sewing machine but I unfortunately don't have one.

Wire. (for making buckles - disregard if you have premade Rio Rondo ones or alternative fastenings)

Pliers. (for making buckles/holding stuff together etc)

Scissors. (I don't think I need to tell you what those do lol)

A horse to wear it!

Headcollars for all!

Well, perhaps not all, but two's certainly a start!

Since getting them back from the Copperfox show, I knew I wanted to give my newbies some clothes. I'm keeping my glossy Cadno boxed for now as I literally have no more space for trads until I get my room redecorated with new furniture and things (hopefully this summer, fingers crossed!) but the matte version is happily out on display with his two Kickstarter CFs. 

 

I'd made Fantastic Mr Copperfox a headcollar and rug fairly recently but Kick Start 'Er hadn't had anything so I thought I'd rustle her up a halter at the same time.

Copperfox Cadno - Matte and GLOSSY versions!

As you'll have no doubt seen in my previous post, I was lucky enough to win the Reserve Championship at the Copperfox Tour in Scotland yesterday, the main prize for which was a gorgeous glossy version of the regular run, Cadno.

Seeing as I'd bought the matte version that day, I thought it would be nice to compare the two, as well as giving non Copperfox owners a good look at the new models and the boxes they come in.

First of all, I just want to say that I'm going to be more critical of these models than I normally would be as I know there are a lot of serious showers who are very particular about flaws and things which I personally wouldn't see as problematic, but I thought that I'd try to show them off as honestly as I could so people who don't have the opportunity to see them in person before they buy can get a good look at them.

I absolutely LOVE the models I got, and honestly don't see their problems as, well, 'problems' but then I don't show very often so its all relative really. We also have to take into account that this is a brand new company and its obvious that they are constantly improving on quality so people ought not to be as harsh about them as I've seen some people being on forums.

Anyway, now that's out of the way, on to the review!

----

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge! - My favourite model photos

 Post 4 of my Copperfox 10 Day Challenge.

Day 4: Your Favourite Model Horse Picture

What is your most favourite model horse picture? Maybe you already have one or maybe you can create a new one?

--------

As anyone who knows this blog (or my Flickr account!) can testify, I take a lot of photos of my models. Indeed, the album of my Julip photos on Flickr currently contains a whopping 8587 images, and my general non Julip model horse one has a 'mere' 1080!

(The sad part is, that's not even all of them, I have hundreds I haven't uploaded for whatever reason or another)

I love nothing more than setting up scenes and trying to make my models look like the real thing - something which I know some people must find frustrating, given that the main focus of my collection is on distinctly stylised models rather than realistically sculpted ones.

Regardless, I've got plenty that I think blur the line between model and reality, and even if they're still obviously models, I'm proud of them anyway. This will probably end up being a phenomenally photocentric post, so apologies in advance!

They're in no particular order really, and all very different, but these are the photos I think I'm most proud of taking over the years. (and yes, there really are a lot, I'm so sorry, I can't choose only a couple!)

Apparently I was destined to have this one...

I'm not a big believer in fate or destiny or whatever you'd call it, but sometimes things happen that just seem meant to be!

A few months back I was idly browsing MH$P looking for vintage customs. I don't really collect Trads these days as they take up far too much space and I prefer to concentrate on my Julips, but there's something about the often naive charm of older customs that really appeals to me - not least because many of them are mohaired, which is one of my favourite methods of customisation.

Anyway, one such vintage caught my eye - a Breyer 'Smoky' etched to an extremely loud sabino/overo (at least I think that's what you'd call it anyway) by Judy/Judith Miller. I love wild sabinos and etchies, so he immediately spoke to me. He'd had a broken tail but that didn't bother me that much because most of my models are just kept on display and rarely shown. He was cheap too, considering how much work had gone into him and I was seriously tempted. He was still available, so while I was trying to decide whether I should go for him or not, I googled the artist, hoping to see more pictures of her work. Unfortunately, the first thing to come up was a completed eBay auction of that very same horse...which had just sold.

 

I shot the seller an email just in case and to my dismay I discovered that they'd just forgotten to take down the MH$P ad and he was indeed no longer available.

Obviously there was nothing that could be done, so I carried on with life, occasionally wondering where he was now, until one day last month I was on MH$P once again and...wait, was that? Yes!

He was back up for sale, presumably by whomever bought him on ebay, and the best part?

The ad was listed on my birthday. Obviously the fates wanted me to have this horse!

This time I had no hesitations and hastily emailed the seller until I got word back that he was mine! :D

Bewitching Hour - The very first Scottish Live Show!

Yup, you read that correctly, we finally had a show up here!

Fellow Glasgow-based collector Eleanor organised it, and did extraordinarily well, especially considering it was her first show!

There's a fair number of hobbyists in Scotland, though many are spread out and about all over the place, so it isn't so easy to round everybody up for a get-together, but we had a few folk here today and it went really well. A couple had to pull out at the last minute with one thing or another, which was a real shame, but hopefully the next time we'll get them all here.

(Apologies in advance for the crappy photos - I was rushing around and a lot of them have ended up really blurry. :( More can be seen --here-- )

I support Copperfox Model Horses!

As many of you will have already seen from Becky's post on Utterly Horses, due to the creation of her own model horse company, Copperfox, Breyer have refused to stock her with any of their models as they see Copperfox - a company so small and new that they haven't even launched yet - as a direct competitor.

http://www.utterlyhorses.com/utterlyhorsesupdate


While I can understand their point of view on the one hand, pulling all their products from the UK's most well known and respected retailer of model horses, and without any discussion of a compromise, is exceedingly childish and has really made me lose respect for them as a company.
I will still buy the odd Breyer if it catches my eye, but secondhand if possible, as I don't want to support a company that resorts to blackmail like that.

As one of the Founding Foxes, I look forward to receiving my two Copperfox models next month and will continue to support the brand, as it's about time we got some accurate British breeds and hopefully, without the 'big company' attitude!

Becky gave me the go-ahead to post this little badge I made, in case anyone wants one to put on their website or forum sig/avatar :)

SM Hedge diorama!

Yes, yet another diorama! XD

This was another commission, but this time I was left to design it myself, with the only stipulation that it had to be 'very green'. I think I did rather well on that basis. :P

I've been wanting to make a mini hedge for a while and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it a go. The base itself is a little smaller than A4 but can accommodate several stablemates at once. The first few shots were taken on my phone so the colours are a little off.







It has actual 'trunks' and branches that the foliage grows out from which true to form doesn't actually show up in pictures, heh.










The colours are more accurate here.





I really enjoyed making it and quite fancy doing another for myself as this one showed off my customs really rather well. (though I'd like to try doing a winter one...with snow. :D)

I've been sculpting some...

...medallions! :D :D :D

I decided to stay up all night for the Scottish Independence Referendum and as I'd need something to quell the butterflies, I decided to do some sculpting. I've dabbled in medallions before, but the results were nothing spectacular. (the unpainted one at the bottom isn't mine, that's 'Todd' by Clare Stokes.)

 

This time round however, I'm really pleased with how they turned out. I used Super Sculpey and a variety of homemade sculpting tools, although my main tool of choice was one of these, though ironically I used the handle more than the actual tip! (and those ones on that shop are waaaaay overpriced, I bought the exact same set from 'The Works' for £3.99!)

First up was a Highland pony. I referenced the hundreds of photos I've taken at the RHS over the years so I had a good place to start.

I made a gif showing the rough process of sculpting him. :D

Halfway through I did a little photoshop mockup to see what he'd look like with clothes on...

...and as he looks now. :D

Then,. yesterday I fancied making him a friend...

Originally he was supposed to be a young Clydesdale, but the more I sculpted, the older and less Clydesdaley he looked so now he's just a generic and very hairy cob.

I made another gif - it looks like he's chewing at the start, lol.

His face went through several big changes as I had to reposition his muzzle and eyes a couple of times.

His eye protrudes a lot more than I realised now he's baked but you can't really tell if you're only viewing him from the front. XD

I'm so pleased with them and was wondering if there'd be any interest if I were to cast some copies in resin? The Highland is really chunky (about 24mm at his widest point!) so he'd probably be a little more expensive but I don't really know all the ins and outs of casting things as I've only ever used the college silicone and resin!

Fell Diorama at the UHH!

I wasn't able to go to the Utterly Horses Hullabaloo at Newmarket this week as it was just too far for me to travel, but Kelly was and took these photos of her new dio with the newly released 'Night Heather and Moonlit Dale' large SM scale resins in situ. The backdrop suits it perfectly and I'm insanely pleased by how well the base blends into it. She kindly allowed me to share these photos and put them on my website too, as well as displaying some of my business cards next to the diorama. :D

 

I definitely need to snag myself a copy of the mare - she'd make a fantastic Highland!

If you want a copy for yourself, they are available -here-

Diorama Commission

I've been very busy this month working on my first diorama commission!



 

I was asked by the fantastic sculpting artist Kelly Sealey of Kellys-Studio to make a diorama to show off her latest AR set; a large SM scale Fell mare and foal. She drew me a rough diagram of what she wanted, and after a lot of discussion on the subject, I began in earnest.



The dry stone wall was perhaps the most important part of the whole base so I had to get it right. I pored over photographs of Cumbrian walls and spent ages consulting local dry stone walling sites so I could get the construction and geology accurate. It was very tricky to accomplish and there's definitely an art to it that I don't think I've got, lol!
I toyed with the idea of making stones from plaster or carving out blue foam but in the end I decided that you really couldn't beat the real thing so I gathered up some suitable stones, gave them a thorough scrub and got to work.

(Terrible phone photos approaching!)



Obviously the colour was completely wrong so once it was fully assembled, I repainted it entirely to fit in with the local Cumbrian stone. For any future bases involving walls, I plan to cast them in resin to save on the weight.



The base was then landscaped with a coat of plaster, which the wall was soon firmly embedded into. I also added an old and wind-battered looking tree, made from a suitable looking twig I had in my stash. The fencepost was a bit of balsa dowel.



Once it was completely dry, the whole thing was given a coat of paint...



...before the grass and foliage was added.









The view from the back.







I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots with ponies present, although I do wish I'd have had a spare Collecta Dartmoor as this one was a body and not really very photogenic, although it was the right size for the base.





So yeah, that's what I've been working on! It was a lot of fun to make and Kelly was absolutely brilliant to deal with. Hopefully I should have it all packed up and in the post tomorrow, ready to meet the public at the Utterly Horses Hullabaloo at the end of the month!

If anyone happened to be interested in commissioning a diorama, just throw me an email at Elrenia_Greenleaf@hotmail.com and we'll have a chat. :) I really enjoy a challenge so feel free to be as detailed or vague as you like!