Ooo, Comanche! He was always the lead stallion in my herd…
Sadly mine suffered from broken legs. I was able to get one years ago of Ebay. I have the palomino (no movable parts, I had the covered wagon too) and a dark bay with the movable neck.
Why is Ken in the shower?
Did he get dirty mucking stalls? 
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I had some Johnny West that my grandmother had in her attic! I loved that the coach/wagon horses had wheelie feet! And there were chaps, realistic tack, and the blonde lady!
I don’t know why my mother STILL laments that she didn’t have Barbies, when she had that wonderful bunch of horses, riders, and a wagon!!!
The Breyer horses were much more beautiful. But everything else a horse-loving girl wanted came with Johnny West (unless you really wanted ball gowns and shoes that disappeared…
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OH my goodness, I loved Breyer horses and still have mine. I used to make all sorts of tack and things for them as there wasn’t nearly so much to buy when I was small in the 70s. When I was older, I even participated in model horse shows–my dad was a pretty good amateur photographer, and we had a great time setting up scenes. I enjoyed painting fences for them to jump and all that. I remember buying tack from people who made their own. I won a lot of ribbons, that was fun.
I had Johnny West stuff, too! According to my mother, I wore out the cowgirl. I still have the boy and the man and two of the horses of my original 5. I also had the wagon. One of my best friends in primary school had Johnny West and GI Joe, so lots of interesting adventures.
Barbie, truly disappointing in her riding abilities and I was so excited to get a Brenda Breyer. I wore her out as well and had to buy another with my allowance. We had two ways of playing with Breyers–we’d bring our favorites along to play dates and put them all in the middle of the floor and take turns picking to make our herd. And then we’d basically run soap operas with the horses being the characters. Alternatively, we had the Barbies be riding students who fell off a lot while Brenda was in charge and at least once Ken was convicted of being a horse thief. Good times!
My aunt knew someone who made lovely Barbie clothes and I shamelessly took all the best pieces she gave me, including a velvet evening gown, and used them in various ways for my horses. My grandmother was an amazing crocheter and since I was not a baby doll sort of girl, she made many, many little crocheted blankets for my horses and lots of those that I have in boxes are still wearing Grandma’s sheets.
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Awww. 
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I think I had most of these…Those Breyers were my childhood. Spent hours on end in a dreamworld of model horses. Look at those prices…haha.
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My dad had 3 of them and when I was a kid my brother and I played with them. And yes, at least one had a broken tail!
My deep thoughts:
- Traditionally in the arts, horses are a symbol of male potency, power, and endurance
- The cavalry was certainly a powerful military force; horses gave men more fight
- Old cowboy/Western movies and TV shows. Men+ horses
- Cars–>horsepower.
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I think I still have all my Breyers… I should really go through them. I played with them for hours and hours and hours. One of my friends knitted blankets and halters and we’d spend hours designing out stable colors.
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My brother had Johnny West, I had Jane West. I think I only had one of the horses, didn’t they have articulated legs?
Got my first Barbie when I was 4, melted her hair with the hair dryer. Think I might have had Skipper, too, but no Barbie horses.
Lots of Breyers, still have a few on my bookshelf, and I’m about to be 60.
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I just sold that exact model with the box at a tack swap last year. Maybe for $10? It was my second one, after the shetland pony, which I still have. I still have all of my Stablemates. Many long hours were spent making tiny stables for them or giving them racehorse names and using our braided rug as a racetrack (it was the perfect shape!)
I remember the Breyer “smell”. It was very sweet. Sadly the two models I did keep don’t have that smell anymore, but I remember it well.
My Barbie horse was Dancer, which was donated when I couldn’t sell it. Barbie was only able to ride while doing a split. One Christmas I received Dusty with Nugget the palomino horse; he was flocked and came with a brush and bucket.
