The Curious Compendium 2023: Donkeys!

[bmathison1972]

I have this breed. Seems almost a requirement LOL.

People have been discussing how their horse collecting started. I would remember when I was an arthropod specialist and I'd get miffed for a while there when year after year, no insects were made (western companies) and a constant onslaught of horses. Now I have come to appreciate them better.

My first horse was the 2018 Mojo Fun Thoroughbred (sculpted by Ana), as to me that was the 'quintessential' horse. Then after it was released, I got the CollectA Mongolian, as it was an 'ancient breed'. That got me thinking to collect feral and ancient breeds, and soon came the Safari Przewalski, Southlands Replicas brumby (stallion, only), Safari Ltd. mustang, and CollectA Chincoteague. A later got the CollectA Clydesdale as it's a breed I always admired (and yes, it's because of Budweiser ads lol; hard to avoid them with all the sports I watch). Most recently I got the Safari Gypsy Vanner as bycatch in an eBay lot (the lot also had Safari's Chinoteague, but I already had CollectA's). Looking at pics online, the Gypsy Vanner looked like a good rendition...so I kept it!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

This is one breed that I do have a little experience with albeit not your typical one. My grandfather grew up in the early 1920s and 30s where horsepower was how farms were still run in rural Utah. Even in his old age when he had several trucks and tractors, he stubbornly kept 2 clydesdale mares on the farm in a pasture to "remember the good ol' days" and his bond with the horses that made his life possible for so many years. These two mares in particular essentially became feral from not being worked any longer, and they enjoyed long summer days in the pasture until they each eventually passed on.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I think that's great Blaine! I too get a little frustrated with the great many horse releases every year (mostly because a lot of them for years now have been terrible) but I think its improving recently, and I am glad to read that so many have come to appreciate them in their own small way.

[Gwangi]

I have the CollectA Clydesdale, I bought it last year to review it for the holiday season. Reviews are often the excuse I use to buy figures I might not normally acquire. Likewise, I bought the CollectA Gypsy mare to review for St. Patrick's Day. That reminds me, Halloween is coming...

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I recently got both these models too; really lovely CollectAs.

Ok, now we get into a couple of "color breeds". First up is the American Paint Horse:

This (IMO) is difficult to wrap my head around in a way to explain it properly, I hope it comes out so it can be understood.
Pinto is a term used to describe a horse with a base color and white patches/spots in a distinctive pattern. A Paint is a breed of horse that presents a base coloration (black, bay, etc.) and carries a gene that causes white patches/spots. A Paint horse can be a Pinto pattern, but not all Pintos are Paint horses  (this is is seen in a variety of breeds- some of them presented already).

The American Paint is a breed descended from the Mustang and developed from animals that had this unique look. The breed was generally referred to as Pintos, Skewbald, Piebald, or Paint horses until the 1960s when the The American Paint Horse Association was created to properly organize and define the breed. Today it is a stock type horse; generally smaller in stature, heavily muscled, with good farm work capabilities, and its unique look. ALL Paint horses descend from 3 breeds that carry this gene for their coloration; it must have American Mustang, American Quarter Horse, or American Thoroughbred ancestry in order to be registered. They come in an enormous variety of color combinations and pattern types; I won't detail them here but the genetics behind each is even more incredibly fascinating AND mind boggling! They have a very rich history with Native Americans; particularly a lattern type called the "medicine hat" (a pattern where the head is most white but has a colored patch over the ears and the top portion of the head). It was believed to be an animal of special powers that could protect or otherwise prevent its rider from injury or death.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

These next 2 are not proper breeds, but often are mistaken as such by casual fans. I chose to present them on their own for this reason, as they are very distinctive. The Buckskin and the Palomino:


The buckskin is a coat color that presents as a diluted bay coat coloration. So named as it reflects the color of a tanned deer hide; it can range from an orange-ish tan, to a very pale yellow (almost white) with dark points. The gene is present in several breeds such as American Quarter horses, but it is not possible in several also such as friesians, belgians, shires, arabians etc. without outcrossing them. The color often gets mistaken as dun and can be caused by a dun gene (these are genetically distinct conditions though), as well as cream or dilution genetics. This color is often very popular amongst Western disciplines and horse owners for its flashy appearance. This also can inflate sale prices for certain genetic lines, but there are also registries designated for this color alone. Some names for the various shades include standard, sooty, buttermilk, silver and dapple.

Palomino is another coat color that presents as a golden bodied base with paler/white points. This can range from a deep ochre to nearly white. The color is often featured in breeds such as the American Quarter Horse, but can be found in a number of breeds including draft and mini horses. These horses can also registered just like any true breed can be. Their skin us usually dark or gray, unless it continues a white marking then it have some pink skin coloration. These are generally categorized into 4 basic color types; chocolate or ashy palomino, pearl, light, and golden. These coats are created by a dilution gene for bay or chestnut just like the buckskin.  These are again quite popular in Western tradition and discipline, but have been known to be preferred by royalty and the like for centuries.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Gypsy Vanners!


The breed was developed by the Gypsies of the UK to create a new smaller colored draft type horse; they used shires, clydesdales, and native British ponies to do so. The word "vanner" was used to describe a horse that pulled wagons in a caravan- combining the words created the original name for this breed. They can also be called the Romani Cob or the Tinker horse.The breed can be a variety of colors but are most well known for being skewbald and piebald (black/brown and white). The horse is often described as a "people sized" drafter- they are usually 14-15 hh but have a heavy physique further exaggerated by their long flowing manes and heavily feathered feet. They have a sweet personality and a easily trained mentality- but because they are such quick learners they also learn bad habits fast.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Arabians!




This is the breed that is most commonly quoted as being THE earliest ever (depending on how you look at details, this point can be argued); it has been recorded as being 5,000 years old and the first breed to be domesticated. Coming from the middle east they are desert adapted horses and are highly prized by the native locals there. This is a rather small breed in general with a delicate and light build. They have been hugely popular in the development of numerous other breeds across history and across the world! Their temperament is docile and curious; they have a bad rap for being a fiery hot tempered breed, but just like with any domestic animal this is something that crops up with poor breeding (not taking animals' temperament into account). They ARE highly intelligent though and because of this they can be easily trained to new things but can also be stubborn. There are several types of Arabians today (given their history and spreading popularity); the Crabet from England, the Egyptian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and the rare Shagya. Three distinctive Arabian studs are the responsible parties for the modern Thoroughbred; the Darley stud was born in Syria in 1700 and 95% of all males can trace their Y chromosome to him, the Godolphin stud born in Yemen around 1724 and is found in many of the great dam (female) lines, and the Byerley Turk whom may be Hungarian, Turkish, or English in origin and was born sometime around 1680 and also contributed heavily to breed development. If anyone is interested, these three sires have been HEAVILY studied both historically and genetically and there is lots of great reading about them and other breed developments.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Akhal-teke, Abaco barb, Barb, Pintabian cross, and the Peruvian paso.

Akhal-tekes were developed in Turkmenistan and have been favorite mounts for cavalries and racing for 3,000 years. They are a very rare breed today with only 7,000 animals globally. Surprising perhaps, especially given their very unique appearance of a metallic like coat of hair. This is due to an internal hair structure being absent/translucent which then consequently bends and refracts light.

The Abaco barb is a now extinct breed of horse. It was native to Cuba and the last animal of its kind, Nunki, died in 2015. So named after its island home, Great Abaco Island, it likely was descended from forestry animals left to be feral during the 19th century.

The Barb (or berber), a very different horse from the above described, comes from Northern African countries like Morocco and Tunisia. They often are mistaken for arabians, though the two breeds look very different (they do share a lot of their traits though such as speed, stamina, and desert hardiness). This sadly, is another breed on the decline in popularity.

The Pintabian is a horse of modern experiment. Tobiano colored horses were crossed to purebred arabians and so forth, until you had an animal with the spotted pattern but nearly 100% arabian blood when tested. The breed name was first used in 1992 amd officially coined for the breed in 1995. There is a registry for them but they continue to be quite rare in numbers as well.

Lastly, the Peruvian Paso comes from Peru and are descended from Spanish stock. Because it has been isolated from all other breeds for the last 500 years it is the only naturally gaited horse that can gaurantee this trait gets passed to 100% of its offspring. Today its often considered as the most historically significant domestic breed because of its selective breeding. The gaited movements themselves are unique from all other gaited breeds; they just have a different way of moving that hasn't been replicated by others since. The breed is a true Peruvian national treasure.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Mixed draft breeds: Belgian, Suffolk Punch, and Ardennes!


Belgian drafts are another draft breed believed to be descendants of war mounts from medieval times. They are very large animals, standing 16-18 hh at the withers and weighing around 1,8000 to 2,400 lbs. They come in bay, chestnut, sorrel and roan coloration, and around the 19th century it became "fashionable" to dock their tails. The development of the tractor ended their popularity in agricultural work, and today they are most commonly used as show animals. I got to meet Radar the "giant horse" and a Guiness world record holder (2006-2009) back around 2009 or so. He stood at 19.3 and a half hh, and weifhed more than 2,400 lbs. He could drink 20 gallons of water a day, and eat 40 lbs of hay and 18 lbs of grain per day!

The Suffolk punch is England's oldest draft breed dating back to the 16th century. This breed's registry only allows them to be chestnut in color! They are considered iconic in their home country of Suffolk, but have reduced in popularity enormously over the years, risking extinction. They suffer from a number of genetic issues: at one time the breed was considered to have terrible conformation when it came to feet. Closer scrutiny and the implementation of special foot conformation classes at shows has improved this drastically. They also suffer from infertility problems and its taken scientific testing such as sperm sexing to try and improve numbers for the breeding population.

Lastly, the Ardennes is from this region in France and is amongst the oldest documented draft breeds known (dating as far as 2,000 years ago!). Used for agriculture and war- Julius Caesar is believed to be the first general to use them in the military. The breed can be bay, roan, chestnut, gray, and palomino. Black can occur but is not registerable. This breed is also amongst the shortest of draft types standing at 15.3-16hh and are considered "economical" to feed considering their strength for feed/size ratio.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Trakehner!



This breed originates in 13th century Prussia and gets its name from the Trakehnen stud farm established in 1732. The breed underwent a rennaissance when the farm wanted to refine its already large and athletic horses- they crossed them with arabians and thoroughbreds in the 1800s. The breed itself, a very refined warmblood, has consequently been used to refine other European sport horses (as mentioned in those breed bios). They are popular in disciplined sports like dressage, but are also commonly used for leisure riding. They come in nearly any color to boot. Their temperament is more even than other warmblooded horses, another reason for their popularity. They have won several Olympic gold medals in their history and are best known for their even "floating trot" movements.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Ok, sorry for the very delayed post- last night was really rough battling the insomnia so the daylight got away from me... Back to it! 

Mixed pony breeds: Connemara, Lewitzer, fallabella, German riding pony, Fell pony, and Dartmoors.


The Connemara comes to us from lovely Ireland! Originally dun in color, it can be most colors nowadays such as bay, black, gray, etc. The breed is known for its strength despite its size and its surefootedness having developed from moorlands. Historically used in the UK for hauling jobs (seaweed harvest, rock removal, etc.) they are now easily used for pleasure riding, dressage, and jumping.

The lewitzer hails from Mecklemburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. They were developed during the 20th century and come from the Lewitz stud farm who bred for piebald and paint patterned ponies.The have many of the pony traits such as large eyes and forehead and long ears; they are also very people oriented and friendly and calm. They excell at lots of disciplines such as carriage work, dressage, jumping, and pleasure riding.

The fallabella is the world's smallest horse breed at about 8 hh/32 inches at the withers. Small horses were discovered in Buenos Aires by Patrick Newell, circa 1840. He began breeding them to be smaller and smaller and named the breed after his son-in-law Juan Falabella. They have very narrow hooves for a horse and come in nearly any coat pattern or color!

The German Riding Pony is generally described as a smaller size horse than a pony in terms of physique and breeding background. A young breed only conceived about 40 years ago, it was developed from using smaller breeds like arabians and English riding ponies such as Welsh ponies to create a smaller athletic animal. Often used for children to teach them about showing horses and caring for horses, they still excell at any and all disciplines they are trained in. 

The fell pony name comes from the Nordic word for "hill", describing their homeland. Believed to be developed from horses in the region between Scotland and Britain, these are native stock animals that date from before the Roman times. The can several colors, but its not acepted to be patterned in this breed. Its another all terrain and all discipline horse- it excells at hard work as well as riding tasks. The English monarch Queen Elizabeth II loved this breed and was riding them into her 90s! 

The dartmoor was bred from animals in the region of Devon, England. Having lived on the moors the breed is exceptionally hardy and hardworking- there are hoofprints from their ancestors that date back to 3,500 years ago! They are a breed that contributed immensely during the centuries leading up to the industrial age. Today they are popular riding ponies and have been popular with recent English monarchs to develop other breeds like the Polo pony.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

And the post for tomorrow is going up a little earlier than usual.

Black Forest, Noriker, Jutland!


The black forest horse hails from the black forest region of southern Germany. This breed is always chestnut also, but the coat can range from very pale to nearly black, paired with a flaxen mane and tail. They are medium sized horses standing at 14.3 to 16 hh and 1,250-1,400 pounds; they look like draft horses because they are bred from Wälderpferde stock- a type of heavy horse used for logging and forestry type jobs. The original stud book began in 1896, by 1977 there were only 160 or less breeding mares. They were not declared an endangered breed until 2007- this status continues today.

The noriker comes to us from the Austrian Alps around 2,000 years ago. They developed from crossing roman war horses with local Celtic breeds. The original name was the Pinzgauer but it changed to Noriker in the early 19th century. Another all around breed; they excell at anything you may need! Surefooted for trail riding, sensitive enough for driving, strong enough for carriages and farm work. They come in lots of colors- 90% of them bay or black, the remaining 10% can be leopard spotted or roan.

The Jutland is from Denmark and descends from war horses of the middle ages. The Jutland peninsula was its original home and is its namesake. As an endangered breed today there are only around 1,000 left. They are often used for farmwork but also have some history as the breed to pull beer wagons for the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Fjord horses!


Instead of posting duplicate information here I will direct you to my latest ATB articles on them. The gelding has the usual breed info, the mare is just a review of the model itself for the same reason. That should cover it for tonight (and holy moly there's only a few more days of horses befotr this category wraps up).

Schleich Gelding

Schleich Mare

[Saarlooswolfhound]

After this post there are only about 4 presentations left for this category.

Przewalski horses!


This is just about as primitive as horses get. Genetic testing has proven that these are actually descendents of the first domesticated horses, rather than being remnants of the very last truly wild horses. The oldest record of them dates to 20,000 BCE and the first written record is from a Tibetan monk around 900 CE. They were rediscovered by Colonel Nikolai Przhevalsky in 1878. These are fairly small bodied and compact, covered in muscles designed to help defend itself or flee from predators. The breed went extinct sometime in the 1960s; it is now considered endangered after reintroduction programs succeeded in transplanting populations. All of today's living animals descend from only 12 individuals.The first cloned foal came to us in 2020; Kurt's genetic line comes from a stallion that passed in 1998 and is hailed az a breakthrough to assist in genetic diversity. One of the most unique populations in the world lives in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in the Ukraine. In 1998 about 33-35 horses were let loose here hoping that they would be successful- and they have. The population has swing widely due to a variety of factors (human poaching being a big issue at one time), but they have maintained a healthy population and continue to breed.

[BlueKrono]

Speaking of ancient horses, I had a book with some shaggy Pleistocene horses that I'd like to have toys of. Do you know of any figures that have long hair on their bodies like a Shetland pony, but don't have pony proportions?

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Unfortunately, I don't think anything like that has been made by a commercial brand yet. The closest you could get would be old Schleich przewalski you see above as its sculpted to have a little bit of the woolly coat rather than a short haired summer coat.

I personally hope that more archaic breeds/horses get represented some day (probably an impossible hope for something like Eofauna or Rebor to pay any attention to) as there are some really interesting options...


I hope for a tarpan one day, to join the przewalski, yakutian, and mongol horses available.

[bmathison1972]

OMG!!! Is that image from the old Zoobooks? I lived off those in high school and earlier and I always thought their illustrations were the BEST!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Ha, it is! I loved them as a kid too and this is the image that comes to my mind whenever I think of prehistoric horses.

[Gwangi]

I remember that picture from Zoobooks also. The prehistoric elephant one in particular captured my imagination.