Model Horse Journal Articles,
1979-2004
My articles on Hartland models, model horses, or real horses, for various model horse journals, date back to 1979! The journals mentioned below are no longer published, except for the Breyer company's Just About Horses, which is now a yearbook. Horsing Around, the full-color magazine published in England, ceased publication in 2005, but now sends emails.
--Gail Fitch, October 21, 2005; update: June 21, 2015
Unique Articles by GF in Model Horse Journals:
"Horse Breed Quiz," by (Mrs.) Gail Mueller (Gail Fitch), Just About Horses (Breyer company magazine), Vol. 6, No. 1, 1979.
"Holding Your Horses" (collecting psychology), in The Model Trading Post, November 1994 and in MIJC (Made-in-Japan Model Horse Club News), November 1994.
"Artistry of Japan Horses Appeals to Model Hobbyists," in MIJC, September 1995, and in TRR Pony Express, March/April 1996.
Article Series by GF in Horsing Around Magazine, 2001-2004
Horsing Around was a full-color magazine on model horses; its publishers still issue ceramic and resin horses by various artists. For back issues, contact: sales@horsingaround.com or visit www.horsingaround.com. Pay by credit card or send a check to:
Horsing Around Magazine
Hollymeade, Brandheath Lane
New End, Astwood Bank
Redditch, Worcestershire
B96 6NG England
(Added August 10-11, 2001; changed May 15, 2003, October 7, 2004, June 21, 2015.
May/June 2004 (Issue #63):
Four inch, medieval horse-and-rider sets are a tie-in to the movie, Lord of the Rings.
March/April 2004 (Issue #62):
Carolyn Martin's second book on metal horses, Metal Horse Figurines , gets thumbs up, as does her first book, Metal Horse Collections.
January/February 2004 (Issue #61):
Mini-sized horses by Kid Kore and flocked horses by Dandi Little Horses -- with accurate tack -- are reviewed and pictured in "Small Talk," page 16.
September/October 2003 (Issue #59):
The Trail of Painted Ponies series of wildly painted models in impressionistic shapes puts realism to shame.
July/August 2003 (Issue #58):
Collectors and artists will enjoy these three, newer model horse / animal figurine books: The 2001 Update to Resin Registry by Julie and Fred Harris, Felicia Browell's third Breyer edition from Collector Books, and Nancy Kelly's book on the art of Maureen Love, for Hagen-Renaker and her own companies. (Found in "Hot News" column, on page 13.)
May/June 2003 (Issue #57):
"It's Good to Have Choices": Alternative model horse brands can provide fun, variety, and good value for the price. Illustrated with six photos.
May/June 2002 (Issue #51):
2002 Hartlands through April 22; three custom artists who enjoy repainting Hartland models; model catalogs, and fiberglass horses.
January/February 2002 (Issue #49):
Hartland models from November & December; news and reviews of model horse books: Metal Horse Collections by Carolyn Martin, Hagen-Renaker Through the Years by Nancy Kelly, and the China [Horse] Reference Book by the Made-in-Japan Club, which I have belonged to since 1980.
November/December 2001 (Issue #48):
"Horses, Models & Admirers: Gail gives us a roundup on some of the favorable mentions model horses have had in real horse magazines": Hartland models since May, models in October 2001 Equus magazine, Breyers in JCPenney Christmas catalog, a reader's suggestion on model horse shows, collector April Powell finds a way to shelve more Hartland horses.
September/October 2001 (Issue #47):
"Chicago's Corridor of Model Horse History": On June 17, 2000, we visited the sites of three companies prominent in the history of model horses." Includes four, color photos.
July/August 2001 (Issue #46):
"June/July Book Review": Susan Bensema Young's Guide to Making Model Horse Tack (1998, 1999), Julie and Fred Harris' Resin Registery (1997 base edition and three updates), and Nancy Kelly's Hagen-Renaker Pottery: Horses and Other Figurines (2000).
May/June 2001 (Issue #45):
"Horses, Models & Admirers: Gail Fitch explores a wide range of horse collectibles in her new column": 2001 Hartland models, sculpture by Herbert Haseltine, bestseller Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Dark Horses and Black Beauties, horse shampoo, the model horse hobby and some of its writers and artists (Andrea Gurdon, Ann Reynolds, Barbara Zoulek).
Model Horse History Article:
"Chicago's Corridor of Model Horse History" -- A visit to the old locations of Breyer, Hartland, and Mastercrafters Clock and Radio Company. This article, first published in July, 2000, is part travelog, part model horse history, and was illustrated with four, color photos of buildings. It could be subtitled, "Model Horse Collector from A Big City Visits An Even Bigger City". In 2001, a slightly different version of this article was published in Horsing Around Magazine.
Hartland column by Gail Fitch in TRR Pony Express, 1994-1996
1. "Hartland Manufacturers," May/June 1994.
2."The Hartland Molds," July/August 1994.
3. "Hartland Horses Designed for Riders," September/October 1994.
4. "Colors of Hartland Mounts," November/December 1994.
5. "The Hartland Breeds," March/April 1995.
6. "Hartlands on Hold" (the model industry and Hartland's impact), May/June 1995
7. "Showing Hartlands at Halter," July/August 1995.
8. "Hartlands: More Classy Than Tacky" (heat at BreyerFest not good for models), September/October 1995.
9. "Hartlands at BreyerFest," (shopping for non-Breyers at BreyerFest),
November/December 1995.
10. "Smooth As Silk: The Hartland 5" Arabs," January/February 1996.
11. "Hartlands in Waiting," (Hartland production history), March/April 1996.
Mass Market & Other Articles
The first four articles, below, appeared in newspapers or major magazines between 1983 and 1996.--Gail Fitch. October 21, 2005; June 21, 2015
The Model Horse Hobby --
"Horses without the barn essentials," in The Milwaukee Journal,
July 14, 1983. This article summarizes the model horse hobby and in particular, model horse showing. I included Breyer's address in the article
and later heard from them that they heard from 200 collectors in Wisconsin within two weeks.
Hartland Models --
Toy Collector magazine, October 1995, pp. 29-32.
Collecting Figures magazine, May 1996, pp.17-20.
Real Horses / Horse People --
"Horses get a jump on Waukesha Expo," (Grand prix jumping), Wisconsin Sports Parade, Vol. 1, No. 16 (August) 1983. Of two riders I interviewed and photographed for this article, one competed in the 2004 Olympics and the other has been a US Equestrian Team talent scout.
"Jackie, FDR, and Ruffian," Model Equestrian™ column, Hartland Market, February 1995. Famous horse people and horses in the news.
I wrote these horse articles for a private client:
1. "Pre- and Post-Riding Procedures," October 1980.
2. "Choosing A Place to Horsebackride," March 1983.
3. "Horse Shows: A Guide to Attending Horse Shows in the Milwaukee Area," May 1988.
4. "Horse Grooming," May 1988.
5. "Notes on Tack," and "Tack Care," May 1988.
6. "Recommended Reading for New Horse Owners," May 1988.
7. "Types of Riding Involvement: Renting or Owning?" May 1988.
Advisor and Quoted
In addition to writing books, periodicals, supplements, and articles, I've given advice to the Hartland and Breyer companies on and off since 1979. My Hartland books have been quoted on the Hartland
package and in articles, too. Some instances are cited here.--Gail Fitch, 10-21-05
Letters of Suggestion by GF to Model Horse Manufacturers:
(Added August 6, 2001)
1. To Steven Mfg., 1979. On the suggestion of Linda Walter's model magazine, I (and many others) wrote to Steven Mfg. to encourage them to make Hartland models.
2. To Breyer, 1980. I wrote that I'd like to see a standing saddlebred model -- an adult since the Weanling Foal was already around. In their October 24, 1980 letter thanking me, they dismissed the idea, but in 2000, they finally made one!
3. To Steven Mfg., November 20, 1983. Advice on the model horse market.
4. To Steven Mfg, 1984, after call from Mr. Taylor. I sent photos of models and suggestions. His letter of February 9, 1984 thanked me for that and for the publicity I gave Hartland.
5. To Steven Mfg, July 5, 1984. Among other things, I recommended they use Ben Green's The Color of Horses as a model color reference.
6. To Breyer, August 7, 1984. I made four suggestions, and one of them happened: Making the walking stock stallion mold in buckskin.
7. To Steven Mfg., July 1993. Suggestions on colors and breed identifications for the horses- made- for- riders molds. The letter followed a phone call from a Steven employee who is now (in 2005) a part owner of Hartland.
8. To Steven Mfg. in 1994. I suggested colors for packaging and sent color samples.
Quoted:
1. Part of the 1993-1994 Hartland catalog and box text was by Gail Fitch.
2. Quotes from Hartland Horses and Riders by GF appeared in Collectible Toys magazine, November 1993, published by Attic Books Ltd.
