Paging Chalky Experts!

Are there any chalky experts out there? I have a mystery horse, one that's been in my collection for years and he is a real puzzle.

I bought him at an antique shop because he looked so odd, and I go back and forth in thinking that he is chalky and then that he isn't.

Friends I've asked who know chalkys have been stumped, too, although one said she thought he might be chalky plastic. All agreed that this model is unusual.

His paint does feel thicker than it does on non-chalky models.

Putting him next to another dapple grey from the same time period shows a lot of differences. Due to his dapples and some other clues, I think he is probably an early piece.

His mold stamp is crisp and easily read

while his counterpart's stamp is blurred and worn.

He has the early drain board pattern underneath his hooves. That's not dirt - I tried to wash it off and it will not.

The other PAS (Proud Arabian Stallion) has typical Breyer hooves that are smooth and bare plastic.

And those ears! My favorite part of him!

They are what caught my eye in the antique shop; they are so pink and stand out so well.

This model was made sometime between 1972 and 1988; I'm a bit surprised that the pink hasn't faded as it has on so many vintage pieces.

The legs are very different, too. 

The one on the right in this photo (the near foreleg) has a distinct chalky appearance except it is not as bright a white as chalkys normally are.

The front legs of the non chalky PAS look very different.

 A second peek at the forelegs of both.

A view of the hind legs. Possible chalky is on the left.

A close up of the possible chalky's hind legs.

Looking under the tails will often give you insight - I have a bay QH Yearling I wondered about, and when I looked under her tail, there was a blob of thick, white paint. Yup, she was a chalky!

This is the possible chalky's tail. It is darker than the undertail of the second model.

See what I mean? I also did the light test, and light goes freely through the non chalky, and just a bit through the other. (I couldn't film that without help and Craig was gone.)

Last, I did a weight test. 11.4 oz for the mystery model,

and 11.8 for the other.

 If you have any thoughts about my oddity, I'd love to hear them. You can comment in the blog comments or email me at horsiemama8@gmail.com.

Any insight would be appreciated!