Collections Within My Collection: My Plastic Carpet Herd

Last month, I wrote about how hard it was at times to write. I mentioned that I had a file of topics, including one that would take me 27 blog posts (at least) to complete. The topic of that file? Collections within my Collection, and I am starting that topic today.

Naturally, we will begin where it all started - my carpet herd. That can be broken into two parts - the chinas and the plastics.  Even though my very first model horse was a china, I'm going to begin with the plastics.

Rather than reinvent the wheel as I tackle this major project, I found a blog post from 2019 with  information about my carpet herd that I'd like to include today. After it, there will be more carpet herd members to look at.

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December 8, 2019

Once in a while I mention my original carpet herd, the pieces from my childhood that were played with before I considered them collectibles. Many were Japan chinas, but those are packed away in boxes right now. Here are some old Breyer favorites from my original collection from when I was in elementary school:

 

Hercules

This big boy was one of my first pieces, and I used to make harnesses out of felt and thread, and then a wagon from a shoe box and Lincoln Logs for him to pull my dolls in. I am very fond of this guy.

 

Dappled Dude

He's not dappled, he's an Appaloosa, but I named him after a pony at Girl Scout Camp (Sycamore Valley on the Wildcat River out by Hershey) that I loved. Dappled Dude took my dolls for rides since he came all tacked up and ready to go.

 

Sheena, Black Minx, and Shannon.

Their names are from horsey books that I read; recognize any of them? Black was my favorite color for a horse at the time. Come to think of it, it still is! 

Scojeadon

I got her in the mid-70s. She's named after a real horse I cared for. Scoj's owner, Susie Gillespie, hired me to feed her mares, Scojeadon and Sycamore Lass, and donkey, Jose daily. I cared for them from 7th grade through high school graduation. Sue's nickname was "Scottie", and she combined that with the names of her two best friends, Jean and Donna, to come up with Scojeadon.

I am a little dismayed that I cannot remember this guy's name!

Miss Windy Warpaint (Where did I come up with that name?)

Windy is one of my favorite pieces in my collection.  I used to make her tack and have her go down by the Wabash for trail rides, carrying my dolls. I remember one snowy day when my friend, Bobbie (another avid collector and horse lover), and I took our horses and dolls down to the creek that runs through the neighborhood I live in right now. Back then it was a creek through a cornfield and perfect for a ride in the snow.

 

Sham

Sham is named after a horse in the book King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. Hamilton has now eclipsed this mold, but I will always love it.

 

Torpedo

Despite the fact that he's in a standing position, Torpedo was a fast horse for my dolls to ride, hence the name. It's also because of Torpedo that I realized I was in an earthquake once. I was about 11, and per usual, was playing with my horses. Torpedo was still on the shelf, and when I went to pick him up, I noticed the chain reins, which were dangling like they are in this picture, were swinging back and forth. Then I realized the house was swaying! I wonder if I would have noticed the motion if not for the reins?

Tribal Dancer

Yet again, another black horse! His name came from a horse show program for the Lafayette Society Horse Show which was a HUGE deal when I was growing up. I always wanted to be a ribbon girl and hand out ribbons while wearing a pretty dress. I never got the chance, but I did get to show my own real horse, Cee Hunt, there a time or two. 

Missing from the photos are my dappled grey Running Mare and Foal, Yellow Mount, Adios, Man O'War, all the FASs, FAMs, and FAFs, and my charcoal Semi-Rearing Mustang.

I have written up a plan for the dispersal of my collection when the time comes and Lisa has offered to be in charge of that. Several hobby friends have agreed to act as consultants should Lisa need help.  

Regardless of where my collection ends up, it has been an important part of my life since I was six years old. I may no longer have the dolls go for rides down by the creek, or make wagons and saddles from scratch, but I do enjoy looking at them every time I am in my office. And just this afternoon, I gave Torpedo a big kiss on the nose when I finished dusting him.

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I took some pictures of those that were missing from the 2019 blog post. I did my best, but I need help right now getting those models off their shelves. Please bear with me - some day my body will behave again, right??

Craig took this photo of me dusting my carpet Man O'War last year.

Needles, a gift from my dad when I got my braces on in 6th grade. He suggested the name after the racehorse and because there are needles used at the dentist's office. Hah!

Frosty, my most favorite Breyer in my collection. I saved up my babysitting money (fifty cents an hour), hopped on a bus downtown, and bought him at Hertz' Pet Shop. (Yep. A pet shop.) He cost me the whopping sum of $6 so I worked 12 hours to earn him. He's been worth every hour that I babysat.

Lady Lafayette (on the left) and her baby whose name escapes me. They are on the top shelf and I can't reach them to check tags.

My early Yellow Mount (with forearm spot) and Adios (named Sunny Day's Delight after a childhood friend's Morgan.)

I loved that charcoal FAS so much; charcoal is my favorite Breyer color. The bay is named Dark Star.

Their "wives." At least, that was how I saw these two mares when I was a kid!

Their "kids" were the bay with stripe on the front left and the charcoal just to the right in the background. My Family Arabs really were families!

Windsong Whipporwill, an early Clydesdale Mare (sporting a blanket I made her for fun.)

and her foal, Tecumseh, who I named after the Shawnee Nations leader who is a large part of the history here in West Lafayette.

I've had a lot of model horses come into my collection over time. Some stay for a while and others pass through and are sold or given away.

But these horses in my carpet herd? They are with me for as long as I am here. I cherish them and the memories I have made with them are priceless to me.

Next entry in this series will be about my carpet herd chinas. Stay 'tooned!

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