Collections within My Collection: Drainboard Woodgrains

As I did some research about the woodgrains in my collection, I came across a post I'd written when I was discussing drainboard patterns on older Breyers. Rather than post a link to it within another blog post, here it is in its entirety.

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More Drainboarders - Woodgrains!  11/6/23

I spent some time this weekend taking my woodgrains off the shelves and checking their hooves for drainboarding. Unlike the realistically painted models with the drainboard pattern on their hooves, the woodgrains have patterns that are harder to discern. The reason? 

 

The  black painted hooves that most of them have. This early woodgrain race horse has nicely painted hooves

but the black paint has done some puddling under them. You can just barely see the drainboard pattern and some of the drainboard wood bits under its hooves.

Woodgrain model after woodgrain model,

I would see that black paint under the hooves, some with more, others with less like this Semi Rearing Mustang.

Having said that, my Brahma Bull did not have black hooves.

The drainboard pattern is much easier to see on him.

 

Same with my no muscle Clydesdale.

He's got lots of patterning and shelf bits on his hooves.

 

The Family Arabian Mare with brown hooves.

All four feet are like this. (The first time I saw a woodgrain's feet in this shape, I thought it was dirt, not drainboard detritus. And honestly, it does still look like dirt to me even though I know it's not.) 

While examining my Family Arabian Stallion, I got got a sad surprise and something I'd never seen before on a model.

A layer of the paint was lifting up and peeling off. That is a first for me with any model.

Front hooves of the FAS. (With apologies for photo quality.)

My Family Arabian Foal has drainboard hooves but I noticed something else about him as I examined him.

The belly spot is commonly found in woodgrain models, but this foal has a chin spot, too!

When I flipped my Shetland Pony to check her feet,

 

I got all three - drainboarding, belly spot, and chin spot.

More black hooves (usually found when the piece has white socks)

and we see black paint puddling a bit, drainboarding, belly spot, and chin spot. 

The Running Mare is an exception - she has the black hooves but no white socks.

Paint puddling, drain boarding, belly spot, and chin spot.

Her foal (my first woodgrain and a gift from my dad when I got my braces on in 6th grade) is another exception to the white socks.

 

Lots of paint puddling but you can still see drainboarding, and a belly spot but no chin spot.

Finding the drainboard pattern on the hooves of the Fighting Stallion is a challenge regardless of whether he is a woodgrain or a realistically painted piece.

The early pieces came with foam pads on the hooves and tail. These were added after the painting process and cover most of each hoof and the bottom of the tail.

My first woodgrain Five Gaiter

Paint puddling, belly spot, chin spot, and drainboard pattern.

Five Gaiter number two

No paint puddling, drainboarding, belly spot, and chin spot.

Those are all the vintage woodgrains in my collection. Missing are the Stretch Morgan, Donkey, Belgian, Western Pony, Polled Hereford, Longhorn, Walking Hereford, Buffalo, Elephant, Poodle, and Boxer but they are on my list of things I am looking for. (Especially that Stretch Morgan!)

While it was interesting taking a closer look at the drainboard patterns found on vintage Breyers, I had not expected to find chin spots on some of the woodgrains. The belly spot is commonly known among hobbyists, but I'd not heard anything about chin spots. I'd like to do some research and see if I can find any information about them.

It's quirky things like chin and belly spots, drainboarding, hand painted mane tendrils, and more that make collecting vintage Breyers so fascinating!