She is not fazed by human attention and even seeks it out. She is going to give her mama a run for her money!
Back to the drainboard pattern on some early Breyer's hoof bottoms, although drainboard "pattern" is a bit of a misnomer since other things from the drainboard are also found on models' hooves.
I pulled some models out of my collection, ones that had fairly prominent drainboard patterns or detritus on the underside of their hooves.
Here's a really good example of a model that was marked by Breyer's drainboard:
During the painting process in the earliest days at the factory, models were placed on a drainboard to dry. On some early models, (like the one above) you can see the knobs that protruded from the board on the painted hoof. In others, you can also see (and feel) small chunks and splinters of wood that adhered to the wet paint or gloss on the model's foot as it dried.
These are the hind legs of my glossy grey Clydesdale Stallion - you can see matter stuck to the bottoms of both hooves.He is an early model - post 1960 (when the round Breyer stamp was aded) but pre-1970 when Breyer began adding a USA mark around the stamp perimeter.
His counterpart, a no-muscle Clydesdale Stallion in woodgrain, has bits and pieces of wood stuck to his hoovesand if you look closely, you can see some of the round circles underneath that muck.
This boy is a true oldie - he has no mold mark at all, dating him to pre-1960.
Next up is my carpet herd Old Timer. Take a peek at that extended hind leg. See the things attached to it, including a strip of wood? That's all from the drainboard.
The Old Timer mold was introduced in 1966 and it has the early circular Breyer stamp and no USA. I've had this piece since at least 1967 and probably prior to that.
Next I looked at a few of my Proud Arabian Stallions.
The old alabaster on the far left is not only a shrinky, but look at those hoof bottoms!
He has the USA stamp which was introduced around 1970. This mold was first produced in 1971.
My favorite PAS is this chalky plastic grey one and he, too, has drainboard marks and remains on his hoof bottoms.
His USA mark is clearly evident.
The "drainboard hooves" continues on into at least the early 1980s. This alabaster PAS has the B stamp which was briefly put on Breyer models starting around 1979/80 and then removed a year or so later.
Wood chips and paint puddles are on its feet from the drain boards.
A dapple grey Proud Arabian Mare (new mold style which was introduced in 1971) has similar hooves.
No B stamp, but she does have the USA mark.
You can see the round drainboard pattern on this smoke Belgian.
This color was introduced in 1965 and there is no USA, so it is an early piece.
That's just a few of the models in my collection which have that distinctive (and sort of gross if you think about it) drainboard pattern or detritus on the underside of their hooves. After the early 1980s, the marks are rarely found (in fact, I don't know of any; if you do, PLMK!) so Breyer must have changed what the models were drying on.
It's kind of a fun discovery when you run across a model in the wild.
