Back in 1950, the Breyer Molding Company was very busy making a wide variety of plastic parts for other companies and the US government. The parts were used in products like aeroplanes, TVs, radios and clocks, just to name a few. One of their clients, the MasterCrafter Clock Company, asked them to mould a plastic horse to decorate a clock. The result? Number 57, “The Western Horse”, Breyer's first model horse. After the models were produced for the clock, MasterCrafter gave the metal mould to Breyer in lieu of payment. At the same time, toy and horse collectors across the country had heard of the horse's remarkable authenticity and demand grew rapidly. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Breyer Animal Creations started there and continued to grow. Acquired by Reeves International in 1984, Breyer has built its business on one simple principle: to produce the highest quality products possible. Today we manufacture some 300 different model horses for enthusiasts around the world.

Each Breyer horse is a work of art. Every single Breyer horse starts in the same place: in the imagination. Breyer’s close attention to detail and dedication to realism allow you to envision exactly how the live horse looks and feels as you hold the model in your hands.

The sculptor first captures the horse's spirit and presence, by drawing it on paper. From there, the creative process moves to the sculptor's table, where the sculptor will sculpt a model of the horse using sculpting clay. The sculptor painstakingly captures and defines every detail from the physical aspects of bone structure, muscle tone, relative size and overall shape, to the more indefinable qualities of character and temperament. Once the model is finished, a resin casting is made. From that resin casting, a 900kg steel mould is created which has two sections: a concave side and a convex side.

Breyer models are made of a high quality, durable plastic, which comes in small white pellets. These pellets are put into heating vaults until they are liquefied. Then the liquid plastic is injected into the steel mould.

After about a minute, the machine pulls the mould apart and the two halves of the model emerge, still hot. The halves are then placed on specially designed cooling fixtures, which have guides to hold each half in the correct position as it cools.

After they have cooled, the matching halves are put into a bonding well. The well washes the edges of the model with a chemical which softens the material so that the two pieces will bond. They are then pieced together and placed in a press. The press exerts pressure on the two halves to ensure a true bond.

Each model receives the first of a series of quality inspections. Any excess plastic is removed and each horse gets buffed, polished, and then cleaned. Then comes the fun part – the painting!

Each individual model is hand-decorated by anywhere from 7-12 different artisans. Each artist has a particular job, from doing base coats and mane to finely-detailed eyes.

First we start with the base or body coat. Large, handheld spray guns are used for a strong, steady stream of colour. We mix and match many different colours to get exactly what is required. Sometimes parts of the horse's body need to be shielded from the base coat, such as with a pinto or palomino horse. The white on these models is created by protecting that area with a “mask.”

Once the body is sprayed, details are added, such as the mane, tail, dapples, and eyes. Small air brushes or paint brushes are used for these details.

After they have been decorated, the horses are then packaged in our beautifully designed boxes. They are then shipped all over the world to devoted collectors. In all, some 20 artisans work on each individual model horse, creating an exquisite hand-made model horse that is as individual as the horse that inspired it.