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Mego-sized Horses: Breyers and others

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  • SentientApe
    Career Member
    • May 1, 2014
    • 601

    Mego-sized Horses: Breyers and others

    I had promised to collect and post a bunch of photos and notes on 1:9 scale horses in a single thread. Some of this has been posted before, so I apologize for any repetition, but here goes --

    Similar to the search for 1:9 scale vehicles to answer the transportation needs of various Mego figures, dioramas and displays, there is clearly a need to find 1:9 scale horses, other than the not-so-common ones released by Mego. This is especially considering that your various Planet of the Apes and Wild West figures don't look particularly screen-accurate behind the wheel of a Bratz cadillac, although that may just be a matter of opinion.

    For example, consider how this photo displays the respective figures in a much more interesting manner than, perhaps, simply standing on a shelf in front of a row of books --



    And, of course, I cannot ignore Mego Museum member CAZAFANTASMA's repaint of a Breyer horse to compliment his custom Indiana Jones --



    An average horse is 15 hands high at the withers. This is equivalent to 60" -- or 5' -- so 1:9 scale horse should stand slightly over 6.5" tall. The best way to measure would be against an 8" Mego figure -- the horse's shoulders should be approximately the same height as the shoulders of the Mego. A horse that is only CLOSE in scale will still suit most Mego-mount purposes; this ultimately depends on the modeler's intent. As has been observed elsewhere, vehicles and other accessories that are slightly under/over-sized seem perfectly suitable for use with Mego figures -- of course, it is important to note that Real World horses are not all the same size anyway.





    The Planet of the Apes Action Stallion released by Mego is a correct 1:9 scale, shown here along with my favorite 1:9 scale Bay (which was used for the "Col. Tayor in the Forbidden Zone" photo, above), as well as another 1:9 horse. I will try to include some Mego Apes in these photos to help keep a proper perspective of scale.



    There are several brands of horses that are either dead-on 1:9 scale, or so close to the proper size as to make little difference. Without question, however, the best is the Breyer "Traditional" series of horses, which are specifically 1:9 in scale. The advantage is that this line also includes a large amount of 1:9 scale saddles, bridles and other tack. Be aware that Breyer makes horses in other scales, so make sure you know what you are purchasing.



    The "Traditional" scale Breyer horses are available in a number of poses (standing, walking, rearing, running, etc), and several of these poses are molded in various colors to represent standard coloration or even specific horses from history.



    A dramatic display might be for a mounted figure on a rearing horse. Note that the high-stepping "Five Gaiter" horses (#51 Red-Eyed, #52 Commander, #1129 Rhett, among others) have a braid in their mane that is conspicuous, but this can be painted or covered-over, if not desired.



    Breyer also makes other specialty horses in the same scale, including random foals and even some workhorses.



    I want to also address Breyer's "Woodgrain" highly valued release... these horses were molded with colored plastic that resembles carved wood, imparting each horse with an utterly unique pattern. While these are not realistic horse colors, the value of these (similar to all Breyer horses) plummets when there is any surface damage... of course, then a simple repainting corrects ALL the problems.



    If you are looking for screen accuracy, don't forget that Urko rides a white stallion in more than one episode of the series...



    So... where to obtain Breyer horses? Of course, you can find them online (eBay particularly), but they are extremely common at flea markets, particularly in rural areas where little girls are wont to collect horses. Many hobby model stores sell them MIB, but if you want to pay full retail price, you already stopped reading this. Ideally, you want to find a good flea market deal... they can be found between $5 to $10 if you are patient, but the standard going resale rate is always $20. These are highly collectible and, unless the horse has cosmetic damage, you can expect to see people demanding more than $20 for them.

    Good results can be found by plugging "breyer traditional bay -foal" into an eBay search; if results are sorted by "Price + Shipping: lowest first," you can take your pick of the best deals.

    You want to be on the lookout for flea market tables like THIS --



    ... But you really want to be on the lookout for flea market signs like THIS --



    Of course, Breyer is not the only choice...

    "Bigtime Barnyard" brand carries a line of 1:9 scale horses with rooted hair. Some of these are also battery-powered, presumably with sound effects, but I have not seen these outside the box.



    There is also a "Grand Champion" series of 1:9 scale horses by Empire with rooted hair and sound effects. These also have rooted hairlike manes and tails and some battery-powered ones have horse sounds (whinneys, galloping, etc.).



    The "Bonanza" series of horses by American Character are scaled for 1:8 scale figures, which makes them very useable for Mego purposes. In addition, the ball bearings in their hooves makes them an ideal replacement equine for pulling the Planet of the Apes wagon. Unfortunately, I balked at purchasing one of these at a flea market this past summer, as I now want one for my "herd" and cannot shake my Buyer's Remorse --





    I have found random other horses of unknown lines; these carry no brand marks, but can often be had for only a couple dollars each --





    I need to post a word of caution ... it can be very difficult to correctly size-up toy horses without seeing them in person. As I indicated above, the size difference from one horse to another is most notable, perhaps, when you are mixing sizes of horses within the same herd/team/regiment. Therefore, if you are forming a cavalry of mounted gorillas, you should strive to seek out a single brand for all of them to get the best effect. If you end up getting a couple smaller-scale horses in your search, perhaps pair those off separately for a wagon team.

    But extreme differences in scale will not work. Similar to the "other" lines of Breyer horses, it is easy to mistake an online auction photo for a horse of an unwanted size. The aforementioned "Empire Industries" also produces horses in a smaller scale, so Caveat Emptor!



    ... at the same time, it is probably unnecessary to mention that 1:6 scale Marx horses (Johnny West line) and those from Gabriel's 1970s Lone Ranger line are much too large for standard 8" Mego figures.
    Last edited by SentientApe; Aug 22, '14, 11:43 AM.
  • megoscott
    Founding Partner
    • Nov 17, 2006
    • 8710

    #2
    I just saw a whole bunch of Bonanza horses at a show for $25 each with saddle and tack.
    This profile is no longer active.

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    • CAZAFANTASMA
      Veteran Member
      • Jan 2, 2013
      • 465

      #3
      Amazing post, glad you did this my friend!
      My EPIC FOR SALE threat ! http://megomuseum.com/community/show...oys-Real-nice!

      Comment

      • megoscott
        Founding Partner
        • Nov 17, 2006
        • 8710

        #4
        Yes, this is handy. We've done some cowboys Megos recently, need horses.
        This profile is no longer active.

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        • fallensaviour
          Talkative Member
          • Aug 28, 2006
          • 5620

          #5
          Thanks gotta get some horses Breyer traditional is the way to go but flea market nuts are asking $30 a piece.
          I can buy new for that...lol
          I want to find them for $5...
          “When you say “It’s hard”, it actually means “I’m not strong enough to fight for it”. Stop saying its hard. Think positive!”

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          • ZombieJimC
            Persistent Member
            • Mar 12, 2014
            • 1246

            #6
            Great thread! You have a lot of cool horses.

            Comment

            • SentientApe
              Career Member
              • May 1, 2014
              • 601

              #7
              And the thing that prevented me from starting this Topic Thread was the concern that I could always improve upon it, so I would never completely be ready to post it with all the notes and photos.

              So I simply posted everything I had. And then walked away from the computer to attend an all-night flea market.

              And then kick myself in the rear, because last night I picked up another "Empire" (battery-operated sound FX) horse for only $3 --





              I think it would be safe to say that you can all expect more updates as I continue to investigate this aspect of the hobby...

              Comment

              • mpramuk
                Museum Patron
                • Nov 24, 2007
                • 137

                #8
                Originally posted by SentientApe
                So I simply posted everything I had...
                Which is an amazingly useful and well-organized primer on 1:9 horses for Mego figures! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this and to share your experiences with specific brands and lines. (Thanks also for the staged photos - looks like you had fun doing those!)
                Looking for redhead AJ heads (or figures) - both bearded & clean shaven (I'm trying to complete all the variations).
                Also seeking: 1 blue Soldier Ape glove, 1 General Ape boot, sun reflector from PotA Fortress playset.

                Comment

                • plaztekman
                  Career Member
                  • Apr 27, 2008
                  • 550

                  #9
                  Great info. Thanks for posting.
                  Check out my photoblog: http://megomuseum.com/community/blog...773-plaztekman

                  Comment

                  • sprytel
                    Talkative Member
                    • Jun 26, 2009
                    • 6539

                    #10
                    Love these sorts of threads. Thanks for sharing.

                    Comment

                    • apes3978
                      Permanent Member
                      • Nov 19, 2005
                      • 4900

                      #11
                      This is a useful thread... Well done...

                      Comment

                      • zeedox
                        Career Member
                        • Aug 10, 2007
                        • 695

                        #12
                        http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lord-of-the-Rings-Horse-and-Rider-Set-ARAGORN-BREGO-GANDALF-A

                        This was my first thought how is this?

                        Comment

                        • SentientApe
                          Career Member
                          • May 1, 2014
                          • 601

                          #13
                          Originally posted by zeedox
                          This was my first thought how is this? [eBay link]
                          That auction is for BOTH Gandalf and Aragorn released by ToyBiz, along with their respective horses (Brego and Shadowfax). Photos to be edited into this space below --- as soon as I can download/upload them all.









                          ^ Those photos include Legolas and a Nazgul (with their mounts) from the same series.

                          To the best of my knowledge, these figures are scaled at either the 6" or 7" scale. Consequently, those horses are probably too small to effectively work with standard-sized (8") Megos. I believe (but am not certain) those horses are the same scale as the mounted General Thade action figure from Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes", released several years ago. This only underscores my caution regarding online purchases -- those horses look FANTASTIC, but without seeing them in person, it is difficult to gauge the size/scale, as it is not clearly marked on the packages (at least not in those online photos). If anyone has actually purchased those horses, PLEASE chime in to either confirm this or to or prove me wrong!

                          But, boy... those would probably compliment my Lion Rock figures! Now I need to go dig up General Thade's horse...
                          Last edited by SentientApe; Aug 18, '14, 12:50 PM.

                          Comment

                          • ZombieJimC
                            Persistent Member
                            • Mar 12, 2014
                            • 1246

                            #14
                            Someone should make this a sticky thread like the one for the vehicles.

                            Comment

                            • Grimjohn
                              Persistent Member
                              • Feb 28, 2011
                              • 2266

                              #15
                              Originally posted by ZombieJimC
                              Someone should make this a sticky thread like the one for the vehicles.
                              I agree, this is an essential, must-read thread. Thank you for compiling this very helpful information.
                              My Finished Custom Figures

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