And How to Make Magic with Breyer Stablemates

I love the new generation stablemates (G3 and onward), not as collectibles, but as customizing prospects. True, they are chunky and don't have the most defined faces, but their positions are GREAT. They are good performance horses and when you customize those those chunky legs, suddenly these toy-like models stand out.

Let's walk through the key tips to help you bring out the best in the G3-G4 stablemates as I walk you through my own drastic customs.

Step 1: Reference!

This one is a bit self explanatory, but I can't stress it enough, ESPECIALLY for those of us that aren't around horses 24-7.  Also spend time learning equine anatomy and biomechanics so you understand why things look the way they look.

Step 2: Repositioning

At this stage, be fearless! There are two things you shouldn't fear in drastic SM customizing: the Dremel tool (or any brand small rotary tool) and the heat gun. Both are crucial for repositioning and you will find that the heat gun is especially handy at repositioning the thinner parts like the legs or for dropping down heads a little bit. 

My biggest tip for the heat gun: go slow and in stages. If you rush it, you can over-warp your model, greatly weaken limbs, or create nasty bubbling.  Also, have a bowl of ice water handy to dunk your model in so that the newly reposition parts cure in their new positions.

​In this video I show you how to use a heatgun to reposition a Breyer's legs safely and accurately.

Step 3: Carve Like There's No Tomorrow!

Honestly, this is my best trick to getting these newer stablemates to look great: a ton of dremeling. You are going to get used to the high-pitched squeal of a handheld rotary drill.

The few things I almost always carve on my stablemates are: the limbs and hooves (for refinement), the butts (for whole new muscles) and the ears (those stubby things gotta go!).

Step 4: Remove and Rebuild Whole Chunks

Here is your chance to dream and come up with a concept that is very different from the original finish model, in short the essence of drastic customizing. For my customs, I always remove the tails and almost always the manes as well.  Necks come off as well and quite often I chop the barrels in half either to lengthen/shorten backs or to create models that are turning, leaping or jumping.

Vices are a key part of drastic customizing. Not only do they make it easier to remove large chunks on your model, but they are much safer.

Step 5: Be Fearless and Explore

Finally, there is no substitute for diving into as many projects as you can and trying out a variety of ideas. You also can't lose from good-old inspiration: seek out horse shows, visit a barn, watch some YouTube videos, hit the books. Pretty soon you will have a ton of ideas for drastic customs and a growing knowledge base to help you create some pretty stunning ones. Snatch up a bunch of stablemate bodies and see what you can create today. Good luck!