Hence The Reason I Don't Collect In Congas

Many people collect in different ways.

Some collect only one color

(I do not actively collect black horses, by the way)

Others collect only one type or breed

(I don't actively collect Decorators, either, but if one strikes my fancy, then I'll actually consider it).

And yet, the current popular way to collect model horses is to have every single color created on one mold. These are known as Congas.

Sure, it's pretty cool seeing how each color pulls out a different characteristic in the mold.

I mean, if I actively congaed anything, it would be the Classic scale Mesteno mold.

(I have a rule that I cannot do a custom to sell on this mold, because I would want to keep every. single. one. of. them!!)

Stablemates and Mini Whinnies are super easy to conga, due to being small, inexpensive, and the variety of molds (until recently) tend to be limited.

(I have tons of the same molds in the G2 Stablemates!)

(Yes, I absolutely love the SM G6 Magnolia, too!)

But, when it comes to the big guys....

They're all in doubles.

(Except for the TR Shetland Ponies! And we all know why that is!!)

So, how do I really collect?

Tariq & Omaira

Well, in families.

Blue-Eyed Bandit & Bev

Tyfon & Dungaree

Faith & Anthony

Rainfest & Lakota

Partly Cloudy & Sato

Some Couples have been around longer than others and are still waiting on a foal.

CuChulainn & Ellenora

Another long-time couple and they're going to be getting a foal this year!

Cascade & Drizzle

So, yeah, there's the family completion with a foal issue. There's also the stallion missing problem. For some weird reason, I have a ton of TR Pony and SM Mares.

Misty & Stormy

I know who I want to have as Wings, Stormy's dad - it's the Breyerfest 2013 SR Chincoteague Pony, Buckaroo. I've come close to getting him a couple of times, but it's either the model is no longer available, I'm out of money, or I don't have anything worthy of a trade.

Brighid & McKay

Brishin

But, the biggest problem I have, is the multitudes of Stallions.

Why?

Well, it's kind of obvious.

I like hair and action.

So, I tend to gravitate towards all of the macho looking stallions with their hair flying as they're just all vin' 'n' vinegar. 

(By the way, Brishin would be an awesome match for the TR scale Epona draft resin. I can totally see her standing there, looking behind at him and their foal, with the expression of: "Seriously? You're going to do that now?" While the foal is acting like the father).

Brighty

I do have plans for a perfect family photo for Brighty....but that means I need to another brighty mold to customize.

Xavier

Santiago

Khalid

Ansel Adams

Yeah, I knew what I was getting into when I got him. "I've already got so many studs who need mares and foals! I don't need another one!"

But, it was for sentimental reasons. And I'm glad I got him!

I do get sucked in and get the already family sets, only if I really like the models in the set.

(I'll talk about Buckeye in a later post).

But, this family is entirely pieced together by myself.

And, boy! Wintersong waited a long time for his family - I got him the year he was released in 2007!

(I had actually got Shadow before Groovy Girl, who I got last year).

In all of this, I know for sure that it would be an eerie day when every single family is complete.

I also know it won't last long!!

Fictional Oops That Don't Line Up With Reality.......Or So I Thought

 

Just a few days ago, I decided to check Rainbow's MHOSS entry information, because she was DQ'd for not having a Mustang Breed specified. Weird thing is, she did. But, it's the breed I chose for her and her immediate family based on a theory from a Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Fandom website; which was the Cayuse...Pony....apparently??? And not considered a Mustang??? Well, from all the information I had previously researched about the Cayuse Pony was extremely inconsistent and confusing as to what type they fall under. Additionally, The Cayuse Tribe is in Oregon. OK, that fits perfectly, since Spirit is based off of the Kiger Mustang, whose range is in Oregon.

Then the rabbit hole started.

So...where does the story is supposed to take place?

In 1800's Oregon.

Ok. But....Oregon doesn't have red sandstone regions - Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico does.

Doesn't a guy in the movie say something about connecting in Utah (had the realization that he is talking about The Golden Spike just now!) when Spirit recognized the land up ahead?

Maybe, I'll have to watch it again to be sure.

And what about Little Creek? The Colonel addressed that he is a Lakota. Wait! Aren't Lakotas apart of the Sioux Tribes?

Yeah, and the Lakotas's territory was in North & South Dakotas, most of Nebraska, East Wyoming, and Southeast Montana. Nowhere near Oregon.

Now, granted, the Native Americans at the time, just like many other cultures around the world, practiced slavery. So, it is possible that Little Creek was taken captive away from his tribe and later found family in an Oregon region tribe (the Cayuse tribe being in Northeastern Oregon).

Now, according to this map of the USA in the 1800's, the Oregon territory is much larger than what it is today. So, locations are closer than you think.

Fair enough. Then, where is this Cimarron place?

Well, there is a Cimarron River that starts and runs through Oklahoma, curves up into Kansas, and ends in Northeastern Colorado. But, now the locations are totally out of whack! Alright, what does the word Cimarron actually mean?

A wild place.

This could be anywhere.

The home of a mustang stallion.

Ok, that makes sense!

Now, back to Rain. Is she or is she not a Cayuse Pony?

According to a facts about Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron article, she is recognized and registered (no, I'm not kidding!!) as an American Paint Horse.

But...the Paint breed wasn't established until 1962, when the registry was formed. Then, what are the possible influencers?

That's when I found the Colonial Spanish Horse. 

The Colonial Spanish Horse was bred by the Chickasaw tribe with the descendants of the original horses brought over by the Spaniards. This horse was one of the influencers of the American Quarter Horse, and therefore, the American Paint Horse (became a separate registry due to the amount of loudly pintoed Quarter Horses). Other than Pinto patterns being present in the breed, one of the key features is the Roman/Convex nose - which links it to the Iberian ancestry. They also are of a smaller build.

Rain is a smallish Pinto (smaller than Spirit, that is) AND has a Roman/Convex Nose!

A perfect match indeed!

Now, where do you put a Colonial Spanish Horse, as far as type goes?

Well, on MHOSS' description for what breeds are accepted in each class (and they classify Mustangs in the Spanish Division, whereas many other shows lump them in with Stock) didn't have the specific term of Colonial Spanish Horse listed. Are there any other names - I wouldn't doubt it!

Yep, Spanish Mustang.

WOW!! All of that roundabout, indirect search ended up being something simple!!

Well, maybe not that simple - comparing body types, colors, locations, and names are not easy. The only mystery left is location. Does the Chickasaw tribe territory come anywhere close to the Lakota and the Oregon Territory? Though, keep in mind that there were a lot of horse thieving and trading among the Native American Tribes - with each other and with the Spanish, French, British, and the Americans.

Not as close as I thought, though, seeing the location makes sense in relation to one event: The Trail of Tears. Apparently, there were more Native American  tribes other than the Cherokee who had adopted the European way of living, owned plantations with African Slaves, practiced Christianity, and created a written language. Unfortunately, despite appearing European (or US American), they were still considered inferior and ordered to start anew in Oklahoma with other tribes - friends and enemies alike.

So, how does this relate to the Colonial Spanish Horse?

The Chickasaw tribe moving, with their horse stock, to Oklahoma. Then, reconsider horse thieving - the Comanche were in most of Texas and the west part of Oklahoma by the 1800's. These superb horsemen were one of the most powerful tribes in North America. So, raiding smaller tribes would cause either horses to be taken by the enemy tribe or have gotten loose in all the panic.

Ok, now we have mustangs. How does this relate to Rain's parents and grandparents?

Well, Dreamworks story behind Rain's grandmother, Bonita, starts out in San Antonio during the Mexican War. She then becomes free and joins a wild herd where Rain's mother, Sierra, is born. What breed Bonita is, would have to be a different discussion as I still have not read that book. However, considering location, she would likely have more of Iberian blood in her ancestry. As far as, how mustang herds travel, they tend to stay in a general region that ranges in size. Though, considering the time period, those regions may have been larger than what they are now. They also likewise had moved further north due to colonization, therefore jumping Native American Territory borders before a horse of almost pure Iberian ancestry through runaways of the Mexican War and The Trail of Tears would even enter the Lakota territory, let alone the Oregon Territory.

Ok, there's Rain's mom's side - what about her dad's?

If Rain has such strong features that link with the Colonial Spanish Horse, then he probably came directly from the Chickasaw in Oklahoma.

I am glad to have figured out Rain's breed officially. 

Next is figuring out how can Spirit be a Dun (or ND1?!) where his parents are supposed to be non-duns with no primitive markings.

Stay tuned in for that analyzation!

References:

https://horseyhooves.com/spirit-stallion-of-the-cimarron-movie/ 

http://www.theequinest.com/breeds/colonial-spanish/ 

http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/paint/index.html/#:~:text=Decorated%20by%20nature%2C%20the%20origins,horses%20roaming%20the%20Great%20Plains. 

https://www.sport-horse-breeder.com/colonial-roots-quarter-horse.html 

https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Cimarron-Bonita-Kathleen-Duey/dp/0142300950 

https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-Spirit-Cimarron-Paperback-April/dp/B010EVFAPE/ref=pd_sbs_1/147-0263402-4897131?pd_rd_w=Aiiji&pf_rd_p=8b76d7a7-ab83-4ddc-a92d-e3e33bfdbf03&pf_rd_r=TEXBCA6A6FB8CX1K35JZ&pd_rd_r=08858cef-3936-4bd8-944a-e980060e860c&pd_rd_wg=cN2AN&pd_rd_i=B010EVFAPE&psc=1 

http://www.texasindians.com/comanche.htm 

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Five-Civilized-Tribes 

http://www.albc-usa.org/ChoctawRescue/crColonialspanishhorses.html#:~:text=The%20Colonial%20Spanish%20horse%20goes,and%20weighing%20700%2D900%20pounds. 

Another New Fence And A New Horse

 

Well, the TR/CL scale log fence wasn't working out too great. So, I decided to actually attempt building a panel fence. So far, so good, that is, until I realized that I didn't have enough of the wood I needed for the panels and one of the packs I bought is the wrong size. Oh, well, I was able to get this far.

It wasn't super blustery the two days I had the photo shoot last week - not like the earlier that week and today! Of course, the chickens were out taking dust baths the entire time I was photographing my models.

Gertrude didn't really want her picture taken with Snowman.

Madam Mim wanted to see what I was doing, too. She is the next dominant hen after Gertrude and Martha. She is also known to hen-peck.

Ginger

McKay

Shadow

Carlotta Emma

Sato

Laurel

Merida

Dreamchaser

I was primarily working on entries for the Field of Dolls Spring Show entries, but I did get some halter photos, too (which includes re-taking better photos of key individuals!). Here's what Snowman, Abigail, and Whisper look like before.....

They get photobombed by Lightning Bolt!

Goofy boy is so curious about everything!

Abigail is rather unsure of what to do with him.

I haven't really shown Lightning Bolt because he's super yellowed. However, I have found that when photographed in bright sunlight, the yellowed white areas don't look as yellowed in person. We'll see how he does.

Persius is one of my newest editions to the herd. I got him in a full trade from Staciea Compton for Celtic Warrior. He is the Just About Horses (JAH) 2007 Special Edition Mirror Image.

He was one of those models who grew on me the longer I looked at him.

And he is really cool!

I mean, the color shifting paint is beyond amazing! In this lighting, he looks more blue. But in other types of lighting, he has a purple cast.

Of course, he needed an actual breed other than the common, boring "Decorator" label. That's when I created the Wavechaser. Wavechasers are horses that live in the oceans and seas. They typically stay on the surface, much like how Sea Otters live. They are known to chase the waves like Dolphins - especially on the bows of ships. Their colors range from Caribeann Blues and Greens to Deep Blues and Purples. There are two types: the Equator and the Arctic. The Equator Wavechasers typically have minimal to no white marking, while the Arctic Wavechasers can have a vast abundant of white patterns; since they need the ability to blend into their surroundings. These markings and patterns are the same as Land Horses. Unlike their Hippocampi cousins, the Wavechasers are completely in the form of a horse - without a fish tail. They typically have the stature of Light Breeds and Sporthorses. They do come onto land to have their young and to graze from their favorite beach dwelling vegetation. Merpeople and Humans have been able to tame Wavechasers for hundred of years. However, due to their spirited nature, plenty of patience and perseverance is required.

And we must end with the cat going nose-to-nose with Persius!