Guide to customizing Breyer Model Horse mohair manes

Owning a Breyer model horse is fun, but what’s even more rewarding is creating your own custom versions! You can achieve some strikingly realistic and beautiful results by adding a mohair mane and tail, for example.

To get started, you will need to collect some materials. First, you’ll need a painted model horse (wooden or plastic) and a mohair cane of the same color, at least a foot long, maybe two feet. It doesn’t have to be a Breyer horse because these same steps will work with just about any make of model horse. A glue that works well is Aleene’s Tacky Glue. You will want a pair of embroidery scissors and another pair of small scissors with pointed blades (a set designed for children is usually small enough). You will use round toothpicks to tuck the hair into place.

In the end, the really fun part is the styling: you get to style and place the mousse in the hair. For this, you’ll want to use an alcohol-free mousse or spray gel (the “extra hold” kind). Small brushes that work well for styling are a toothbrush, brow brush, or gun brush.

To prepare the model horse, you’ll need to drill a narrow trench in the neck (with some Breyer models, you’ll need to trim the sticky mane that sticks out) and trim the sticky tail to proportionate horse size. coccyx

Next, you will begin to stick yourself in his mane. You will want to start at the withers and begin with the shorter parts of the mane. You will want to cut each piece about an inch wide. (This is where embroidery scissors come into play.)

Try to pound the glue on the ends of the mohair piece well. Then cut in a straight line and keep this cut straight carefully (use normal children’s scissors to avoid sticking the embroidery scissors with glue). Apply glue along the edge and insert it into the ditch in the neck (remember, you’re starting with this short piece at the cross end). Use toothpicks to help push the hair back in.

Cut a slightly longer piece of mohair, still keeping it 1 inch wide. Repeat the cut and paste process and push it into the trench a little higher. Continue until you reach the top of his neck, where his bridle path would be.

Now you are ready to create your lock. This will use three separate pieces of mohair. Cut them longer than you want your lock to be, using the embroidery scissors. Squash the glue on one of the pieces and cut it out at a right angle with your regular scissors. Apply a little more glue to the end of the cut. Glue this piece to the forehead just in front of the ears.

Crush the glue, trim, and apply more for the next two pieces, adding them just behind the ears so the ends hang down and blend into the first piece.

Now, you’ll create the bridle path, adding realism that transforms a model horse into a real horse—well, not quite real, but much closer all the same.

Take your embroidery scissors and cut a small amount of mohair into very fine pieces. Apply a thin layer of glue to the area you want the bridle path to be: think about the shape you want it to be and how far you want it to extend. Trace this shape with the glue.

Carefully apply the small, finely cut pieces to the glue and press them into the glue in a realistic manner.

Let the mane dry for at least an hour. You can work in line while you wait.

You will start gluing at the end of the tail and work your way up the body of the horse. Measure the length needed from the tailbone to the floor (or to the height where you want the tail to end). Use your embroidery scissors to cut a piece of mohair a bit longer than this.

Apply glue to the cut end until saturated. Cut in a straight line with regular scissors and apply more glue. Glue the mohair around the end of the tailbone, so that it makes a layer of hair all around (don’t just glue some hair to the top or side of the tailbone).

Repeat this process a little higher. Keep repeating with slightly shorter pieces until you reach the base of the tail.

At the base of the tail, you will use three separate pieces. Measure and saturate with glue as before. Cut the middle piece into a V shape with your regular scissors. Apply more glue and apply it to the top of the tail base.

Cut the other two pieces at a matching angle and apply one to each side of the tailbone. The tail should now be completely covered in fur. Press all of the hair securely with your fingers one last time. Let dry for at least an hour, maybe overnight.

Once the glue is dry, you can carefully brush the mane and tail (be careful with this, so you don’t dislodge your hard work). Trim any part that is significantly too long. Wet the mane and lock with your mouse and enjoy designing your new custom Breyer horse! Continue with the tail. Once the mousse has completely dried, clip any remaining excess hair and use a damp cloth or tissue to carefully wipe away any excess mousse.

The results are amazing! This will take some practice, so start with some used or broken models and have fun playing. Once you’ve become familiar with the process, you’ll be ready to work with a new Breyer horse. I’m sure you’ll want to try this again and again to create unique collectible pieces admired by horse model lovers. Soon your friends will be asking you to teach them how to customize their horse models!