Featured Two tiny horses!

Obviously I couldn’t resist these!
I like them as the horses are very fine boned and delicate. The sitting one is tiny, abou 1.5” tall and the other is around 3.5” tall. Google lens has tried very hard but failed to find a match and the mod (model?) number on the standing one hasn’t yielded anything helpful So I’m clueless as to age or origin.
They appear old but WDIK so any help gratefully received. Thankyou

 

They are gorgeous, K!

 

Thankyou. Horses do make good subjects!

 

(Enjoying fond memories of the Beswick foal I purchased in the UK during the summer of 1972. )

 

I’m wondering if the standing one is Staffordshire? They seem to be keen on propping them up with a central stand.

 

British, with those sevens, hm?

They certainly predate horse photography with that movement.

 

It’s trotting,even if a slightly stylised trot. They trot with the legs in diagonal pairs so L hind and R front move forwards together then R hind and left front. This is slightly off as the diagonal pair of legs should be in the same flight whereas this one’s RH is in the floor but the LF hadn’t landed yet.
Nothing more than the damage modern dressage trends are doing to horses true gaits but that’s a soapbox for another day!

 

I should have known you'd be the technical expert.

So in that case, it might be after horse movement was documented using photography? Or was older dressage as slowed down as modern?

 

I think there is a degree of understanding by the maker as to how a horse moves here and a degree of artistic license to make a balanced piece of work.
It’s not so much about speed as the effect of the training on the correct movement of the horse.
I’ll get on my soapbox a bit here about what modern dressage with incorrect training can do to ruin horses natural paces.
This is how a horse should trot. Diagonal pairs with front and hind leg at the same angle.


Correct dressage (Slightly over bent in neck but that’s another issue)
Diagonal pair pretty much parallel.


Incorrect training. Lines aren’t parallel. Front legs are flung too far out in front and hind leg (the ‘engine’) is left behind which is very detrimental to the horses soundness and welfare. I could go on for hours but I won’t bore you any more than I already have!

Hmm, I think this thread has gone well off piste!

 

Not any more than usual. Besides, it is an interesting subject.

 

We're skiing?

Kate, if I ever introduce you to my bestie, I won't get a word in. She's not at your level, but she's a dressage nut. Had a bay mare with the loveliest head, like one of those Greek statues. Current one is a Knabstrupper. Or large muddy cow, as she refers to her. Actually, you'd bond with my cousin too. Rescues heavy horses and rides the things.

You should hear bestie rant about Charlotte D being allowed to compete at all levels.

 

Wonderful. I love heavy horses.

 

Many years ago, I worked near the Whitbread Brewery in the City. They kept dray horses, mostly greys. I'd take carrier bags of my windfall apples down for them some lunchtimes.

HUGE whiffling heads would happily munch and crunch the things from my flat paw. They'd head butt me with much enthusiasm and their breath could knock you sideways. You had to be rather wary of their enormous and gloriously frilled feet: the draymen would gently and affectionately smack them out of the way if they got too close to my toes. They would then sidle up to the draymen and carefully lean on them.

There was a segment at the time on the BBC about the great beasts going on holiday to the country. They'd release them into meadows and the damn things scampered with tails madly waving and then rolled, with their gargantuan silly hooves waving in the air. Hysterically funny: they looked like juggernaut kittens.

 

Wonderful, vivid description.