 Toy horses never go out of style. You may remember little horse-and-rider combinations in the ’60s and ’70s, when shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” “Big Valley” and “The Wild Wild West” were popular. Even though television Westerns are no longer in style, children’s fascination with horses has held strong. In fact, this year at Toy Fair, the award for Girls Toy of the Year went to Playmobil’s Horse Farm.
Playing with horses allows children to fulfill a fantasy they may never get to experience. Few kids today ride horses on a regular basis, so this type of play lets them experience riding vicariously. Horse play appeals to girls in the same way fashion-themed toys do; toy horses often have long manes and tails that can be brushed and braided, and their blankets, saddles, and riders’ outfits can be changed and coordinated. In real life, the size and physical power of horses can be scary to young people, but in play, a child can have control over these large, beautiful animals.
A multitude of options
The world of horses is perfect for open-ended play. Toy horses can be used to recreate life on the frontier, horse shows, rodeos, farm life and horse races. A child could even act out the roles of a horse family or the relationship between horse and rider.
A wide array of horse “accessories” helps to extend play. Children can accumulate barns, tack (that means stable gear for you city folk), feeding equipment, vehicles, riders and more horses. With each addition, more play possibilities are created.
Don’t think that a toy horse barn is simply a place to park horses. They rival today’s dollhouses, with almost the same amount of paraphernalia. Choose from pitchforks, wheelbarrows, feed sacks, buckets, ropes, hay bales and curtains. Like dollhouses, barns come in varying degrees of elaborateness, from plain unstained wood to detailed two-story structures with cupolas and swinging or sliding doors. For storage or travel, some barns fold up and can be used as a container for accessories. It’s smart to offer a few different barn options.
The horses
If you didn’t know better, you might think that if you offer a couple of horses in a couple of colors, your horse-loving customers will be satisfied. That is likely not the case. Offering a generic horse is like offering a generic dog – there’s no such thing. There are hundreds of breeds of horses, and while you can’t be expected to carry toy versions of all of them, a variety will attract and impress your customers. Here are some of the most common breeds along with a cue as to why they may seem familiar.
• Arabians (arched neck and small muzzle)
• Clydesdales (large workhorses of Budweiser fame)
• Palominos (light brown coat with blonde mane and tail, like Mr. Ed)
• Paints (often ridden by Native Americans in old Westerns, e.g. Tonto’s Scout)
• Morgans (once the official horse breed of the U.S. Army)
• Mustangs (large and wild – you’ve seen the car emblem, right?)
• Quarter Horses (traditionally popular among cowboys and rodeo riders)
• Thoroughbreds (the quintessential racehorses)
Ponies are shorter than horses and come in their own assortment of breeds. It’s not necessary to carry as many breeds of ponies as horses.
While most toy horses are solid sculptures, some are poseable (with wires in the legs) while others are articulated (with hinges at the joints). Don’t think that solid bodies are less desirable than the moveable kind; the firmness of solid sculptures means they’re easier to stand up. If you do choose to carry articulated horses, be sure the joints are firm enough to keep the horse from collapsing with every touch.
Watch the scale
As you have likely already discovered, toy horses come in a great range of sizes. In researching this article, I quickly found horses sculpted in scales of 1:9, 1:12, 1:20, 1:24 and 1:32. The slight differences may not seem like much, but could become problematic when a child tries to switch saddles, bridles, riders, stalls or wagons. The lesson for retailers is: don’t expect to intermix horses and accessories unless you know the scale is the same. If you offer horses from one company with a brand of accessories from another company – and the scale differs – you’ll only frustrate your customers.
Carry horse dolls
Don’t expect all the other appropriately sized dolls in your store to be able to work with your toy horses. They may look all right standing alongside a horse, but when a child tries to put the doll in the saddle, it may be an exercise in futility. You see, a doll with hinged joints at the hips can only ride sidesaddle. Instead, offer dolls with ball-and-socket hip joints that can accommodate horseback riding.
Know English versus Western
If you’re not a horse person, you may assume that all horseback riding is pretty much the same. Not true. The two main genres of riding are English and Western. This is important for you to know because the style of riding will determine what horse breeds, saddle styles, rider outfits and even accessories are used. For example, fences for jumping would be used by English riders while barrels and poles are used in Western riding events.
English riders typically dress in black coats, white pants, tall black boots, and sleek black helmets. The saddles are small and flat with light, steel stirrups, called “irons.” Morgan and Arabian breeds are commonly used for English riding.
Western riders traditionally wear cowboy hats, chaps, vests, jeans and cowboy boots. The saddles are much more substantial with a “horn” in the front to which a rider can tie a lariat, and the leather stirrups are bulky and may cover the toe. Quarter Horse and Paint breeds are common among Western riders.
There are other horse-related disciplines that we could go into, such as the sport of polo, horseracing, and carriage driving, but knowing the main differences between English and Western will be enough for your purposes.
Cross-merchandising heaven
Your horse displays can go in a number of directions just by adding related merchandise.
• Farm toys. Beef up the barn scene with farm animals and tractors.
• Crafts. Let horse-related crafts spur ideas. Maybe a horse-drawing project will intrigue a would-be artist/rider.
• Frontier life. Bring in pioneer products for a mini-history lesson.
• Dollhouses. Display barns near dollhouses to encourage the purchase of a complete ranch.
• Trucks. Park vehicles, such as trucks and trailers, near your horse barns. Be sure the scale is similar to your horse products.
• Dress-ups, etc. You could even cross-merchandise cowboy and cowgirl dress-up clothes, hobby horses, rocking horses and horse-themed décor with your toy horses.
Read all about it
Books about horses have been popular for generations. Black Beauty, written by Anna Sewell, was published in 1877 and became an immediate best seller. From 1921 to 1994, that book inspired four films of the same name as well as a TV series.
What horse books do you have on your shelves? It may be more efficient for you (and more intriguing for your customers) to order series of books instead of hunting for individual novels. Here is a list to get you started.
• Allen Breed Series (Lyons Press)
• Bella Sara (HarperFestival)
• Black Stallion (Yearling)
• Breyer Stablemates (Cartwheel Books)
• Flicka Trilogy (Harper Paperbacks)
• Morgan Horse Series (Willow Bend Publishing)
• Pony Pals (Scholastic Paperbacks)
• Pony-Crazed Princess (Hyperion Book)
• Sneaky Pony Series (Chronicle Books)
• Thoroughbred Series (Harper Entertainment)
• Winnie the Horse Gentler (Tyndale Kids)
Picture this
While horse posters may not be something a child could actually play with, they can certainly help your sales. First, any horse-loving child will be happy to hang a poster in his or her bedroom. Second, posters that point out various horse and pony breeds not only intrigue, they educate children and parents alike. Third, these breed posters may encourage kids to return to your store in order to collect a variety of horse breeds. Just be sure you have a good assortment in stock.
Promotion ideas
You could have the greatest assortment of toy horses for miles around, but if you don’t promote that, your customers (and potential customers) may never know. Find out what, if any, horse-related organizations are near you and offer their members a discount on your horse toys. Ask around to find out what horse-related events may be coming up (a rodeo, horse show, pioneer days, a race) and create a special in-store display to coincide with it.
If manufacturers donate any portion of the sale of a horse-related toy to a charitable cause, such as horse rescue or preservation of endangered species, point that out to customers. You could either tell them or hang a sign near the product.
Children’s love for horses isn’t going away, and their desire to act out various types of horse play is as strong as ever. By introducing your customers to the horse-related toys on your shelves, you’ll be encouraging them to grow their fantasies – and their collections – for years to come. |
