What to look for when model horse or Schleich shopping! How to choose from shelf models!
August 19, 2025
So you want to buy a model horse. You know what mold you want so you go to the store and stare at the tens of models, all on the same mold, lined up on the shelves. This is where you could either get lucky or make the wrong choice. If you’re an active collector, you most probably have gone to the store, bought a model, come home, and realized that the model has a certain feature you don’t like. To avoid such catastrophes, I recommend going through all of these steps in the shop if possible. Going through this elimination help you choose the right model horse confidently.
Major flaws. When I pick up a horse the first models I disconsider are the ones majorly flawed. Bent legs, broken tails, missing ears. These things happen either in transport or during a mishandling of the products in the store.
Plastic. Sometimes there will be small plastic bits that are attached to the tail, legs, or mouth. They generally come off pretty easily but they are still considered minor flaws as the breaking of those parts can leave marks on the model. Indents in the horse should also be considered.
Make sure your horse stands! I once went to the store, looked at all the Schleich horses, chose one through this tier system an forgot to check the legs. I placed him on the counter at checkout and he almost couldn’t stand! He would always wobble and fall on any uneven surface. Unfortunately, there were no better horses on the mold so I did end up purchasing him and over looking this flaw but I would have chosen a different horse if I had noticed that earlier.
Color, Schleich model horse for example are hand painted, this means that there may be slight variations of tone and paint job. It’s up to you to decide weather you like a particular horse or not.
Character. The personality of a model horse often comes through in the paint job, especially on the face. Make sure the eyes are well placed, the details are on point and you like the general vibe of the horse.
Scratches. Models can get scratched from mishandling, rubbing, and even by just touching other models. This is a personal choice, but if a horse has a good character or color, I will accept minor scratches and buy the model. Because my horses are partially shelf horses, which means that half the time they come with me on road trips, photo shoots, and do lots of other things, scratches are kind of inevitable. Although I have many “shelf horses” who only leave the shelf for occasional pictures, I do not look for Live Show Quality in every horse. This is however very important, so you should always check the model for scratches before purchasing.
As always, I hope this post was helpful in some way. I enjoyed sharing what I look for when I'm out shopping for a new model! I’m curious to know what criteria do you guys have? Leave it in the comments!
Good luck shopping!
