First of all thank you for all your lovely letters and to Marian for her history research. I really appreciate your kind words and effort, and it makes the job so much more worthwhile.

I have tried to keep the prices the same for the summer, although there may have to be a slight increase this autumn because the cost of some materials has gone up.

There has been lots of ideas from people (keep them coming). I especially like the idea of portraits, where you can send a picture of your own horse and have a model painted the same (or very similar), such as socks, flashes and body markings etc. I am in the process of working out the logistics of doing this with my computer wizard, and would love to know what you think!

I have a new edition to our family; a stray cat found her way to us and decided she'd like to stay. She was in an awful condition and very scared and it took a few weeks of coaxing (and feeding of course), but now she's a permanent fixture. The picture shows her still a bit thin but on the mend. Alfie's not sure what to make of her, but he's very good and doesn't chase her.

Thanks again for everyone's help,

Regards
Jan Adams

I hope to see some of you at the Model Horses Unlimited show in Plymouth this August, which I hope to attend, all things willing. If you want to know more about this event please email Kirsty or visit their website.

Model Horses Unlimited

If you would like to know a bit more about how The Club works, please have a look at their special non-Members' website. If you want to see the sort of thing they have in their Newsletters (not all of it of course - that wouldn't be possible!) then please visit their main Club website.

Dear Jan

Oooo...Lots of ideas for personalities!! I have just sold the most beautiful horse, he is what is called a dapple rose grey, the same as a dapple grey, but with chestnut dappling on white instead of grey dappling on white. He did have grey legs and mane and tail had black, white and chestnut in it!! very unusual and very beautiful.

Grulla is a nice colour, chocolate brown/black mane and tail, mousy grey colour body with dorsal stripe and occasionally stripes on legs. Also very rare.

Have you thought of doing a zebra? You could use the welsh mould, give it a short spiky black and white mane, like my Fjord model, and paint it with stripes! You could also re-release the Fjord pony. It was only available to customers who were part of the newsletter and you only made a few of them, so I'm sure they would sell like hotcakes too! I'll send photos through to you so that you can see what I mean.

You could also do an Indian paint horse with little handprints on it. An overo would look great too, they are like a paint, but with one blue eye one brown eye, or both blue eyes.

You could do a 'dappled' collection of models (everyone loves a dappled horse!!), where you 'dapple' their hindquarters, neck and belly. You can use all of the six 'classic' colours to dapple.

You could also change the type of hair you use for the mane and tail to suggest a different breed. Like using mohair for dartmoor or exmoor pony as they always seem to have bushy manes and tails. I know it wouldn't be as user friendly as the silky nylon hair that is used, but I guess the 'personality' collections are aimed more at collectors than children.

Have you also considered selling small pots of the paint for the two different coloured hooves and white to touch up models? The hooves always get chipped on the bottom no matter how careful you are.

I'm so pleased that you are trading again. I loved my models as a child! I also wanted to ask. Would it be possible for you to 'help' the three old models I have. The dapple grey arab has lost almost all his dappling and shading, hooves are chipped, mane and tail are fluff balls from all the combing. He also needs resticking together as he is coming apart and the yellow glue has come through the crack a bit. The bright bay in good condition. Hooves and shading on face and legs need redoing and mould needs to be put back together as it is slightly gaping. The Fjord pony needs reshading on legs and face, forelock and tail replacing, hooves redoing and the body needs a respray! Also needs the mould putting back together. I just don't want to part with them as they were such a large part of my childhood, but I'd love them to be restored to their former, unplayed with condition.

If you decide that you would like to start doing personalised horses again, let me know as I'd love you to model my horse Jack. He'd be pretty easy to do as he is bay!!

Anyway, I've babbled on for long enough!! I'll have a proper think about the personalities and try and come up with some more saleable ideas.

Thanks again Jan,
Kindest regards
Sarah