How to Play with Your Breyer Horse

Build a barn. Think ahead and, if you are planning to own two or more Breyer Horses, build a three-stall barn. If you are planning to own just one Breyer, then build a two-stall barn. It's always nice to have a spare stall just in case an emergency comes up.

• If possible, build the barn with a loft that is strong enough to hold a lot of hay and supplies, such as a wheelbarrow, some buckets, of course, hay. Maybe even some tack. A room dedicated to tack can help make sure you don’t lose it.

Lay down thick sawdust or shredded paper or straw on the floor of your horse's stall if it's okay with your guardian. This bedding will give your horse a comfy yet clean space to lay down on during the night.

• Clean your horse's stall daily. You won't need to clean out all the straw or bedding out daily, but you must pick up your horse's manure and take care of urine spots in his stall to make sure he is comfortable and won't get sick.
• If a horse stands in a dirty stall all day, he can get thrush in his hooves, which should be seen to by a doll or stuffed animal vet.

Pretend that your Breyer horse is a real horse for the purposes of playing with it. Pretend when you're not looking your horse comes out from its pose, either if it's running, jumping, standing there, or laying down. Pretend it can move its legs and needs real care. Once you're okay with this, the remaining steps are all about playing with the horse as if it were for real.

Feed your Breyer horse two times a day. Depending on the size, age, and life of your Breyer, you will need to feed your horse a grain at least once a day.

• Make pretend grains for the horse. It could be barley, oats, corn, or a mix. You could also use a pellet feed.
• Make sure your Breyer has hay when eating its grain. It helps the horse to digest its food better.
• Provide a toy bucket. Always make sure your horse has access to water. In the cold winter months, pretend to use heated water buckets for your Breyer horse so the water does not freeze.

Groom your Breyer horse daily or at least every other day. Start with a curry comb, then go on with the bristle brush, then use a face brush on his face, then pick out its hooves, and if necessary, put on a pretend "Hooflex", a liquid that helps your horses hooves look nicer and make them stronger. It's almost like a jacket and blanket for your horse's hooves.

• Only use small toy accessory brushes and do not scrape along or dig into the horse when grooming or you will likely leave marks on the plastic.
• If it is very hot or your horse got done riding you may need to cool it off by spraying the horse gently with a (fake) hose. Make sure your horse is tied or you have someone holding its lead while you wash him.

Keep the horse warm. In the winter, when it snows, you will need to blanket your horse so he won't get cold.

• Blanket all your horses if it is 35 degrees or colder. Doing so will keep your horses warm and from getting a cold.
• If you have a traditional Breyer horse, you will need a large size blanket made from scrap fabric or a handkerchief. If you have a classic, you will need a medium size blanket made from the same items. If you have a small horse like a stablemate, make a smaller blanket.
• You can use felt to make your horse a warm cozy winter blanket.
• Check that the blanket won't fall off or be a source of tripping the horse.

Keep the horse insect-free. In the summer, your horse will need fly spray and a fly mask when going out in the pasture to keep the irritating flies away from your horse.

• Try buying a fly mask from a Breyer store because homemade ones usually don't end up as planned. You are welcome to make your own fly mask but remember, a fly mask doesn't have eye holes and is made of a netting, not of felt or cloth. Make sure your horse can see through the fly mask without having eye holes. Make sure the fly mask fits well and doesn't poke your horse's eyes.

Get a rider for the horse. If you have a (doll) rider for your Breyer, that's great. If you do have a rider, make sure you have a bridle that fits your Breyer. The doll can't ride without a bridle. Have the rider to ride the horse for at least 20 minutes a day. If not, you can still make sure your horse gets enough exercise. Maybe try lunging your Breyer horse.

• It is recommended that you have tack, and saddle pads and extra halters, but if you don't have a saddle or anything, just ride bareback.
• You should lodge your horse if you don't ride for at least 15 minutes a day to get your horse's energy out.

Keep the mares and stallions apart. If you own two Breyers, and one is a stallion and one is a mare, separate them when they graze. Otherwise, you might end up having a foal on your hands (unless you want this to happen).

• If you have two mares, it's okay to leave them together just as long as they get along. Usually, mares will get along but sometimes they don't. Check on them to make sure that the non-dominant horse is getting enough to eat, as some horses will chase others from the food.
• If you have two stallions, you could keep them together, too. Just keep a close eye on them because stallions can be aggressive if there is a mare in the picture.
• If you have two foals, make sure they are with their mothers until they are one year old. Also, don’t allow your doll to ride your foal until it is at least four years old.
• If you have a gelding you can keep it with any of your horses whether it's a mare, stallion, foal, or another gelding.
• You can have three mares together in one pasture with two foals that are with their mothers. One foal could be a filly, and one a colt.
• If you have a stallion and a gelding in another pasture everyone gets along.