Anne Field has loved horses for as long as she can remember. Her first models were Breyers that her mom gave to her. She collected model horses and Breyers throughout her childhood, eventually making tack, costumes and barns. Like many collectors, she packed away her Breyers while she finished school, married and raised a family. But one day, she decided to unpack her Breyer horses and look for more on eBay. Her computer search for models led her to the model horse hobby, and she realized that there were more collectors like her out there. Anne began photo showing and live showing. After a while, she began making props for her entries, including dolls. Making customized Breyer dolls for performance setups became her passion and her hobby, and soon Anne developed a reputation as an excellent doll maker whose work captured the realism so desired in the model horse hobby. Anne shared her insights into making custom dolls and other aspects of the model horse hobby. You can view more examples of Anne's work in the article showcasing some of her customized Breyer doll in model horse performance scenes.
The First Custom Doll Anne Made for Model Horses
"I made Arabian costumes and halters for awhile but never really loved it. One day, I decided to make a doll in a show-ring style Arabian outfit to go with a costume I made. I found out that doll making is fun! I have always wanted riders for my horses but most dolls are just too big and Breyer dolls have huge bulky clothes. So I made the Arabian rider and then another. I altered the clothes on the Breyer dolls so they fit better. Then I took apart clothes to make patterns and tried new things."
Why Did You Begin Making Dolls for Model Horses?
"At first I just made a doll every once in awhile. I would usually sell them on eBay and they were pretty basic Arab riders and western pleasure dolls. One day I made a fancy western pleasure doll and listed it on MH$P and she was snatched up so quickly I was amazed! I started making dolls more often and put more details into them so they would be more realistic. That was really my goal, to make very realistic dolls. I love miniatures of all kinds and beautiful, scale miniatures have always held a lot of fascination for me. It was wonderful to discover that I could make a quality hobby item that people would buy. It was great to be able to make a little extra money and still be able to stay home and raise my kids. For the first several years it really was more of a hobby for me with dolls being made only occasionally. Now I make dolls as my business and I love it! I get to be home when my kids are and still make money to help my family. It's the best of both worlds for me."
Which One Is Your Favorite?
"Picking a favorite doll is hard to do. I have a bunch that I have made over the years that I like a lot. I probably most like the newest western pleasure dolls. I have been doing more and more research to see what is trendy in the show rings and I alter the dolls when needed so they can sit well and look like people and not as much like dolls. I have a doll that I am working on right now that might just be my new favorite. She is a Western pleasure doll that is coming out exactly like I pictured her in my head. She is meant to be for my personal collection but I guess we will see what happens"
Breyer Scales for Dolls
"I work exclusively in Breyer Traditional scale. (approx 1:9) It's already very small and I can't imagine working any smaller. I do make Traditional scale youth dolls and have been asked to swap out an adult head to make a smaller adult doll. Some day I might work on smaller scale dolls but probably not for a long time. I am not a very good sculptor and finding heads small enough would be a big challenge!"
Advice for Finding Live Show Quality Breyer Dolls and Dolls for Model Horses
"There are a lot of things that go into choosing dolls. If you are thinking about ordering dolls think about what you want to do with them. One doll can't do everything. The most realistic dolls have permanently attached clothing because Velcro and other fasteners make everything out of scale. If you can't buy several dolls at once decide what performance classes you love the most and get the doll or dolls for those classes first. If you want to do lots of classes in English buy a basic hunt seat doll in a dark, solid colored coat. If you want to try lots of western classes buy a cowboy with chaps. If you decide you love using dolls you can add more to your collection. I have a friend that has over 20 of my dolls. And she keeps getting more!"
Staying Active in the Model Horse Hobby Is Important
"I attend live shows as often as I can but that is only a handful a year now. I got back into photo showing and tried performance photos for the first time this past year. That is as much fun as performance showing at a live show! I regularly show in the MEPSA shows and will judge for them at least once a year and I also will judge at live shows on occasion. Once a year I host an all halter show but I am hoping to one day host a performance show as well."
Beginner Tips to Customize Breyer Dolls
"If you want to make dolls knowing how to sew is a good idea. Some dolls can be put together with just glue but sewing makes for the neatest finished product. It's also good to have steady hands when decorating. Besides that I would say just jump right in and start practicing. Take apart Breyer clothes and see how they are made and make patterns from the pieces and alter them as needed. And then go practice some more.
"I have really enjoyed being involved with the model horse hobby. I have had my dolls on the cover of JAH several times and some were also part of the marathon driving diorama at WEG. I am always pleased to hear from customers how my dolls have helped them in the show ring and really enjoy receiving photos. I also love to see a doll I made while out at live shows. Some I am expecting to see but some are a fun surprise."
You can learn more about Anne or see her work on her website, Field of Dolls.
For more great doll making resources, visit Make Dolls - Sculpt Poseable Miniature Dolls. These projects can be adapted to model horse scales and horse model projects.