- a red feather in her mane (left side)
- a red circle around her left eye
- a zigzag "lightning" mark on her left hind leg
- a yellow-bordered red arrow on her left shoulder
The following are the symbols used by Breyer Molding company on various Indian pony models. The molds used for these ponies were the Indian Pony, the Fighting Stallion ("King") in a appaloosa pattern, the Foundation Stallion (or "Azteca") in white with blue-painted patches, John Henry in two pinto colorings, the half-rearing stallion "Diablo" in pinto, and the running stock horse foal in appaloosa.
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When the Indian Pony (mare) was first released in 1970, she had various hand-painted markings along her neck and flanks. Most of the markings were on the model's left side, but occasionally a model was given marks on both sides of her neck. These marks only appeared during the first year or two and were discontinued because of the extra time and expense in hand painting each model's markings. This mare came in buckskin, brown pinto, alabaster (white), and appaloosa. Since the Appaloosa pattern was released after the Breyer discontinued the hand-painted markings, she is not seen with these markings.
She might wear a sun symbol on her flank (buckskin), or a pair of circles on both her neck and flank (buckskin), or a pair of horseshoe-shaped marks on both her neck and flank (brown pinto or alabaster). Some paired marks were the same color and some were in two colors, depending on the artist who was applying the hand-painted marks. And while I have mentioned the typical color pattern of the model on which each mark was found, this again may vary depending on the artist.
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The Foundation Stallion was released as the Lakota Pony in 1992 with four different markings, each appearing on a different horse. While the neck tags showed five markings, the last one was not used (hail stones). He was white with blue patches on his chest and rump.
His neck tag read: Native Americans in the Plains and the Southwest used horses to hunt and to wage war. Tribes who rode and raised horses include the Lakota, Kiowa, Pawnee, and Commanche. We encourage Breyer lovers to read and learn more about the great Horse Cultures. The rectangle represented a mount for a war party leader. The keyhole-like symbol was a medicine symbol. The bars were coup marks. Horseshoe-shaped marks were for the number of horses a warrior had taken in raids. And hail stones were a silent prayer for hail to fall on the enemy. | |
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The Indian Pony mare came back in 1993 in a grey coloring with a fresh set of marks. She was Ichalay, the Crow Horse, and she carried four new symbols. Around her neck she wore a tag which reads:
Ichalay (pronounced eegee'leh) is the Crow word for "horse;" it means "to search with." Warriors painted their horses according to their medicine. Often, the horse's face was painted to match the warpaint of its owner, or markings were painted to match the warrior's medicine shield. If a warrior was wounded in battle, he was entitled to tie a red feather in his horse's mane for each wound. The Crow warrior was an individual and his painted horse reflected his spirit.
This mare wore one of these four markings: The circled eye was to allow her to see danger and the red and yellow "fire arrow" was to add strength to her. The lightning mark on her leg was to increase her speed.
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In 1994, the Fighting Stallion (originally known as "King" in the 1950s) was released as the Blackfeet Horse "Ponokah-Eematah" in an appaloosa pattern with a total of eight symbols. Two symbols were applied to a model, and two models were in production from January to June and the other two models from July to December. These symbols are shown to the left. His neck tag read:
Ponokah-Eematah (literally translated "Elk Dog") is the Blackfeet word for "horse." Blackfeet grandfathers spin tales to their grandsons of creeping into enemy camps taking ptize stallions from war chiefs and riding many exciting chases after Ee-nee, the buffalo. This mount, the buffalo horse, was an especially spirited, long-winded runner. Again in 1995, this model in the same appaloosa pattern bore eight more symbols in the same manner as before. These symbols are shown to the right. This time he carried a legend: Suddenly there was a flash of lightening, a crash and rumbling shook the earth. The firl was awakened with a start! A beautiful spotted stallion was prancing to and fro. He was strong, proud and more handsome than any horse she had ever dreamed of. He told her that he was the leader of all the wild horses who roamed the hills. |
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The John Henry mold, in a bay pinto pattern, was the Cree Indian Horse in 1996. He wore feathers and beaded ribbons in his mane and a yellow zigzag around his left foreleg. His name was "Naytuskie - Kukatos," and his neck tag reads:
No other animal on the prairie is so wild and sagacious as the Plains Indian Horse. So remarkably keen is their eye that they will run at the sight of an enemy in the distance. The wild horse of the plains is a small but powerful animal with protruding prominent eyes, sharp nose, high nostrils, small feet and delicate legs and undoubtedly spring from Spanish stock. |
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| San Domingo, or the Indian Pony stallion mold, was released in 1997 in black pinto and brown pinto with Indian markings. In the brown pinto pattern he was called "Wakinyan" or Lightning; in the black pinto pattern he was "Wakinyan Hoton" or Thunder. He wore a lightning arrow on the left side of his face, red on the brown pinto and white on the black pinto. | ||
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In 1998, the Action Stock Horse Foal was released as an Appaloosa Indian Pony in two different appaloosa patterns, palomino and Buckskin, both with blanet patterns. "Wakanda O'kie" ("Talks to the Gods") is buckskin blanket appaloosa with red bear prints on his left flank and a gold sun on his right flank. "Monka Tonga" ("Big Medicine") is palomino blanket appaloosa with a gold four winds symbol on his left flank, a red arrow on the right side of his face, and two blue bird tracks on his right shoulder.
The neck tag reads: For generations, the Nez Perce Indians of the northwest's Palouse country bred superior horses with spotted coats. They prized a mount that was swift, sure-footed, gentle and loyal to its woner, and the Nez Perce found these characteristics in the uniquely patterned Appaloosa. To an Indian, a horse meant wealth, and to give a young colt as a gift was an honor to the recipient. Painted with symbols to bring good fortune in the hunt or battle, a decorated spotted horse was a proud and awesome sight! ... The bird tracks meant bright prospects, bear tracks were a good omen, the sun was for happiness, and the arrow for swiftness. What wonderful gifts and wishes these would make for the recipients of these fine colts! | |
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| For 1999, Kola is the Indian Pony and he bears familiar symbols of his owner, Gawani Pony Boy. Breyer used the half-rearing stallion, originally known as "Diablo," in a liver chestnut pinto to represent this famous horse. | ||
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