Hobbies? I Have Lots of Hobbies! But Let's Look at Horses!

My NaMoPaiMo post on Wednesday (sorry everyone, it was ready to go before Tuesday, it just didn't post) set up this next one beautifully. 

While happiness cannot solely come from material things, it's hard not to find joy in things like art, sculptures, models, figurines, books, etc. I believe just about everyone has a hobby...or two...or more! Hobbies don't even have to be material things either. It can be fishing, hiking, kayaking, etc.  

I have far, FAR too many hobbies. My biggest one is model horses. I have an overall love of horses to begin with, so it was only natural that I would gravitate towards models, particularly when I wasn't able to work with them for the first 18 or so years of my life. Horses are creatures of power and grace, what many people try to emulate. Now I can't say I try to emulate them, but I do admire their beauty in its many forms. 

(What is known as a "conga" in the model horse hobby of the mold Misty's Twilight.)

I collect model horses in various media from plastic to resin to china and even metal. I also collect a wide range of scales from 1:32 to 1:9. I have also started to branch out from a couple brands like Breyer and Schleich and have started to support artists who sculpt their own pieces and have them cast in resin to other companies like Collecta, Safari and Peter Stone to name a few. 

(Photo session with Breyer clearware, Sugarmaple)

Now for some people, collecting is enough. Not for me though! I also like to repaint or customize models. Some people will even go in and change sculptural details. While I do not have the tools yet to do this on a large scale, I have worked on a mini scale and will do more in the future. There is truly no limit in this hobby! 

(Custom Breyer Stablemate to a peacock hippogryph done by yours truly)

You can also show your models either through photo shows or live shows. The classes vary too from halter (just the model) to performance (set up to look like a real horse competition/event). 

(A metal pegasus of unknown make/origin)

Then there is the model horse community. While not without it's faults, I've found it to be a supportive group of people. Particularly on Model Horse Blab, or in events like NaMoPaiMo. Of course, there are some bad apples, as in anything, but overall, it's a great group of people who want to share their love of horses. 

(Conga of Breyer Stablemates set up in a fun manner)

Whatever your hobby you're in, remember to have fun in it. Do not let others opinions drag you down, be it bad apples, or people outside of your hobby who don't understand (for me: my obsession with model horses/horses in general). If it makes you happy, do your best to continue to allow that thing to make you happy! Taking a break from a hobby is totally acceptable, as is downsizing if you find you have more than you want (I did this recently). 

And don't think we're done with this hobby section! Oh no! We've got more to come...

...

I wasn't kidding about lots of hobbies!

Till the next time!