The Dapple Discussion

Let's talk dapples. It's not a topic I was intending on discussing tonight, but after looking at Mamacita's dappling on the Breyerfest Blog, I feel like I need to.

Mamacita and Chico- Breyerfest 2016 Special Runs

 Yep. She sports my rather beloved chicken wire dappling. I adore it. I think it's awesome, and just lovely. For a lot of people, chicken-wire dappling is a big improvement; I mean, Breyer has seen some pretty weird dapple jobs in the past, but for others it's still an imperfection. Not everyone cares for the chicken-wire-esque pattern; but Mamacita's extreme dappling is still going over well. It holds some resemblance to a real horse's 'dapple job', but it's still rather extreme and pronounced, compared to this rather nice dappled draft horse, shown below;

 This one looks particularly close to Mamacita's paint job. Most dapply horses don't look that close, though. And Breyer's star/snowflake dapples are a long way off from a basic, real horse with snowflake dapples;

A Really Pretty Dapply Horse

An Especially nice Example of a Snowflake Dapple Draft Horse

Another Star Dappled Horse

 Here we face a battle of Idealism, or Realistic-ness. The chicken-wire dapples and current star dapples  are working fine for Breyer; they're really pretty, and lovely, and I absolutely adore them. But it's a ways off from the real thing. From a horse-fanatic stand point I feel like the models should be highly representative examples of real horses; in  plastic form. But from a model-horse-hobbyist view, I love perfection, different patterns, and semi-unrealistic colors. One rather spot-on paint job Breyer has released recently is reverse-dapple. Take a taste of Bramble, the first Collector Club Web Special of 2016;

 

Pretty, huh? Among a large majority of others, I'm hoping to win the opportunity to buy her, although my luck has been rather rough with the lotteries. I adore blue roan, and those white noses again, so, besides her price tag, I'm terribly fond of her. Reverse dapple is an interesting, extremely under-used, paint job, that is a refreshing breath of air for most. It's different; and I like it. Besides, the model's paint job/design looks rather close to a real reverse dapple roan;

Of course she's a shade bluer, because she's 'Bramble' part of this years Berry Ponies theme, and bramble berries are blue-black, or red. She would be a blue-black blackberry, like the kind on this bramble bush;

I don't think berry colored ponies were on anybody's radar as far as this years Collector Club Web Special theme, but the reviews seem to be ok. No one seems particularly thrilled about it, but no one's complaining about it either (at least not on the one forum I check). I'm ok with it; I'm not thrilled, but since a Strawberry Roan might be involved, I won't complain. I love Breyer's pony molds, I just feel like 'berries' are a lame, little-kid-reminiscent theme. Whatever. I love Bramble, and the odds are all for me loving the next 3 Berry colored releases, too.

All though I will point out that reverse dapple blue roan is quite different than a reverse dapple roan. It's more elaborate, the one above being the best and only one on the internet.

Until later, Bon Voyage~