Foals

Julip have always had FOAL models in their range to compliment the horses. They have been through a few changes over the years.
Here is one of the earliest I have at the moment. He's from the 1960s.

 

There was the option to have a moulded tail (as above) or a hair one. The mould was used up until the late 1980s and in the 1990s it was modified (below)

Then this mould became discontinued and a new one appeared in 1999

This is still available from Julip.

 

Farm Cob 'n' Fell Pony

We're about half way through the Julip A-Z ! 
Their FARM COB was introduced in the 1990s and can still be bought today.

Above is the clean-legged version.  Julip also make a hairy-legged model of the same mould (below).

Next is the FELL PONY. I haven't any info on when this was introduced, but it could have been in the early to mid 1970s.  He was a larger sized model, selling for the same price as the horses. Sadly, this lovely pony is no longer available.

Here is Scotch Mist, in a very un-Fell pony colour of dun!

Exmoor Pony

Julip's EXMOOR pony has had two versions. Sadly, the 1st version is one of the few models I don't (yet) have, so I can only show you the second version.

She has a rather wild hair do ! This one dates from 1983. They are no longer made.

A relatively recent addition to the Julip range is the FAMILY HORSE.  This was introduced in 1989 and is still available today.

The example above is the catalogue model "Crystal".   In the 2000's a special set of zebras was made for a very brief period of time. The stallion zebra was made on the Family Horse mould. Here's my one ...

Dressage & eventing

Julip's DRESSAGE HORSE was introduced in 1984 and has been in production ever since.

The example above is from 1985, the one below is a much newer version. You can see how much slimmer it has become over the years.

Next, we have the EVENTER. This was introduced in the 1980s but was out of production for some time - there were problems with the mould's legs being so slim the wires inside used to show.  However, with a few small adjustments, the Eventer re-appeared a few years later and is still available today.
The model below was from the first run and dates from 1989. 

The next example is from a couple of years ago.

You can see how the lower legs are thicker on this one.

Donkeys!

Everyone loves a DONKEY!  Julip have had one or two in their range for many years.  The earliest example I own is Greta from the early 1960s.

She's in poor condition, but fortunately the dreaded gummy-ness has halted and she's now solid again.  You can see how she was painted using a brush with thick paint.

The 1970s donkey was slightly different ... this mould was discontinued in 1989.

And they even had their own little foal! This was also discontinued in 1989.

In 2010, Julip celebrated their 65th anniversary and introduced a brand new donkey model!

Dartmoor Pony

The first version of this model was around in the 1960s and was discontinued sometime in the 1970s.

He was a bit of a grumpy looking pony.  Fortunately, the second version was a much more agreeable specimen !

The second version was introduced in 1984. My one (above) doesn't have a date letter in his mouth, but he is from the 1980s - he must have slipped out of the workshop unnoticed!
This mould is still available today, just looking a little slimmer.

Connemara

The CONNEMARA pony was introduced in the latter half of 1976. Despite being a pony, Julip has made their version the same size as their horses. 

The example above has no date letter in his mouth, so he must be from the 1990s.  The mould is still used today.

The model above is from 2009.

Cobs

One of my favourite moulds Julip made is the COB MARE - a stout, solid and pretty horse.  She was introduced to the range in late 1976 and was discontinued in 1989. For years afterwards, this model commanded very high prices as they became highly sought after by collectors. Then, sometime around 2008, the mould was re-introduced.

Above is an older model, from 1977. She's quite chunky (as cobs should be).
Below is a newer model, this one is from 2010.

With the cob mare came her husband - the COB STALLION. He was introduced at the same time as the mare but was never really discontinued. Below is a model from 1979 ...

And this is a more modern one ...

The mould has been on a diet and has slimmed down a little!

Cleveland/Clydesdale

First up today is Julip's CLEVELAND. This model was around in the 1960s & 70s and was discontinued sometime in the mid-late 1970s.

This poor old boy is rather worn due to having the saddle and bridle wearing the paintwork away. Julip bridles had wire bits to go in the horses' mouths but these tended to scratch the edges of the mouth. The ears would get rubbed from pulling the headpiece over them, so many Julips have a few "battle scars" to show!

Next is the CLYDESDALE FOAL. This was first introduced as a plastic Horse Of The Year model in 2000. The first latex version was also made that year as a portrait of a real Clydesdale foal called Ted.  This model has not been available through the catalogue since, but the mould is still used for special orders and "spares" (when Julip make one-offs to sell).

Child's Ponies

The CHILD'S HUNTER was available until the late 1970s/early 80s. It was a cheeky looking devil - the kind that most Pony Clubbers would have known at some point in their lives!

This model dates from 1979. He sports an original leather Julip headcollar.

Next we have the CHILD'S JUMPING PONY. The very first version was in a standing pose - sadly I have no examples of this one.  The second version was made in a jumping pose. This model was discontinued in 1984.

This one is from the 1960s and came to me with the name of Buzz.  He was an ebay find a few years ago. Ebay is my main source of vintage Julips thesedays. Before the internet, the only way to swell the collection was to wait for another collector you knew to sell up!

The third version with this name appeared in 1989 and is still available to order. It is in a standing pose with a hind leg resting.

The last of the children's ponies in C is the CHILD'S SHOW PONY.

This is another ebay find which I bought in 2007.  The Child's Show Pony was available until about the mid-late 1970s. This one has sadly had the wires in the front legs broken, which is why it stands a little strangely!

Cart Horse

Julip only ever had one heavy horse in their range until the addition of a foal (see later ...). This was the generic "CART HORSE".

The top picture is of an older model. Unfortunately, his mouth won't open, so I can't see inside to find out what date letter he has.  He's probably from the 1970s.
Bottom pic is of a later model, 1981. He is in original condition except his hair, which was replaced by an old owner of his.  All cart horses came with ribbons in their manes and tails.

The cart horse was discontinued in 1983 and sadly hasn't been seen since.

More Arabs ...

Next on the list is the ARAB PONY, which I introduced a while back in the form of Minty the gone-green pony.

The ARAB STALLION went through a metamorphosis like the mare.  The original was tall, leggy and rather plain ...

This is a 1960s oldie with little in the way of mane and tail. Julip used mohair for their horses' tresses during this era, which gives a lovely natural and soft feel. Unfortunately it tends to thin out and disappear after a good few years, especially if they have been brushed and well played with.

In 1976, along with the Arab Mare, the stallion underwent a make over and came out a nicer model.

On the right is an older version of this mould, from 1979. The newer version, which is still available to order, is on the left and is slightly smaller and finer. This one is from about 2005.  The hair used on newer horses is synthetic.

Arab Mare

The ARAB MARE has had two variations over the years. Version one is a tall and leggy horse which was available until about the mid 1970s.

The girl above is from 1974.  Julip used a letter for each year of production written inside the mouths of their models, this is how most models up until the early 1990s can be dated.  This lettering system began in 1971, so any vintage models without a letter would be before this date.  They no longer use this method, so it's back to guess work!

In early 1976, Julip had a new Arab mare and Stallion made. They were a little smaller and somewhat more like the breed they represented.

Arab Champion

The ARAB CHAMPION was introduced to the range in the late 1980s.  It was one of the first moulds to be brought in by the current owner of Julip.

L-R are the catalogue models Galaxy and Malteser. The right hand model is from 1988 and was a special offer "speckled" colour. These were a little cheaper than normal models, although I never really knew why!

Anglo Arab

Next on the list is the ANGLO ARAB

This was a pony-sized model and was basically a pretty ugly looking thing!  It was made during the 1960s but I don't have any dates for when exactly it was available.

The top pic is of the older Anglo, possibly late 1950's / early 1960s. The bottom pic is a horse from the early-mid 1960s. His legs are bandaged up due to age-related degeneration.  Unfortunately, sometimes latex does not generally survive well and can degrade due to temperature, sunlight or a poor mix when the latex was cast.  Most elderly Julips either go completely solid or "melt". When they go gummy, there isn't much you can do, except cut out the offending gooey mess and remodel with Milliput.

More Julips

I think I'll be staying with the Julips for a little while longer!

I'm going to post a pic of each different model horse Julip made over the years - all in alphabetical order because I'm a list addict too.

So, we start this journey with the AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE.  This model was first introduced in 1969 and was sold in a set with a cowboy rider and western tack for the princely sum of 4guineas !!  Amazingly, the AQH is still available today, although it is now a slightly smaller and slimmer horse than its earlier cousins.

Above is an AQH from 1972. He's a dapple grey which has yellowed slightly due to sunlight damage. He's sporting an original Julip leather bridle from around the same date.

Below is a newer version:

This particular model is from 2009. It is less chunky all over due to the original mould losing detail.

Still with Julips ...
Here is one of my oldest Julip models

He's a little worse for wear, but he is about 60 years old !!  He's bald as a coot, but I think it suits him.  He was a palomino but has turned a funny greenish colour. The mould name was unknown for a while, but with a few other long-time collectors, we came to the conclusion that he's a very early Thoroughbred.

Below is another of about the same age (and colour!).

This is thought to be the "Arab Pony".  She's known as Minty, thanks to her greening with age.

Julips

My all-time favourite make of model horses is JULIP.  I have over 200 in my collection, dating from the 1950s to present day.  Julips is one of the UK's oldest model horse manufacturer. The company was started in 1945 by sculpress Lavender Dower and has changed hands only a few times in its illustrious history.
Very early models were made from chamois leather with lead wire inside. Soon after, Julip created model horses using latex - they are still made this way today - and a whole host of accessories were made to compliment them, from riders and tack to stables and rats!

Above is Tiki the donkey with her human and canine friends.  The girl in green and boy in brown are both from the 1980s, the donkey, cart and harness and late 1970s. The two terriers are from the late 1980s.

In the 1990s, Julip made models from plastic, these became their "Horse of the Year" range. These are made today and are aimed at younger collectors.  The latex models are still available to order and are still very popular.

This is Fudge, a New Forest Pony, one of the moulds that are still available.

I'll be introducing more of my Julips at a later date!

I have been collecting model horses for about 40 years.  Horses of all shapes and sizes hog the shelf space in spare rooms.  There are china ones, plastic ones, resin ones and hand made creations which have cost me from nothing to a few hundred pounds apiece.  I will be introducing all my favourites in this blog, as well as explaining all the different makes and their histories.