|
Do you give factory tours?
Visitors to Shipshewana, Indiana can visit our workshop factory at 805 E North Village Drive in Shipshewana for a guided tour of how we make these detailed model horses.
Factory tours are available on Wednesdays from 1 PM to 2:30 PM. Advance appointments are preferred.
We love to show off what we do, and look forward to seeing you there. Please call us at (260) 768-9150 to book your tour.
The life of a model horse
For inanimate objects, model horses can be surprisingly active.
Toy model horses
Many model horses are gifts and they make perfect toys for boys and girls. Ever since Sam Stone created the very first modern model horse in 1950, generations of kids have explored the imaginary world of model horses. Today model horses still make great gifts and are collected by many teenagers throughout the world.
Collectible model horses
Many kids who loved both model horses and real horses grow up to collect model horses as adults. Stone Horses creates some large "full size" highly detailed model horses for the most discriminating collectors. These limited edition collectibles - perfect specimens - often sit
on mantles and coffee tables alongside other decades old model horses which bear scratches and marks suffered as play toys during the imaginative years of childhood.
|
More than a toy...
While the majority of model horses are toys, they also have an innate value as collectibles.
The size of the production run, the rarity of the model, and the condition of the model are all are factors which affect how sought after a particular model may be.
With the level of detail and workmanship imbued in each model, and the limited edition nature of our products, Stone Horses are considered to be collectibles.
|
|
Model horses in 4-H
One of the best examples of the use of horse knowledge and model horses is in 4-H. Many 4-H groups use what is called a "Horseless Horse Project" for the members who are unable to have a live horse. These members are able to use model horses to learn about horses and horse showing in a cost-effective and safe environment.
Stone Horses, along with the American Youth Horse Council, and the Pennsylvania State 4-H extension have created a reference and activity book called the Model Horse Project Book. This 56 page workbook explains all about model horses, how to show them, and contains reference materials about horses, tack, even how to host a model horse show. You can order the book here.
4-H Horse of the Year Program
The 4-H Horse of the Year Program was initiated in 2005, when Stone Horses created the first model of an outstanding Indiana 4-H Horse. Each of Indiana's 92 counties were invited to nominate one horse from their county for the Horse of the Year Award. Youth were asked to write an essay around the topic "My horse has made my life, and the lives of others, better because…."
The focus of the award is not on the number of blue ribbons the horse has won, or how many trophies, but on how the horse has helped the 4-H member grow and develop as a person, or how the horse has contributed to improving the life of another person. The members are also asked to send in a support letter from their Horse and Pony leader for the horses' nomination. Essays are reviewed and ranked by a committee of 4-H Horse Project volunteers, members of the Indiana Horse Council, and professional Extension staff. The essay about the horse with the highest overall ranking is declared Horse of the Year.
Interest has grown each year, with Massachusetts and Idaho both starting the 4-H Horse of the Year in their states, and other states have expressed an interest in this unique recognition program.
|
