ARTLAND
After a short production run for Mastercrafter, Hartland informed the clock company that their other production committments precluded Hartland from completing the horses. Mastercrafter contacted Breyer, who made a similar horse mold, and Hartland dropped the project.
Hartland later introduced the horse from the clock as a free-standing piece, then began to add other horses, as well as horse & rider sets of famous '60s TV Westerns.
The Hartland
model horses have been through several changes of ownership, many
rough times (including the factory in Hermann, MO, being flooded
out in 1986 & 1994), and production difficulties.
Shortly after the 1986 floods, an employee, Paola Groeber, made arrangements with Steven Mfg (then owner of the Hartland line) to purchase unfinished bodies from the factory & finish them herself. Marketed under the name Hartland Collectables, Paola's Hartlands became known for their stunning and realistic colors, and are highly collectable today. She stopped producing in 1991.
Currently owned by Mr. Bev Taylor, the Steven Mfg. factory is trying to recover from mismanagement of the previous ownership, and are not presently producing any Hartland models. They hoped to be back in production by late 1995, but it's now 1998 and there is no sign of Hartland models coming back. We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best.
Hartlands are generally more artistically styled that the better-known Breyers, and have a charm all their own. Many older models are still available through second-hand stores and collector sources.
(This write up was written by Daphne R. Macpherson.)
2001 - Hartland is back in business and producin pieces for the collector market.
Photo credits
Top: Deb Buckler's "Blondes" Hartland Collector class; photo taken at the Napa, CA Hartland show, circa 1990, and provided by Gail Berg
Bottom: 8" Polo Pony in Strawberry Roan Appaloosa (Pre-Hartland Collectables); photo by Gail Berg
Back to HW Hand
On to Harvey Knox
Up to H
Return to
the Model Horse Gallery Home Page