Repairing Breyer Horses: Fixing Broken Legs

Breyer horses are considerably more lucky than real horses in the case of broken legs. (Although this is a debatable point. For one thing, a real horse's leg is unlikely to break OFF. For another thing, real horses aren't as prone to broken legs from falling off shelves or being dropped.) While we all know what cowboys do to horses with broken legs, a Breyer horse's broken leg can simply be glued back on.

The first task, of course, is to find the other piece of the leg. This can be tricky, since the broken bits can be vacuumed up unnoticed, or skitter under the couch. With something so tiny, the rule is that if it can be lost, it will be.

If you purchase a Breyer horse with a leg that's already broken, it's theoretically possible to purchase another of the same model, break off its leg at the right spot, and sand down both pieces to fit. However, it's very difficult to get everything to fit correctly, and the measurements have to be absolutely precise. You can fudge it with a bit of epoxy, but the repair will always be visible.

If you have the broken piece in hand, then the repair is fairly simple.

The first thing you need to do is clean both the broken piece and the leg itself. Use a damp cloth and cool water to wipe both edges clean. Don't use any soap unless it's absolutely necessary, since it might leave behind a residue. Set the pieces aside for a while to dry completely before proceeding.

Breyer horses are made of a resin (cellulose acetate) which can't be reliably glued together using most common household glues like Elmer's or Crazy Glue. You will need to use acetone, which you can buy at a hardware store. According to Breyer horse repair expert Gary E. Sattler, you can also use a fresh bottle of nail polish remover. (Be sure to use plain nail polish remover, not one of the fancy kinds with aloe or vitamin E.) NOTE I did not have any luck using nail polish myself.

The acetate is a solvent that will melt your horse, so be careful once you open the bottle! What you are going to do is melt the plastic of both pieces just a little, then press them together and let them solidify. Apply a tiny dab of acetone to both sides of the break, and wait for them to become sticky. When in doubt, err on the side of using too little solvent, rather than too much. Too much solvent can soften the entire leg, and ruin your horse.

Press the pieces together, and let them settle. Hold them together gently for at least a minute.

This bond won't be terribly strong, so be gentle with your horse after you have finished. The bond will need several hours to fully set, so put your horse aside for a while. Depending on the break and the stance of the model, you may want to CAREFULLY stand your horse up, so that the break is held in place by the weight of the horse.