"Mixing riders and horses" Topic

I sometimes mix my riders and horses from different makers. Example: Front Rank Spanish Dragoons on either Elite or Firing line heavy horses. I do this to get a fresh take on the units visual effect.While not all match up well when mixed , I have found quite a few that do.Does anyone else do this or do you tend to stick with the same makers.

I do this whenever I can. If things are size compatible in my collection, they get mixed.

Yes, I mix and match as well. Usually it is quite straight forward to identify makes which go together. What is difficult is when some figures have the horse furniture attached. Even then you can usually trim it off and by changing the horse, change the nationality or unit.

I do it all the time. I tend to use standing horse figures for mounted infantry officers and more active poses for cavalry, so am always switching them around. All my figures are plastic, so conversion of horse furniture with a miniature welding iron is not a problem.

Rod

Yes, I do this as well when the horses are a good matchup.

When I have the option and I don't like the rider or the mount from one company I do this too.
I got the heavy cuirassier Reiters from Redoubt (1580-1640ish) but the horses came from Warlord a great mix IMO and having the + of less weight.
Cheers

I like to do this, it can help when mixing figs of different size.

I have some Minifgs riders on AB horses and vice versa in one unit and they look great.

David F Brown

I wasn't sure if I was an oddity or committing blasphemy by doing this switch.Appreciate all the responses and thanks again.

It gets frustrating sometimes when one manufacturer casts the saddles on the horse and the other casts them on the rider.

But, I like to mix and match when I can.

Most of my 7th Hussars are Perry plastic riders on Wargames Foundry horses.

Great topic Tyler 326. The makers you list all have their cavalry figures cast with saddles etc, meaning that finding horses requires horse castings with no saddlery furniture, perhaps easier than the other way round (which requires the matching of specific saddle furniture with the desired figure). I too have a desire to mix so as to create visual richness, but I wonder if there is anyone out there who seeks to mix rider castings without saddlery with other manufacturers' horses.

Can this be done? What combinations have worked? For example would Paul Hicks horses work with Perry figures, and if so what combinations have appealed? Or is this simply a bridge too far?

Would be very keen for your thoughts.

I face this problem all the time. I work in 1/72 plastic, and most mfrs don't provide enough horse poses – ESPECIALLY HaT.

I've printed up paper shabraques, and usually have to carve off parts of the saddles and the valise in order to make that work.

For my next trick, I'm trying to build some Russian dragoons, and rather than paint on the embroidery in the rear corners, am contemplating making a mold of the raised embroidery of a HaT shabraque using epoxy, hoping to press that onto a green stuff shabraque on the converted horse.

Great idea Widowson – I guess that option exists for Perry riders and shabraque – free horses, meaning that Front Rank, Bicorne, Firing Line and Connoisseur horses would be available.

Would be very interested to hear of your progress with the mold making project.