Personal collection - my "tabun" of Huculs
Huculs are a native pony found throughout the Carpathian mountains spanning Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia and Romania. They come in a wide selection of colours - some disliked in some of their native countries, some favoured in others - and have some regional differences in morphology & keep. In my growing herd, I try to capture some of these peculiarities.
My herd came about when in 2017, Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko, Aleksander Freda and I released Wilga, a 1:12 Hucul pony mare in resin. I customized & kept several of the 2nd castings from that now sold-out run. Later the same year Anna sculpted Wrona, a resin filly to accompany Wilga, and my "tabun" (or Hucul hoarding hobby) began. I appreciate the breed immensely - in my decade of looking at the different breeds of the world, their traits and peculiarities, it has been my experience only Silesians, another Polish breed, come as consistently so impeccably built as to rival the Hucul in solid, functional conformation.
Huculs are a frugal, hardy mountain breed with a lot of go, bravery and a rich history as the carthorse, pack pony, mount and ornament of the Hucul people in the Carpathian mountains. They are first mentioned in writing in Marshal Krzysztof Dorohostajski's "Hippica" in 1603. Today the ponies are still oft bred in tabuns, living without shelter all year round and finding their own forage. They are tested in a specific "extreme trail" sport called ścieżka huculska, where they routinely negotiate seesaws, mudpits, labyrinths, elevated narrow bridges (with or without 90° bends, raised poles or recessed puddles), gates and piles of loose logs with agility. They are also often additionally tested on obstacled limited distance endurance competitions through mountainous ground, as well as "normal" showjumping, in which they show bravery and often significant jumping ability, taking on jumps even as high as themselves. I would write an ode to them if I could, but instead I will just focus on sculpting more Huculs in the years to come.
My herd came about when in 2017, Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko, Aleksander Freda and I released Wilga, a 1:12 Hucul pony mare in resin. I customized & kept several of the 2nd castings from that now sold-out run. Later the same year Anna sculpted Wrona, a resin filly to accompany Wilga, and my "tabun" (or Hucul hoarding hobby) began. I appreciate the breed immensely - in my decade of looking at the different breeds of the world, their traits and peculiarities, it has been my experience only Silesians, another Polish breed, come as consistently so impeccably built as to rival the Hucul in solid, functional conformation.
Huculs are a frugal, hardy mountain breed with a lot of go, bravery and a rich history as the carthorse, pack pony, mount and ornament of the Hucul people in the Carpathian mountains. They are first mentioned in writing in Marshal Krzysztof Dorohostajski's "Hippica" in 1603. Today the ponies are still oft bred in tabuns, living without shelter all year round and finding their own forage. They are tested in a specific "extreme trail" sport called ścieżka huculska, where they routinely negotiate seesaws, mudpits, labyrinths, elevated narrow bridges (with or without 90° bends, raised poles or recessed puddles), gates and piles of loose logs with agility. They are also often additionally tested on obstacled limited distance endurance competitions through mountainous ground, as well as "normal" showjumping, in which they show bravery and often significant jumping ability, taking on jumps even as high as themselves. I would write an ode to them if I could, but instead I will just focus on sculpting more Huculs in the years to come.
Sowa, a Wilga resin painted into a grulla tobiano Polish Hucul by Aleksander Freda and me in 2018.
Ламія/Lamija, a resculpted Wilga painted into a wild bay Ukrainian Hucul by Aleksander Freda and me in 2018.
Polan Eurüalé, a Wilga resin customised by me in 2021 into an nd1 chestnut Hungarian Hucul mare. New neck & mane, modified face & tail. 137cm in 1:12. The scene picture has her in a Hungarian in-hand show wearing a traditional hemp halter created by Mojca Janezic. The cone is from Monocerus, the rest by me.
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Deino, a Wilga customized and painted into a sunburnt black Romanian Hucul by me 2018.