Mike Jackson’s Hartland Photos:
Wavy Tail Walking Horses

Text & Photographs Copyright Mike Jackson 1998-2009


The wavy tail walking horse was Hartland’s third 800 series horse designed to be used with a rider. The Champ style and Chubby (bridleless) horses were first. There is a very good chance that this horse was designed to be Trigger based on the earliest brochures showing Roy Rogers riding a prototype version of the horse (with a breastcollar). I am almost certain that all cropped mane horses were from the full mane horse molds and were trimmed after being molded. All of my cropped mane horses have slightly different manes, which seems to reinforce that observation.

Walking Palomino with blue tack: Trigger
This is the the second Trigger, following the earlier Champ version. For the first few years, this horse would have chain reins. It is a fairly common variation of the horse, though finding a palomino in near mint condition is hard to do. After this mold variation, Roy Rogers was switched to the slender tail version.

Trigger was also sold separately along with his saddle, often with this mold variation.
Walking Palomino with black bridle and cropped mane: Bugler
Bugler is the most common horse for General Custer. The same horse is found for Custer with the slender tail, and later a head down prancer.

Walking White Stallion with black tack: Silver
This horse is normally combined with the Clayton Moore Lone Ranger mold, however quite a few of the early Champ style Lone Ranger shows up on this horse mold along with an earlier Champ Style saddle. It could have either chain reins or black leather.

Silver was also sold separately along with his normal saddle.

Walking White Stallion with black bridle and cropped mane: Ajax
Ajax was George Washington’s main (if not only horse) Some early line drawings show Washington on a semi-rearing horse. Right now, I don’t think Hartland made this horse with a slender tail.. Ajax does not have a martingale.

Several collectors report owning this horse with a slender tail but I do not own one at this time.
Walking Brown Horse with black mane and tail, black bridle: Tombstone
Tombstone is Wyatt Earp’s first major horse variation and the one shown in most brochures. An earlier rare variation of the horse in a Chubby mold is found, but it has a painted on bridle. This horse will usually have chain reins.
Walking Brown Horse with black mane, tail, stockings and black bridle: Razor
This Razor is quite uncommon and belongs to early Lucas McCain/Rifleman sets. The more common variation has the slender tail, the later walking mold.
Walking Race Horse with cropped mane, black tail and mane, wavy tail:
This is an ususual version of Turf King. The majority of them have a specially designed slender tail as shown above. This one, however, has the full wavy glued-on tail. More than likely, it was a temporary piece used until the smaller tail was produced. At least one other collector has one like it that I know of at this time.
Walking Brown Horse with black mane and tail, cropped mane, and white stockings: Unknown
This horse is painted brown over white plastic. I really can only speculate that it might have been something planned for Custer, based only on the color of the horse shown on the box. Others have speculated that it might be the horse shown in some brochurse for early Cheyennes, but the angle of the photo is not conclusive.
Walking White Horse with black mane, tail, and stockings. Black bridle and martingale: Traveler
Traveler is the normal mount for General Lee. Some would have shipped with chain reins while later ones might have had black leather reins. Later mold variations include the slender tail version and also a slender tail version lacking the martingale. Some later Lees were shipped on the head down Prancer.
Walking Black Horse with brown tack: Rex
This Rex was one of the first Sgt. Preston horses. Hartland seemed to waffle back and forth between black horses with brown or red tack for the Mounties. Preston had several slight variations in horses during their production but this one seems to be a fairly common version. The cropped mane verson is shown later on this page.

Walking Black Horse with red tack: Black Beauty or Rex
At times, I think Hartland switched this horse for the brown version and for a while even mentioned that Preston had “Scarlet tunic, black horse with red trappings—authentic to the smallest detail” in the brochures.

Black Beauties normally had the red tack, based on a couple of sales documents I have found.
Walking Black Horse with brown tack and cropped mane: Rex
This version of Preston’s horse, Rex features the cropped mane often used with the military style sets. I believe there is a slender tail version of this horse with the same tack. Another rare version is reported to have a slender tail with red tack, but I don’t own one.
Stevens Plastics 1993 Ajax:
Of all the Stevens Plastics recast horses, this one is probably the most accurate when compared to the earlier Hartland sets.The one I have open does seem to be glossier plastic than the two Chubby white horses for Evans and Lee. This horse will be about 1/4" taller than the old sets when compared side by side and are probably a little more white than any old stock.
Stevens Plastics 1993 Tombstone:
This Tombstone was created to go with Wyatt Earp in Stevens Plastic’s recast of their series. The cropped the mane on this set which was not done in the 50’s. This horse was molded in white and then painted brown. Final trim was done in black on the mane, tail, and bridle, along with the white on the stockings.
If you have, or know of any other full wavy tailed walking horses, please let me know!