Originally published August 2, 2013
Gift Set: The Saddle Club - No Longer Single
1994: The First Gift Set
After 1992, when the switch was made to the new plastic, nothing much of note happened in the Stablemate line until 1994 when the first gift set, the #5650 Saddle Club Collection was added. According to the catalogue, it was "...a variety of horses selected for fun and learning. Saddle Club fans can learn about the different breeds just the way Stevie, Lisa, Kate, Carole, Veronica, and Jeannie do. Everyone can play with these miniatures and have fun."
This set consisted of a dapple grey Arabian Mare, alabaster Draft Horse, pure black Thoroughbred Mare, an orange-y chestnut Seabiscuit, and a walnut bay Morgan Stallion. This set may have been the first regular run Stablemate gift set, but it certainly would not be the last.
1996: A Sneaky Exchange
The original Saddle Club Collection was quietly replaced early in 1996 by a completely new set.
The only mold which remained the same was the Arabian Mare, but even she was in a different colour, a dove grey remarkably similar to the 1992/94 Sears/JCP special run. The other models were a chestnut leopard appaloosa Swaps, a chestnut tobiano Native Dancer, Silky Sullivan in a dark cherry bay, and Citation in buckskin. Native Dancer and Silky Sullivan exhibited the first stencilled facial markings in this scale.
This new set bore the same number as the old and the catalogue photo was never updated, though in 1997 the sneaky disclaimer was added to the description: "Colors may vary". The name of the set was changed to The Saddle Club Stablemates in 1996, in 1997 “set” was added to the end of the name. In 1998 this gift set was replaced by a new one, this time with G2 molds.
Originally published July 31, 2015
Gift Sets: Stablemate Collections - All Together Now!
After the success of the Saddle Club Collections, a collection of the new G2 molds seemed a logical step. The first set, #5651 Stablemates Collection, was released in 1998 and consisted of five models in a range of interesting colours.
Regular Run #5651 Stablemates Collection 1998-2000
A light chestnut tobiano American Saddlebred, a flashy black Clydesdale with four stockings and a bald face, a chestnut roan Shetland Pony, a bay Thoroughbred, and the Rearing Arabian in dark grey made up the group.
This set remained complete until 2001 when for some reason the Shetland Pony was removed, and the set was renamed #5995 Stablemates Gift Pack.
Regular Run #5995 Stablemates Gift Pack 2001
This four-pack was only available for a year when it was replaced in 2002 by the #5981 Stablemate Horses Gift Pack.
Regular Run #5981 Stablemate Horses Gift Pack/ 2002-2006
Like the 2001 set, this collection only contained four models - a black roan frame overo Thoroughbred, a bright chestnut Stock Horse, a palomino Andalusian, and the American Saddlebred in a lovely shaded bay. This set was available through 2006; in 2007 it was replaced by a G3 collection.
Originally published October 14, 2016
Gift Sets: Stablemate Collections - So Happy Together
The Stablemate Collections continued after the introduction of the G3 Molds with regular and special run sets.
#5971 4-Piece Gift Collection was released in 2007 and was available through 2008. The models in this collection were all G3 molds:
- G3 Belgian - Metallic flea-bitten grey
- G3 Peruvian Paso - Bay tobiano
- G3 Rearing Andalusian - Chestnut dun
- G3 Tennessee Walking Horse - Metallic palomino with purple ribbons
#5976 Gift Collection replaced the #5971 set in 2009 and was produced through 2011. Again, all the molds were G3s:
- G3 Belgian - Bay
- G3 Cantering Warmblood - Bay
- G3 Friesian - Shaded white grey
- G3 Standing Stock Horse - Palomino frame overo
In 2006, #1402 British Breeds 4 Piece Gift Set was offered exclusively in the UK and only for the year. A mix of G3 and G2 molds made up the set in an array of lovely colours:
- G3 Warmblood Jumper: English Thoroughbred - White grey
- G3 Highland Pony: Highland Pony - Chestnut dun
- G2 Clydesdale: Shire - Dapple black with painted silver shoes
- G3 Standing Thoroughbred: Sporthorse - bay tobiano
Since many of the K-Mart stores had closed some years before, this store-exclusive collection could be difficult to find in-store, and even harder to find on the second-hand market. K-Mart #6126 Stablemates Gift Collection (2008), like the regular run sets, was exclusively made up of G3 molds:
- G3 Friesian - Dapple grey
- G3 Warmblood Jumper - Wild bay
- G3 Mustang - Buckskin
- G3 Standing Thoroughbred - Sandy bay blanket appaloosa