H is for Horses

I feel between all of you someone must know all about these, what I know - or think I know - about them is this, they aren't rare, probably don't have riders (but might!), were [probably] tourist keepsakes of some kind and might have a Spanish connection despite being definitely made in Hong Kong?

There are two poses, this one seems to be twice as common as the other but that's likely to be the bias of a smallish sample. It's the one with the bigger clue though - the stirrups are covered with a sort of bag or ear-flaps, with a consistent rendition of a kind of plaid or check painted on? There are also two straps hanging done from the saddle on the right side and one on the left, which I suspect are for tying the legs of cattle, calves or prey?

Of course there is also a lasso or lariat hung off the saddle, so we know we are dealing with Cowboys, Gauchos, Comanchero's or Roustabouts of some kind? Is that a typical 'Western' saddle or a more general one?

The other pose seems to have a more normal riding saddle, with no lasso, but the stirrups look to be deliberately heavy (brass?) sculpts and there are two of the lines or cords hanging down, one each side this time.

As I say, I've seen plenty of these over the years, often broken; they are polystyrene and tend to lose legs while being shoved about rummage trays! The question is; or questions are - who what, went where, when, and why?

Are they rodeo trinkets which just happen to have come back to Blighty in numbers over the years, or are they Spanish tourist items, or even from the French Camargue?

Were they sold singly or in sets of some set, did they have riders and if they did (they weren’t glued on) why don't they turn-up, either with the horses or apart, or are they soft polyethylene, mistaken for something else?

Why the two sizes (54mm and 45mm-compatible approximately); were they sold as pairs in a budget and 'full price' version? Is there a maker or brand associated with them?

A big mystery, but someone must know, they are always in rummage trays at shows, always!

I feel the full saddlery and horse-furniture rules out toy horse-box/animal transporter animals from vehicle sets, but they may be as simple as that? Toy farm accessories, even?

One of mine has been given (or had?) a rider, held on with some cheap substitute/generic 'Blu Tak' which has gone sticky. I tried removing it with an ear-bud/Q-tip but just spread it about a bit! Finding a decent solvent will prove problematical due to the polystyrene and paint, and being out of lighter-fluid at the moment it will have to be deodorant, which is a smelly business, also; it evaporates very quickly off the cloth, so it takes a few smears, but I will win!