I expected these stables to be small, but it was still a surprise just how very small the baseplate is:
The set does look a perfectly acceptable size once put together, though.
Incidentally, when I was taking the bags out of the box, I was expecting
all small parts to be bagged. But they weren't. And I didn't notice these parts sandwiched between the bags. Consequently, as I lifted out one bag, a little red connector, a green lead rope, and two stable bandages went flying onto the floor. One of the stable bandages landed in front of one of my dogs, who assumed it was a titbit and picked it up to eat it. Thankfully, he is an obedient dog regarding things in his mouth, and when I said (er... shrieked) 'Give!' to him, he spat it out immediately, totally unharmed, not even a tooth mark on it.
Anyway, it's a nice little stable, and I particularly like all the hooks and holders everywhere.
Before purchase, I was concerned that the stable fencing was really too low for ponies. And, indeed, it is not an ideal height, but it is higher than I expected.
And a pony looks nice looking over the stable door.
Despite my shrieking rescue of a stable bandage from the dog's mouth, I'm not very keen on the stable bandages. Maybe it is just my own inadequate application, but I seem to either get them too high (so it looks like the pony or horse has a bandaged knee), or too low (so it looks like they are wearing sweat bands, like a sports person might wear round their wrists).
The barn doors fix to little hinges which need to be inserted into the door frame. Horrible things! I know how to get them inserted (place them in the hole at an upward angle towards their 'lip', and then press down), but they need a bit of force, and they dig into the pressing finger or thumb, and
hurt. Wrapping finger or thumb in a bit of padding advised!
The handles of the lead ropes are super. They can be held in the hand, held by one of those wall holders/grips, or attached to a tie ring by the C-shaped part at the end.
You do need to tie the ropes on yourself, though, which is a bit fiddly.
I really like the adult klicky that comes with this set (I love her boots!), and I'm really pleased to have a black rider as well.
I'm not very keen on the gate lock. This isn't the clearest photo, but it is held shut by pegs on a small chain. (And the chain needs to be attached to the pegs, which isn't so easy for adult fingers or with poor eyesight.) Actually, it doesn't keep it shut very well; a slight touch and the gate swings open slightly. Not enough to let the ponies out, but enough to irritate me - 'That gate has opened again!' Also, I couldn't be bothered to take out a peg to open the gate to let a rider out, and then have to put the peg back in again. So they did the much more convenient thing of just jumping over the fence to exit the field.
Despite the gate though, this seems to be a well-thought-out set, with lots of potential for fun for children. You do need some considerable patience to assemble it, though, with the rope tying and the gate chain and the hinges, and a few maybe-confusing parts of assembly for someone who isn't accustomed to building with Playmobil.
