Mattel Barbie Jumper Tawny Horse with Barbie

by Mattel

Product Features

• Barbie and her palomino, Jumping Tawny, ready for the show ring
• Sturdy doll, fully posable limbs
• Encourages imaginative play; overall good design
• Includes doll, horse, accessories
• Ideal for ages 6 and older

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 18.1 x 13 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000MTA432
• Item model number: L4395
• Our recommended age: 36 months - 8 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 3 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,490 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Waiting for their turn in the jumping competition, Barbie and her Palomino friend Tawny are in top shape for the show ring! Sporting a stylish pink animal print helmet that matches Tawny's saddle blanket, Barbie is sleekly athletic and shapely in her white satin riding pants. This is an ideal toy for the equestrian-loving preteen girl.

The Tawny set comes complete with jumping fence. View larger.

Barbie naturally leans forward in the saddle and is fully posable. View larger.

In Shape and Ready to Win
Looking spry and athletic, this Barbie doll features fully posable limbs constructed of hard plastic. The doll's body has a full range of movement. When the horse "trots," it looks as if Barbie is posting; when preparing for a jump and the horse's limbs are fully extended, Barbie naturally leans forward in the saddle. Even the doll's head moves in subtle angles: Canted at a coy, 45-degree angle, it looks as if she's entreating the judges for points.

Designed for Robust Play
In general, the design and construction of the doll is excellent. She has an updated look and wardrobe and she is sturdy enough to withstand robust play. A minor problem is that Barbie's boots tend to slip off and don't fit well into the stirrups. Tawny has a few more design quirks. Because of the way the horse moves, the limbs need to be loose. However, the horse's legs seem lightly constructed in comparison to its heavier middle. Once the blanket, saddle, and wreath of roses are in place, the horse needs to be held firmly or it tends to drop into a "downward dog" yoga pose. All accessories are sturdy and well made except for the fence posts, which are a bit too easily knocked off.

A Pony Ride to Imagination
In this era of high-tech toys, the Barbie and Tawny are sweetly refreshing, the way toys are meant to be. They engage a child in imaginative and interactive play instead of simply providing passive entertainment. What is beautiful and realistic about their play is how well in-sync the horse and rider are in their trot. Trotting the horse is achieved by pulling the horse's legs halfway back (no battery power is needed), and then manually manipulating the toy. For the girl who is moving Barbie and Tawny around the imaginary show ring and making the story up as she goes along, no batteries are required. However, Barbie's horse comes with a battery pack that folds his front legs into a jump position, and allows him to voice his delight by neighing. While this is all good fun, Barbie and Tawny are almost better off without the battery power. Manually trotting the horse around the ring is just as fun, and the sound quality of the horse's neighing doesn't sound enough like a horse. Your little girl will enjoy creating the sounds herself as she spends hours with her new friends.

Pros

• Attractive, well-constructed doll
• Encourages interactive play
• Doll has excellent range of motion
• Realistic-looking riding movements

Cons

• Horse is a bit unsteady
• "Jumping" is accomplished by lifting the horse
• Jump position and voice are just as much fun to create without batteries
• Fence poles are too easy to knock off

What's in the Box
Doll and horse, jumping fence, saddle, six ribbons, tack brush, trophy.

Product Description

In the jumping competition, girls can really show Tawny and Barbie jump over the fence. Pull back on Tawny horse's leg for dramatic trotting and jumping movement and she really neighs in a fully extended pose. Barbie doll is sporting an animal print helmet, fun fuzzy coat, equestrian pants and boots, and Tawny horse coordinates with animal print blanket and saddle. Also includes a rose wreath, adjustable jumping fence, a blue ribbon and trophy to play out the jumping competition. Length (nose to tail): 10.5". Height (floor to tips of ears): 11.8". Doll height: 11.5

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little misleading with the name "Jumper", August 25, 2007

By 

Victoria Smith-Kogan "victoriakogan" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Mattel Barbie Jumper Tawny Horse with Barbie (Toy)

My daughter loves horses and has the walking Tawny horse, so naturally, she wanted the JUMPING Tawny when she saw it. Since the walking Tawny was so impressive (walking by itself), we just assumed the jumping Tawny would be even better. However, it's really disappointing and a little misleading with the title, because this horse does NOT jump by itself. You have to hold the back legs which causes the front legs to "jump", and then you have to manually lift the horse up over the jump. My daughter doesn't mind since this is another horse and part of the Barbie collection, but my husband and I were slightly annoyed that the toy isn't as impressive as you would think from the title JUMPER Tawny. It should be called "Hold My Legs Tawny."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A big hit!, August 13, 2007

By 

T. Galardi (Corvallis, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Mattel Barbie Jumper Tawny Horse with Barbie (Toy)

We got this toy for my daughter's 8th birthday. She takes horseback riding lessons and my older daughter jumps as well, so this present was by far the favorite. My girls already love to play horse jumping games and this horse is perfect for that. The jump itself is a bit of a hassle because you can move the poles around and they fall off easily, but other than that this toy has been a huge hit around our house.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to horse collection, January 28, 2008

By 

J. Wilson (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mattel Barbie Jumper Tawny Horse with Barbie (Toy)

My 6 year old pony-collecting daughter loves this horse and "jumps" her around the house with and without the barbie rider. The jump, stand and other accessories are cheap but the pony seems very durable. I read a negative review because it didn't jump on its own like the similar Tawny walking pony - but come on now, what do you expect? I love that it doesn't require on/off switch or frequent battery replacement, yet it is complex enough to teach a realistic jumping technique. Especially great if your horse-fan prefers hands-on play. Price varies a lot - Amazon had the best!