My daughter has been collecting animals, primarily horses, since before she was 2. We have hundreds of animals from all manufacturers. The Schleich animals are by far the best out there. The quality, durability and beauty of these animals is top-notch. My daughter will not play with animals that cannot stand up on their own so we end up tossing out a lot of the lesser quality animals that get "weak ankles" after a few weeks. This has never been a problem with Schleich. Well worth the extra couple of dollars for a quality product your child will love for many years!