Tools: Desk, pony, Exacto razor, scissors, tweezers (or pliers), patience

        There are three generations of My Little Pony toys to collect--G1, from 1983-1993, G2, from 1993-1999, and G3, from 2003-present. As a collector of G1s I tend to avoid customizing them, unless the pony is in terrible condition, otherwise known as 'bait.' A pony typically used as bait has one or more of the following issues--matted hair, symbol/eye rubs, stains and markings, pony 'cancer' (a mold that grows in plastic), hair cuts or missing hair, chew marks, funky smell, rusted tail, or just plain ugly (imo BBEs fit this bill). If a pony is considered 'unsalvagable' by a collector, it is fair game for most customizers, although sometimes customizers go against this rule of thumb and use a new to fair pony.

          In this tutorial you will see some of my recent customs. The first and second phases show my Chinese themed pony, Taoist Zen, prior to completion.

          The first phase of customizing is selecting a pony to use as bait. Taoist Zen began life as a funky smelling, stain covered G3 Sunny Daze with matted hair (see the first picture in the gallery below)...yikes. It's always best to clean a bait with soap and water prior to painting on her, so that the paint will embed on her surface.

          After cleaning your bait, it's time to remove her hair. The easiest way to do this is to first remove her head. Some G3s have heads that turn (this makes life easier!) but since Sunny Daze's head is locked tight with glue, it's time to use an Exacto razor to remove it. If you will notice, Sunny Daze, like all ponies before her, has a seam that separates her head from her neck (see the second picture). Using your Exacto, carefully inch up and inside the neck seam until you split the seam open (see the third, fourth pictures).

Once you've finished removing her head (see the first picture in the gallery below), you need to remove her tail. Using a long pair of tweezers (or pliers), alternate between pushing and pulling the tail out of the body through the neck (see the second and third pictures below). Continue until the entire tail is out (fourth picutre).

Next comes the mane. Using scissors (first pic below), cut off the mane so that stubs of hair remain on the pony's neck (second pic below). Then, using tweezers or pliers, remove the glue and remaining hair in the pony's head until she is bald (third,fourth and fifth pictures below). Toss unwanted hair in the trash. Your bait is now ready for the second phase--in this case, a full body repaint.