Little Cowboy

The Rocking Horse has a long history dating back to hundreds of years. Examples of such horses have been found in Greece and Persia dating back to 400 B.C. In the 1300’s jousting tournaments were re-enacted by children on wheeled horses, and by the 19th century many pull along horses were in existence.

These early rocking horses were not on rockers, they had a round barrel body and were mounted on four wheels. If the child’s legs reached the ground, they could move themselves about on the horse. Simple hobby horses, with stuffed heads mounted on broomsticks were also quite popular for centuries.

The oldest rocking horse on rockers in existence is believed to have belonged to King Charles the First of England and is now in the V & A Museum of Childhood in London. This horse is a crude elm and soft wood horse dating to about 1610.

Throughout the ensuing years the rocking horse became more elaborate and realistic in appearance. The wood was covered with gesso, rubbed down to a smooth finish, painted and fitted with a full harness and saddle. Wealthy families would use these horses to train their children to ride.

Rocking horses became very popular during the 19th century. When Queen Victoria was taken by a grey dappled rocking horse that was manufactured by J. Collinson of Liverpool in 1851, it fueled the desire of many middle class families to own one. This is the design that most people envision when they think of a rocking horse.

Even though Europe led the way in the development of the rocking horse, it was an American J.P.Marqua, who in 1871 invented a safety stand with the horse suspended on a static frame with swing irons. European designers were quick to realize the advantages of this design. It removed the danger of of the horse tipping over or body parts being trapped under the runners.

The skills for crafting wooden rocking horses almost disappeared during the 20th century but are making a comeback today as parents around the world are recognizing the durability and basic beauty of wooden toys. In many families the quality of the the wooden rocking horses is such that they are heirlooms to be passed from generation to generation, along with the memories of childhood.

Of course there are less expensive rocking horses being made today using a wide range of materials from stuffed plush to plastic, and costing as little as 20 dollars. A small price to pay for the hours of pleasure that is derived from the rocking horse.