Rocking Horse History

The Rocking Horses we know of today became popular during the Victorian and Georgian periods, but it is believed that very basic toy horses placed upon wheels were made for children as far back as ancient Greek and Egyptian times.

During the medieval ages "hobby horses" became popular children's toys, these consisted of a fake horses head fixed to the end of a long stick. The child would place the stick between his/her legs and "ride" the horse. Hobby Horses are still a popular Childrens toy today.

It wasn't until the nineteenth century that Rocking Horses became elegant and beautiful heirlooms created by the hands of master craftsmen. The more affluent families and the nobility only could afford these stunning masterpieces. They featured what we have come to expect as standard today - leather saddles, glass eyes and genuine horsehair manes & tails.

King Charles I, was the child owner of what is believed to be the oldest surviving Rocking Horse. Charles was a small, weak child and he was encouraged to ride the horse to gain strength in his legs and improve his balance. In fact it became quite natural that children would learn the basics of riding on these rocking horses, including the side-saddle style.

Most Rocking Horses were originally made on Bow Rockers and it was in 1880 when an American Company released a significant advance in Rocking Horses, the swinging safety stand. The advantages were that it needed far less space and stayed in place rather than steadily moving forwards as the child rocks, making it far safer to use. You will see that most newly crafted Rocking Horses will use the Safety Stand.

It was around the time of the industrial revolution that the horses became more available to more people. Primarily due to an increased middle class but also with lower production costs, however the growth stopped again during the war and the depression.

After this, the rocking horse never did return to its former hey-dey, and in fact were almost completely destroyed instead around the 1960's.

We hope that we can do our part to return the rocking horse art, restoring the old pieces and creating new works of art that will be valued for decades to come.

 

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