I remember that when I was a small child my favourite book was “Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse” by Ursula Moray Williams. It was the magical tale of a hand crafted wooden horse which set off to find its fortune when its maker ran into hard times. How I loved that story and it was probably because of my repeated appeals to hear it again that my parents bought me a rocking horse for my bedroom. My horse was a relatively inexpensive model and it wasn’t wooden but how I enjoyed it anyway. These days you rarely see rocking horses and I think kids are missing out on a real joy.

Development

Simulating horse riding was a game which dates back as far as ancient Greece and Persia where hobby horses (sticks with horses’ heads) were ridden by children in the streets. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that the toy developed into something like what we think of as a rocking horse and large models were used by knights to practice swordsmanship and jousting. The oldest known example of a horse fashioned for a child dates from around 1610. This was a crude construction with half-moon rockers and a log for a body which is believed to have belonged to Charles I. By the 18th Century rocking horses were becoming more sophisticated toys but it wasn’t until the Victorian era that they developed into a really popular choice and then only amongst the wealthy.

The Victorian Era

In those days the Queen was the trend setter and when she visited J Collinson in Liverpool and rode a dappled grey example the horses were thrust into the limelight. Where the Queen went society always followed and soon the rocking horse became a feature of most well to do children’s nurseries. At this time the horses were mounted on bow rockers but there were safety concerns as the young riders could be thrown over the head of the horse or trap their siblings’ fingers under the rockers. The problem was solved in 1877 when P.J. Marqua of Cincinnati patented a new safety stand. As the industrial Revolution took hold rocking horses became available to the middle classes too and remained a popular choice until well into the 20th century.

New Toys

Sadly these days Rocking horses are a rare sight in the nursery. Many modern families don’t have the room for these rather large contraptions and children have altogether more high-tech toys to entertain them. As a child I could never have dreamed of the array of toys and gadgets which are available now. We didn’t even have a colour television and there was no such thing as a video recorder let alone a DVD player. Phones were large plastic blocks with rotary dials that stayed firmly in the house and games were things you played with pieces out of a box not with a controller.

Imagination

I can’t help thinking that something has been lost since the heyday of the rocking horse and it is probably imagination. With your faithful steed you could be a knight, a princess or a jockey without even leaving your room. You can still get your hands on some great rocking horses and I think they are well worth the investment for the hours of enjoyment and the spark of imagination that they inspire.

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Article by Sally Stacey