A wooden rocking horse whether it is for an adult or as is typical, a child, can be found in households the length and breadth of Britain and worldwide. The first wooden rocking horses as we would recognize them now, were all bow rockers, made on runners like a rocking chair and introduced in the late 1500's to early 1600's. By the late 1800's the advent of the safety stand was on its way. This was patented by an American but only for a short time so anyone can now produce a rocking horse on safety stand. The child's rocking horse became most popular in Queen Victoria's reign for the more wealthy families and they were not only used for pleasure but as a training aid before mounting a real horse.
By the twentieth century the safety stand had taken over from the bow rocker, the reasons for this are two fold, space saving and less accidents. Space saving because the stand does not move around the floor like a bow and less accidents because your toes don't get pinched on a stand. They are making a revival, now, in the twenty first century, not just for the wealthy but for all and the time span of this popular toy shows how well loved they are. Its not very often you will see a toy still in mint condition and over 25 years old, but children's wooden rocking horses are the exception. Sometimes they gather dust until the next generation of wooden rocking horse lovers come along and then they come back to life for another ten years. Even if they deteriorate over time Wooden rocking horses can be repaired by craftsmen to a very high standard.
This is why they become heirlooms just like your 'mothers' wedding ring or your 'fathers' cufflinks and they are here to stay.
By Jon Skinkis| Wooden rocking horses love to be rode whether its by an adult or a child and they never get tired. |
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