Childhood favourites

Press, 17 March 1987, Page 12

Childhood favourites

Rocking horses — childhood favourites of many people — have been around in nurseries for hundreds of years, and have even become heirlooms after being passed down through generations of families.

A favourite is the grey dappled variety. Today they come in all different shapes and sizes but the genuine article — like grandmother used to rock on — is wooden, looks like a real horse, and has a real mane, tail, and stirrups.

A few rocking horses still exist which date back to the early sixteenth cen-

tury and small toy horses, made out of clay, terracotta or wood were used as playthings 3000 years ago.

Before the rocking restore them to be found all over the world — including several in Christchurch. ’

horse came the “hobby horse,” a long pole with a horse’s head at the top, which was “ridden” by the owner.

Some Victorian rocking horses were made out of hide, stuffed with straw and mounted on rockers or a platform with wheels.

In the ninteenth century the wooden rocking horse took pride of place in the nurseries of England and rocking horse factories were set up.

Even with today’s “disposable” lifestyle the rocking horse still enjoys pride of place in some houses, and there are craftsmen who make and