Rocking horses are one of the greatest treasures a child can have, much more than just a beautiful wooden toy, they are a lovingly hand crafted piece of history! Dating back to the 17th century, many private collectors and museums are now preserving these magnificent creatures for our future generations. The V & A museum of childhood currently displays a rounded base wooden "rocker" dating back to 1610, which it is believed, was once owned by King Charles I, made for him when he was a child to strengthen his legs and aid his recovery from rickets.
Despite the prominence and rise of rocking horses, which first appeared during the Georgian and Victorian periods, there is some evidence that crude wooden horses with wheels were once made for the children of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Though the proof of this is sketchy at best, it is not unreasonable to assume that a time which produced temples and pyramids, would be more than capable of producing a simply fashioned childrens wheeled toy.
The forerunner to todays rocking horses were of course hobby horses, sometimes also referred to as "broomstick horses" which were popular with children as far back as medieval times. Nothing more than a horse head fashioned from a flat piece of wood and attached to the end of a broom stick, these traditional childrens toys would be "ridden" by their galant riders, no doubt into some battle or fighting off the invading marauders from a distant land. Hobby horses can still be found and bought today, though their popularity has naturally wained in favour of the realism that a rocking horse provides.
Tags: childrens toys, rev, rocking horse, Toys, TP, traditional, Wood
