Few 200-year-old hobby horses have survived. So replicas were built by cycle enthusiasts to enjoy the sensations that would have been experienced by the original pioneers. There were no pedals in those days. To move forwards, the rider sat astride of the machine and walked it along, and then coasted once they had built up sufficient speed. It was known as ‘Swift-walking’.
1818 Hobby Horse
1970s Reproduction built by Bill Haylor
25.5″ Wheels
LENGTH: 60″
WIDTH: 23″
HEIGHT: 46″
This hobby horse was built by Bill Haylor of Copthorne, East Sussex in the 1970s. Bill is now in a care home, aged 96, and I bought it from a friend of his daughter.
It’s in excellent all round condition and ready to ride (actually to ‘swift walk’). You can see me taking it for a spin in the video further down the page. While it might not be the type of machine you would think of using to pop down to Tesco or to the pub to watch the football, once you put on a top hat and propel it along the street you’d be amazed how well received it is by other road users…
DENIS JOHNSON’S HOBBY HORSE
Denis Johnson (born 1760) was a coachmaker who patented the ‘Pedestrian Curricle’, or ‘Hobby Horse’, in England. His premises were located at 75 Long Acre, London.
It seems that just over 300 machines were built, with production having been estimated at around 25 a week. Two were sold in May 1819 to the Duke of Northumberland for £11 each. The early machines were steered by long, curved, iron rods that connected to the front wheel hub, but most were made with the handlebar operating directly onto the top of the front forks. Johnson managed to improve the hobby horse with iron forks instead of wood, and a curved frame that was more elegant and lighter (around 50 lbs).
Riding schools were established to teach people how to ride this revolutionary new form of independent transportation.
PINNOCK’S CATECHISM OF MECHANICS
The following explanation of the Hobby Horse appeared in ‘Pinnock’s Catechism of Mechanics,’ published in 1823.
