1890s Rocking Horse: Adjustable, with Wheels

This rocking horse has a cast iron head on a two-piece wooden body. Handles could be fitted to the large holes at the back of the horse’s head. On the example featured here, either the handles have been cut off or the holes plugged. The same type of cast iron head was made for horse tricycles, in which case a rotating handle would be fitted. It had a sprocket at the centre of its spindle, and its chain, connecting to its rear wheel axle sprocket, could be accessed by removing the wood insert under its mane.

1890s Rocking Horse (French)

Adjustable, with Wheels

Cast Iron Head; Wooden Body

LENGTH: 41″

WIDTH: 14″

HEIGHT (Up): 33″

HEIGHT (Down): 20″

HEALTH & SAFETY: This Victorian rocking horse has wheels attached to its rocker, which can be pulled out to turn it into a pushalong horse, a style popular at the time. What’s much more unusual is its adjustable stand providing both an upper and lower position. Maybe this enabled it to cater to two sizes of child rider, but it would not meet health and safety standards today. I can imagine children losing fingers in its mechanism when trying to lower the action. And I’m not convinced that it would stay up if rocked too strongly in the upright position. It was not in production for long.

GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY: I’m not sure if it’s his played-with unadorned appearance that makes him seem like an untamed horse? Relieved of the clutter of saddle, reins, mane and tail, stripped to the bare basics, devoid of handles on his head to control him and his open eye sockets giving him a ghostly appearance, I wonder if he’s dropped his wheels and escaped the nursery for the wild outdoors?