Victorian children’s tricycles were often built in the form of a horse. With the popularity of cowboy costumes for kids, particularly after the success of movies and TV series featuring Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry and the Lone Ranger, it may seem surprising that more accessories were not available for kids to turn their bicycles and tricycles into pretend horses.
However, the concept of a horse head on a bicycle or tricycle was subject to various patents, and this prevented most such accessories being sold. Only two sets appear to have been put onto the market. If a child wanted a ‘horse tricycle’ their parents had to buy one of the expensive models built specially by the tricycle manufacturers (see below) rather than cheaply accessorising their own.
You can see the Fernstrom horse head cycle attachment patent futher down the page.
1940s Garton Streamliner Tricycle
with Texas Bronc Accessory Horse Head and Saddle
16″ Front wheel; 10″ Rear Wheels
LENGTH: 36″
WIDTH: 18″
HEIGHT: 25″
The Garton Streamliner tricycle is in excellent original unrestored condition. The paintwork is well-preserved and the tyres and pedals appear nearly new. The 3/4″ juvenile size torpedo grips are attractive and it retains its rear hub caps.
Cowboys were extremely popular at this time, and cowboy outfits were the favourite costume for kids to dress up. The ‘Texas Bronc’ horse head and saddle fitted to this tricycle is a rare accessory used to ‘westernise’ a child’s tricycle or bicycle.
1950s TEXAS BRONC
Southern Toy Mfg Co, Waco, Texas
BALTZ V. BOTTO, (W.D.TENN. 1956)
The Baltz ‘Suspended Horse’ patent (below) did not cover the application of a horse head made to fit a bicycle/tricycle. The court case actually refers to an earlier company that the manufacturer of the ‘Texas Bronc’ was associated with. American court case notes have been archived for some time on the internet, and can provide excellent research information.
WILLIAM BALTZ, INDIVIDUALLY, AND WONDER PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION, PLAINTIFFS, V. AMELIA T. BOTTO, INDIVIDUALLY, AND V.F. BOTTO COMPANY, A PROPRIETORSHIP, AND SOUTHERN TOY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION, DEFENDANTS. CIV. NO. 2738. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, W.D. TENNESSEE, W.D. OCTOBER 31, 1956.
3. The plaintiff, William Baltz, is the patentee and owner of United States Patent No. 2,437,015, issued on March 2, *471471 1948, entitled “Suspended Horse”, and of the reissue thereof, Re. 23,849, dated July 13, 1954; and the plaintiff Wonder Products Company, a Tennessee corporation organized on April 28, 1955, is the exclusive licensee under said original and reissue patent and the said plaintiffs have the right to jointly bring this action.
4. Defendant, Southern Toy Manufacturing Co., is a Texas corporation having its principal office and place of business at Waco, Texas, and is the manufacturer of the “Texas Bronc” and other spring-suspended hobby horses complained of in Civil Action No. 2738, typical models of which are portrayed in Pltfs. Exs. W-3, W-16, W-12, W-13 and W-14, and is selling and has sold said spring-suspended horses within this district within six years prior to the filing of the complaint in this action.
15. Plaintiff, Wonder Products Company, and its predecessors, have made minor changes in the structure and design of its various commercial spring-suspended horses sold as the regular “Wonder Horse,” the “Wonder Horse DeLuxe”, the “Wonder Mare”, and the “Wonder Pony” and have paid royalties to Baltz under the exclusive license on all such models of spring-suspended hobby horses, said royalties totalling $239,849.41, from May 1, 1949 through December 31, 1955.
Texas Bronc court case thanks to – https://casetext.com/case/baltz-v-botto
