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A rocking horse is a child's Toy Horses
(from the
File:Gustav IIIs gunghäst - Livrustkammaren - 81810.tif, Wood-sculpted rocking horse on gilded stand, possibly belonging to King
Happy Trails
(rocking horse article from the Smithsonian website) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rocking Horse Physical activity and dexterity toys Traditional toys Wooden toys
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A rocking horse is a child's toy
A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...
, usually shaped like a horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
and mounted on rockers similar to a rocking chair
A rocking chair or rocker is a type of chair with two curved bands (also known as rockers) attached to the bottom of the legs, connecting the legs on each side to each other. The rockers contact the floor at only two points, giving the occupant ...
. There are two sorts, the one where the horse part sits rigidly attached to a pair of curved rockers that are in contact with the ground, and a second sort, where the horse hangs on a rigid frame by iron straps the horse moves only relative to the frame, which does not move.
Predecessors of the rocking horse may be seen in the tilting seats used during the Middle Ages for jousting
Jousting is a medieval and renaissance martial game or hastilude between two combatants either on horse or on foot. The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism.
The term is derived from Old French , ultim ...
practice as well as the wheeled hobby horse
In folklore, a hobby horse is a costumed character that features in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. In England, they are particularly associated with May Day celebrations, mummers' plays a ...
. The toy in its current form did not appear before the 17th century,(from the
V&A Museum of Childhood
Young V&A, formerly the V&A Museum of Childhood, is a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum (the "V&A"), which is the United Kingdom's national museum of applied arts. It is in Bethnal Green in the East End of London, and specialises in obje ...
website) though some conflicting sources note medieval manuscripts including references to carved rocking horses, presumably of the toy kind.
From the 19th century onward, rocking horses became more commonly considered as child's toy. Mostly built by hobby woodcrafters, and ranging from relatively crude to finely ornamented and the toys of future kings, it was not until the late 19th century that the production became industrialised.
In 2006, the Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
certified Katlinel and Les Hartness of California as having the largest hand-carved wooden rocking horse on record. This rocking horse was built in 2000 and is 7 feet 8 inches (234 cm) tall and weighs 1,200 pounds (680 kg). It can be seen at renaissance fair
A Renaissance Festival (medieval fair or ren faire) is an outdoor gathering that aims to entertain its guests by recreating a historical setting, most often the English Renaissance.
Renaissance festivals generally include costumed entertainers ...
es, faerie festivals, and at private parties and events where up to 3 adults or 4-5 children can ride it together at one time. According to Les and Katlinel, the youngest rider has been six weeks old and the oldest, 94 years.
Gallery
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden.
Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he s ...
as a child
File:Winchendon Rocking Horse.jpg, Statue of a rocking horse in Winchendon, Massachusetts
Winchendon ( ), nicknamed Toy Town, is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,364 at the 2020 census. The town includes the villages of Waterville and Winchendon Springs (also known as Spring Village). A ...
, USA
File:En pojke rider på en mekanisk gunghäst - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0052584.jpg, Boy riding a mechanical rocking horse in 1880s Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
File:Dala Häst Hobby Rawkr.jpg, Dala Häst Hobby Rawkr
See also
* Big Rocking Horse *Hobby horse
In folklore, a hobby horse is a costumed character that features in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. In England, they are particularly associated with May Day celebrations, mummers' plays a ...
* Spring rider
A spring rider or spring rocker is a bouncy, outdoors playing device, invented in the 1960s in Italy by the company Pozza. It mainly consists of a metal spring beneath a plastic or wooden central beam or flange, with 1 to 4 plastic or fibergl ...
References
External links
Happy Trails
(rocking horse article from the Smithsonian website) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rocking Horse Physical activity and dexterity toys Traditional toys Wooden toys
Horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
Horses in popular culture