| Issue #38, December 14, 2006 |
A Christmas Carousel
Ever since I was old enough to covet, I have put the same gift at the top of my Christmas list: a horse. And although my paychecks have not amounted to enough to support a living, breathing horse as of yet, my first horse still resides beside my bed, as he has for the past twenty years. Teaks, my horse, was the best Christmas gift I ever received, and although he is now bleached bright green, I will always remember the moment when I ran down the stairs in my one-piece pajama suit and saw a beautiful, furry, dark bay pony sitting underneath the Christmas tree. There is something special about a rocking horse – maybe it is that mesmerizing motion, as close to a real horse’s gait as any toy can come, or just having a toy that you can actually ride. Whatever the appeal, rocking horses are as much a part of the Christmas tradition as Santa Claus, and have gone through just as many metamorphoses. From Victorian wooden rockers and the spring-loaded ponies of my childhood, to the Fur Real animatronic pony, a rocking horse might be the best Christmas gift that any little girl or boy could get on Christmas morning.
The very first “rocking horses” in documented history were wheeled horses used by medieval knights during jousting practice. It was not until 1851, however, when Queen Victoria visited the London studio of master carver J. Collinson and took home a dapple-grey pony that the rocking horse became a staple of nurseries and family rooms across the kingdom. The Queen’s rocking horse was a traditional horse on deep, bow rockers. Dappled bow-rockers like Queen Victoria’s became the most popular models in Victorian households, until safety concerns over their instability prompted P.J. Marqua of Cincinnati, Ohio, to invent the swinger stand in 1877. In 1880, Herbert Haddon patented a similar stand in Britain and rocking horses on both sides of the Atlantic were mounted on safety stands from that day forward. There was some variation, of course, and in the spirit of the medieval knights, rocking horse tricycles were also popular during and after the Edwardian era. In the 1950s, active American children craved a more realistic, jaunty ride and gave up the simple, back-and-forth rockers in favor of horses attached to metal frames by big steel springs, posed in full gallop. Most spring horses were plastic, and needed to be kept out of the sun to discourage fading, thus making them a less desirable collectors’ item than their mahogany ancestors. This year, the Fur Real Friends Butterscotch Interactive Pony sold out within weeks of its release, due to its promise that it would respond to voices and pats with a turn of its head, make pony sounds when brushed or touched, and even walk in place when mounted.
Rocking horses of every type are readily available on the Internet and at toy stores worldwide. There are even specialty “rocking horse stables” where you can purchase handmade horses or even commission a custom-made rocker. But, which type of rocking horse is right for your family? I adored the fuzzy coating on my springy Teaks, but I would have also loved to brush and braid a traditional rocker’s long mane and tail. If you have a very young child, a plush, huggable, low-to-the-ground horse is the best option. However, if you want your child to be able to ride their horse for more than a year or so, and keep him as an heirloom for the next generation, you may want to invest in a larger, wooden swinger-stand horse. If your child spends more time outside than in, a tricycle horse can withstand years of outdoor rides. For a more realistic ride, a spring-mounted horse will allow for a wider range of motion and more lively play. The limited 90-day warranty of the Fur Real pony makes her the shortest-lived of the bunch, but for a true horse person in the making, the responsive toy might be the closest substitute for the companionship of a real horse. There really is no substitute for the elegance of a traditional, wooden bow rocker and if your child will be supervised during rides, or if you are searching for an elaborate holiday decoration to rival even the most magnificent of Douglas Firs, then perhaps it is time to search for that special, Victorian-styled pony set in a deep, wooden bow that will live with your family for generations to come.
– Sabrina C. Mashburn
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