Rocking horse facts for kids
A rocking horse is a fun toy for children. It usually looks like a horse and sits on curved pieces of wood, just like a rocking chair. When you push it, it rocks back and forth.
There are two main kinds of rocking horses. One kind has the horse fixed firmly to the curved rockers that touch the floor. The other kind has the horse hanging from a strong frame using metal straps. With this type, only the horse moves, while the frame stays still on the ground.
History of Rocking Horses
The idea of a rocking toy might have come from things like rocking cradles. People in the Middle Ages also used tilting seats for practicing jousting. Even early wheeled hobby horses could be seen as a step towards the rocking horse.
The rocking horse as we know it today probably first appeared in the 1600s. However, some old writings suggest that carved rocking horses, like toys, might have existed even earlier in the Middle Ages.
Rocking Horses Become Popular
From the 1800s onwards, rocking horses became much more common as toys for children. Many were made by people who enjoyed woodworking as a hobby. These handmade horses ranged from simple designs to very fancy ones, even becoming toys for future kings!
It was not until the late 1800s that companies started making rocking horses in factories. This made them more available to many families.
The World's Largest Rocking Horse
In 2006, the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed a very special rocking horse. It was the largest hand-carved wooden rocking horse ever recorded!
This giant horse was built in the year 2000 by Katlinel and Les Hartness from California. It stands 7 feet 8 inches tall, which is taller than most adults. It also weighs a huge 1,200 pounds, which is about the same as a small car!
You can often see this amazing rocking horse at renaissance faires and faerie festivals. It also appears at private parties and events. Up to three adults or four to five children can ride it at the same time. The youngest rider has been just six weeks old, and the oldest was 94 years old!
Gallery
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A rocking horse that might have belonged to King Gustav III of Sweden when he was a child.
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A large statue of a rocking horse in Winchendon, Massachusetts, USA.
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A boy riding a mechanical rocking horse in the 1880s in Stockholm.
See also
In Spanish: Caballo balancín para niños
