Rocking Horse - Classic Toy Series Traditional Geocache

This cache is part of a series on classic toys that originated no later than the 1970's. Most will have originated earlier, much earlier. I wanted to bring a little history behind these toys in the cache page and a little fun in the cache.

Making horses into children's toys has been a pastime for many hundreds of years worldwide. It is known that hobby horses existed in Persia as well as ancient Greece around 400BC. In the 1300's, with the Age of Chivalry, wheeled horses were made for children to re-enact jousting games and by the mid nineteenth century many pull-along horses were made in England, Europe and America. The earliest known arrival of the rocking horse was half-moon shaped with boarded sides and log body between the two rockers and a very naive head. It is believed that it may have derived from the cradle. The earliest one known to still exist is said to have belonged to King Charles I and dates from C1610. This type of rocking horse was developed through the next couple of centuries with the heads and bodies becoming more sophisticated and ornately carved and painted.

The horse on bow rockers that we know and love today was a product of eighteenth century England. It was popular with the wealthy and it is said they were used to help develop children's' balance for riding real horses.



The safety-stand was an American invention patented in England in 1880 by Philip Marqua. Surprisingly this patent was not renewed and now anyone can make horses on safety-stands. By the early 20th century the safety-stand horses became far more popular than the bow rockers mainly because so much less space was required to ride the horse and they gave a shorter, more controlled ride for children.

The most well known and sought after of the antique rocking horses were made by F.H Ayres who was based in London from the 1860's also making sports goods and board games. Their rocking horses, on both bows and safety-stands, were sold through major outlets such as Harrods and Selfridges and often bore the shop's name on the base of the stand. Other well-known makes from the late 19th century and early 20th century include J&G Lines, G&J Lines, Lines Bros. Wilson, Collinson and Leeway.

During the 20th century there was a significant decline in rocking horse makers, largely as a result of the World Wars and the Great Depression. By the 1960s it seemed like the craft was disappearing forever. Fortunately, a few skilled craftsmen began returning to the art of making rocking horses, restoring old pieces to their former glory and creating new designs. It is thanks to the work of those determined craftsmen and all those working at Stevenson Brothers today, that these beautiful toys continue to enchant adults and children alike all over the world.

The cache location has been approved by Brian Russart of the Milwaukee County Department of Parks. Permit # 525

This cache placed by a member of: (click to visit our website)