Spritely
In 1971, our family made one of its most important decisions. We would purchase our own home. In spite of having only one very limited salary, four children less than eight years of age, a minimum deposit and all the financial pressures of a young family, we went ahead in faith. Getting a mortgage was difficult, but not as difficult as interest rates kept rising until they were over 17%. We were under mortgage stress. We had no debts, no credit cards, bought food carefully, ate home cooked meals, wore second hand clothes, enjoyed stay-at-home holidays and gave hand-made presents to each other for birthdays and Christmas. But we survived and paid off our home.
The unexpected thing was the way the children responded to the homemade toys. Ask them now and they will tell you their very best toys from childhood were the dolly so beautifully dressed, with her bed with blankets, sheets and pillows all hand-made, and the two storey doll’s house, with the doors at the back revealing every room with its miniature furniture and miniature garden; or the bright red fire engine in which the young driver could sit and steer with its ladder on the roof, its large chrome tap, hose and brass bell; or the pioneer fort with its walls and gates, log cabin, Indian village and soldiers; or the farm with its railing fences, dam, cow shed, animals, and gates; or the billy-cart with its special brake, steering and number plates; or the marble game, where the marbles ran down the various inclines and came out at the bottom of the tower to land in numbered holes to score. Not only do they remember them, but they have mostly stayed with their owners, and have been enjoyed by the next generation of their children.
Forgotten are the expensive battery operated electronic toys we were later able to purchase. The handmade toys have been enjoyable for two generations, and some will go down to the third generation. Which gave me the desire to make something for the ten grandchildren that might be enjoyed by all. Before the twentieth century ended, I wanted to give them a toy that I had always wanted as a child but never had, a toy that might become a family heirloom.
So in May 2000, I purchased a book, “The Rocking Horse Maker” by Anthony Dew, which contained the plans. I also went to McGrath’s Hill to visit Chris and Viktoria Woolcock, Australia’s only full time makers, restorers and teachers of all things rocking horse. Chris shares his 30 years experience with any visitor interested in learning. Chris has received worldwide acclaim for his hand carved wooden rocking horses with pieces on display from London to New York and carousel horses used as static displays in public places. As a craftsman trained in the old style by his grandfather, Chris’ rocking horses are a sound investment for the collector or as an heirloom gift from a loving parent or grandparent that may be passed down for generations. It only required one visit to inspire me, and another to buy the various kinds of timber I would require plus the leather tack, the saddle leather, the plaid saddle rug, the real horse hair mane, eye lashes, tail and those special eyes, the stirrups and iron work and other bits and pieces for the rocking mechanism and I was off.
Every day off (a Monday) would see me with patterns, draw knife and spokeshave, gouges, chisels and wood mallet, rasp and sand paper, glue, screws and dowels and gradually the horse was carved and the rocker stand was made. Crude toy horses placed upon wheels were made for children as far back as ancient Greece and Egypt. During the medieval ages hobbyhorses became popular children’s toys, consisting of nothing more than a carved horse head placed at the end of a long stick. The child would place the stick between his/her legs and “ride” the horse. Such hobbyhorses can still be found today!
Rocking horses first appeared in England in the 17th century. The golden age of the rocking horse was between 1850 and 1920 but especially in the late nineteenth century. They were realistically carved and painted, in a variety of sizes and styles often with a mane and tail of real horsehair. The bow rocking horse has a flying gallop posture with outstretched legs attached at the hooves to curved rockers. These were called bow rockers and became popular with wealthy parents.
The problem with the bow rocking horses was that they tended to be quite dangerous if the horse tipped over sideways. Their heavy weight could also crush small fingers and toes and they tended to wreak havoc on the walls and floor. But then came the safety rocking horse, patented in 1880, where the horse’s legs were attached to parallel bars slung by brackets from a sturdy frame. Not only did it require less space, it was safer to use. This was what I was making.
Rocking horses in the 19th century were made of timber in block sections. The body and head were of softwood, usually yellow pine that was easy to carve, while the legs were made from hardwood, commonly beech, with ash favoured for the rockers. Twenty-one separate wooden pieces go into making the horse, six for the body, one for the head, one for the neck, two for the ears, two side pieces for the neck, another for under the chest, and the four legs each had a small piece glued to the top for addition muscle. Another nine pieces go to making up the swinging stand. Timber from New Zealand, Malaysia and Australia are usually used.
At the turn of the twentieth century horses were a vital part of life. In the country they provided muscle and in the town, powered transport. It was no wonder that children enjoyed toy horses. None was more attractive and desirable as the rocking horse. In wealthy households, where children spent hours separated from their parents in the nursery, the most favourite item was the rocking horse. More than any other toy of the period it came to symbolise the stability and endurance of Victorian family life. They were seen as an educational toy at a time when real horses provided the only means of transport, as they offered a relatively safe way of learning the basics of riding at the early age, all in the safety and comfort of the nursery regardless of the weather.
Rocking horses were very popular in Australia and most were imported until the onset of the First World War when importation ceased. After the War, some Australian manufacturers made them and although the rocking horse continued to be a favourite, handed down through families, manufacture of traditional horses largely ceased about 1960. A few carvers like Chris Woolcock kept the tradition alive (http://www.rockinghorses.com.au/about-rocking-horses.htm).
The rocking horse is realistically carved and painted usually, in dappled grey. The horse is depicted with out stretched legs at a full gallop complete with turned back hooves. The action and movement of the horse is further intensified by the expression on the horse’s face with flared nostrils, staring eyes and bared teeth, which make the horse appear quite ferocious. The design of the rocking horse in the flying horse gallop position came from the depiction of horses in art appearing in hunting and racing scenes around 1780.
By the 1820s it was accepted that horses ‘flew’ across fields of canvas with fully extended strides. The feeling of greater movement was achieved by the bend in the hind fetlocks with the hooves turned back. Gradually the flying gallop posture was adopted by rocking horse carvers. This had the benefit of being symmetrical in its stance. The obsession with life-like realism is seen especially in Victorian rocking horses, which were finely modelled with anatomically correct carved muscles, shapely legs and expressive heads.
A typical feature of English wooden horses was the use of gesso (or whitening), which prepared the surface of the wood for painting. Gesso provides a fine, smooth surface prior to painting and hides any join marks or small pits in the timber. It is made of chalk and animal glue, and is applied hot in several coats. Many early rocking horses were painted white with black spots but the familiar dapple-grey appeared in the 19th century.
One story is that King George IV in England favoured grey horses because the colour blended with his grey riding breeches, making him appear slimmer while mounted on his steed. Rocking horses are more than a great toy for a child; they are a distinguished piece of history! In fact private collectors and museums currently display some dating back to the 17th century, including one once owned by King Charles the First of England when he was a child.
The children of nobility in the last two centuries enjoyed elaborate handcrafted masterpieces, featuring leather saddles, glass eyes, and manes and tails composed of real horsehair. In fact they were so grand that children would learn the basics of riding on these rocking horses. Naturally such horses were unobtainable to the common populace including my parents. But there is an increasing quantity of craftsmen returning to the rocking horse art, restoring the old pieces and creating new works of art that will be valued for decades to come.
Our ten grandchildren took great interest in the horse’s creation, gradual smoothing, the painting (about twenty coats to give a wonderful dappled colour, then antiquing) the building of the rocker stand, the attachment of the horse, the making of the saddle, the rug, the tack, and finally the gluing in of the eye lashes, the real eyes, the mane and the tail. I gave it a solid test ride, confident that any child would be safe. Then each of the ten grandchildren, and some of their parents also rode him (it is definitely a stallion, I carved him so!).
They decided to call him “Spritely” and in his first year he was ridden the distance of Sydney to Melbourne and back! Today, he stands in our dining room a family treasure. His mane has been platted a hundred times and ribbons have adorned his tail. One son found a genuine antique 19th century rocking horse in pieces and Chris Woolcock beautifully restored it. His daughter, Scarlett, learned to ride on “Spritely” then graduated to other horses, and now competes in club competitions and at a recent Royal Easter Show won “Best in Show” to go with her hundreds of trophies.
“Spritely”, like all hand crafted rocking horses, has a navel. If unblocked it leads into the cavity inside his body. There is a parchment inside giving his name, date of birth, carver, maker, and the names of the grandchildren who first rode him. Perhaps in a few generations, some restorer will find the history. Today, he is valued at $3,750 but far more to us than that. There is nothing that either lasts or gives such enjoyment, both to the maker and those who receive, than a hand made gift. Just as I thought the ten grandchildren had ridden him all they desired, and “Spritely” could be put out to stud, we learnt we were to have an eleventh grandchild. She is now of the age when she can be placed in the saddle and learn the delights of making a horse with real hair and eyes gallop in the dining room.
Don’t underestimate the value of home made presents. Even children can understand the love and time that goes into your efforts. The quality and sturdiness will last long after other toys have rusted and are broken. If you are one of the families suffering mortgage stress, (see http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2008/03/20/how-to-cope-with-mortgage-stress/) start planning your birthday and Christmas presents now.
Do not leave it to the last minute, for homemade presents need time as well as love and good intentions. Don’t allow your debts to accumulate because you choose the fast financial option. And who knows, maybe the presents made in tough times will turn out to be family heirlooms.
Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C.
