Rocking Horse S**t hits the Fan!

I am writing this on the day the Irish people go to the polls to decide whether we are to be freed from the iron grip of the eu or have our lives made ever worse by more and more stupid directives.

This is the latest to ‘wind me up’ to an anti eu frenzy!

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Britains’ tradition of rocking horse manufacture could be crippled by new eu safety regulations. According to the new standards, “activity toys” cannot have a height from saddle to floor of more than TWO feet! (or in their bloody directive - 60cm).

The British manufacturers say that, that effectively rules out all but the smallest rocking horses and could not only ruin a £35 million per year cottage industry but also deprive future generations of children of a magnificent traditional toy.

There is something very special about the traditional rocking horse. It occupies pride of place among playthings, to those who have parents who can afford to buy one.

Not only is it solid and dependable, but in many cases is a work of art that is likely to become a family heirloom.

The first toy horses appeared in the 15th century. These were the hobby horses, and in their simplest form might be no more than a stick with a carved head added.

By the late 17th century fully carved horses had begun to appear. These horses comprised a basic wooden structure covered in a thin layer of plaster called gesso.

This is the same as I used on my carvings on the organ front.

The most popular paint finish over this gesso, was a dappled grey, although for the most expensive horses, real animal skins were used.

The horse’s features were usually painted on, perhaps with the addition of glass eyes. The manes and tail were often real horse hair, and the saddles and bridles leather.

Today there are numerous different models from which to choose, but the basic Victorian design has remained largely unchanged.

Traditionally, rocking horse bodies were made of yellow pine, but this wood is now expensive and hard to obtain so woods such as Douglas Fir or Malayan jetlung are used.

Some horses are composed of as many as 16 different pieces of wood. Each horse generally takes between 60 and 80 hours to complete.

Antique rocking horses are now collectors‘ items and are fetching very high prices at auction.

However, if the eu have their wicked way there will be no chance of traditional rocking horses becoming the prized antiques of the next century.

One way round this would be to not to sell them as “activity toys” but label them as “for decorative use only” and then let the children ride them with the horses backsides facing brussels!