Children will always prefer a rocking horse instead of a simple chair. Although it is easy to find, they are for children up to 8 years old, it can be difficult finding one for a child who is 10 or 12 years old. That is where easy to follow rocking horse plans come in. You can build the project to fit any sized kid or adult for that matter. A gift of a rocking horse can bring a smile and light up the eyes of most any kid. It is a gift for all kids as boys and girls both love to play one. On this horse they can dream of being a cowboy or cowgirl, riding in the old west.

It was a joy when we used to ride the mechanical horses for a quarter in department stores or the carousel horses at the amusement park. With the right tools and the horse plans, you can build your child or grandchild a toy that they will have hours of fun on and be proud that it was hand made, just for them. Some people think that the skill level is just too high in order to build a rocking horse. Not so. You don’t need to be an expert in the field of woodworking for a rocking horse project and what better way to learn when you know that the finished product will bring so much happiness to a kid. With a great set of rocking horse plans and a little patience this can be a great first project.

Of course, you will have to put some thought and preparation into this project. You need to know what type of wood is needed and the tools to do the work. If you have any kind of basic tools that are used for normal repairs around the house you may have everything needed. If you get serious about taking up woodworking as a hobby, the investment in the few extra tools will soon pay for it self easily. A few basic tools used will be a hammer, a sander, some sandpaper and a couple of saws. You may could get by with a handsaw but you will need jig saw to cut curves. You will need a bench or table to work on and layout your rocking horse plans. This is one project that you will continue to enjoy as you see the kids having fun and the pride you have, not only in the workmanship but in the knowledge that your work is supplying all the fun and laughter in your yard.

The Rocking Horse has a long and distinguished history and making such horses for use as children’s toys has been a pastime for hundreds of years all over the world. The rocking horse and its larger cousin, the carousel horse have been entertaining children (and adults) for ages.Some sources say that the rocking horse first made its appearance in the 17th century, possibly as a tool to begin to teach young children how to ride. It wasn’t until two centuries later, during the Victorian era, that rocking horses became the toy of young aristocrats.

Others theorize that the concept of the rocking horse began much earlier and during the Middle Ages. Knights in training would often construct horses to practice jousting and other skills. Of course, the children of that era would want to emulate their heroes on horseback, and it’s possible that smaller versions of the knights’ contraptions might have been toys.

Queen Victoria was the woman responsible for making the rocking horse famous. She had given her children dapple-gray rocking horses. Once the rocking horse obtained the young royal seal of approval, everyone had to have a dapple-gray rocking horse. At first, only the wealthy could afford these state-of-the-art toys. They were hand crafted in small numbers until the industrial age hit and mass production made the rocking horse available to the public.

Up until 1880, rocking horses were mounted on a pair of bowed slabs of wood like a rocking chair. During this period, Philip Marqua of Cincinnati invented the “safety stand”. The safety stand works on the same principle as a gliding rocker. The wooden horse is set on a stand that stays in one place while the safety swing mounted to the frame provides the rocking motion. Overall, the safety stand offered far more stability and appealed to safety-conscious parents. These days, both options are offered on the market. For most people the elegance of a traditional bowed rocker is still part of the attraction of a rocking horse.

The skills for crafting wooden rocking horses almost disappeared during the 20th century but today are making a comeback as parents across the world recognise the durability and basic beauty of wooden toys rather than mass produced plastic artifacts. In many families the quality of the wooden rocking horses are such that they are heirlooms which are passed from generation to generation, along with memories of childhood.

Rocking horses can be as simple as a few flat boards and some stain or as ornate and beautiful as a carousel horse. Some rocking horses have real saddles too. If you’re handy in the workshop, you can make your own rocking horse. There are sites on the internet that offer plans and instructions. This could be a fun project for you and your child to work on together. You can make your rocking horse as fanciful or as simple as you like. In fact, the “rocking horse” doesn’t have to be a horse at all. Some rockers look like swans, unicorns, cars, and motorcycles!