KEEP ON ROCKING

Among the many amazing artefacts at the V&A Museum in London is a wooden rocking horse dating back to the early 1600s. It’s the earliest bow rocking horse to have survived and is believed to have been used by a young King Charles I.

Nearly three centuries later, another monarch triggered a boom in the popularity of rocking horses. Queen Victoria arrived on a dapple-grey horse for her visit to J. Collinson and Sons, a Liverpool rocking horse company. From that day forth, they only ever used grey paint for their products!

The heyday of traditional rocking horse makers has long passed, as children were enticed instead by exciting new toys, from bicycles to computers. Yet there remains a market driven not only by nostalgia, but also for quality craftsmanship. Sue Graham is among those with a passion for restoring the horses, focusing on the famous Collinson brand. “Having done some furniture restoration before, I had thought about working on a rocking horse but wasn’t sure if I had the skills to do it,” said Sue. “Finally, I bought a small Collinson horse on eBay and it was in such bad condition that I had no choice but to strip it down to the bare wood and see what was underneath. That’s where my interest started.”

“Some models were very expensive and targeted at the children of wealthy families. But Collinson made a more affordable horse. There’s was a workhorse; the cob of the trade! They sold in large numbers and many have survived. Because of that, they’re not the most desirable name for collectors and are relatively cheap to buy.”

“However, most are in a poor condition, as they haven't been used in decades. They might have been kept for future generations, but ended up sitting in a shed or attic, gradually deteriorating.”

Restoration project by Sue Graham

©Toby Phillips Photography/AAH

PULLING THE REINS

Today, there is a demand for restored horses. They might not be popular with most children, but do make a special gift for those with a passion for horses. They also make for interesting decorative feature for the home.

New models are expensive, so restoration can be a more affordable alternative. However, Sue says there can sometimes be a huge amount of work required to bring an old horse up to scratch.

“Jaws are a common problem, as children would often pull on the reins too hard and the faces are fragile! They get bashed around by excited children, or placed too close to walls and bash against them. Saddlery is often missing or needs re-upholstering. Many horses even had secret slot holes and I often hear coins rattling around inside of them!”

“I attended a wood carving course to improve my skills. I was never interested in carving my own horse, because it's very physical work, but wanted to be able to replace smaller parts, such as a jaw or leg, if I needed to. That’s been very helpful.”

“Many rocking horses even had secret slot holes and I often hear coins rattling around inside.”

“People don’t realise how much work goes into it. Even the hair of the mane and tails are real horse hair, which isn’t cheap. But the most time-consuming part of the process is painting. Once you’re down to bare wood, you need to apply several layers of gesso, made with a rabbit skin glue, which hides blemishes and treats the wood. Once that has been sanded down to a smooth surface, it leaves a beautiful marble effect. I’m always tempted to leave it like that, as it has a translucent shine. But for a proper Collinson restoration, you need to prime it and give it a dapple-grey finish. I can 't quite bring myself to do a brown horse, as it just doesn 't work as well!”

©Toby Phillips Photography/AAH

A HOBBY HORSE

Sue’s passion isn ’t born out of a sense of nostalgia, as she didn ’t have a rocking horse of her own growing up. Instead, it’ s inspired by a love of horses. She has ridden since childhood, but that was largely curtailed by an accident five years ago. After fracturing five vertebrae in a fall, Sue took heed and swapped galloping for a gentle rocking motion! Still, Sue believes her interest in all things equine helps with restoration work, as she is familiar with the facial features of the animals.

Whilst not actively pursuing projects, Sue does take commissions. One client asked for an imitation of a racehorse, which was fortunately a grey! Another project was to restore a rocking horse for a girl called Verity, who made national headlines when only a toddler by riding her beloved Shetland pony, Noodles. Both clients were delighted with the result, although Sue ’ s style isn ’t for everyone.

“It’ s difficult working to somebody else ' s brief, ” she said. “Some want an authentic look, with everything looking as it would when it was made. That means restoring the original paint and ironwork and creating an antique look. ” “This is an enjoyable retirement hobby for me and not something I do for a living. I like to restore a rocking horse so that it looks new, ready to be used and loved again. One of the reasons I work with Collinson horses is that they ’ re not antique, but vintage. I’ m enhancing a possible antique of the future.”

WORDS: BEN MORRIS PHOTOS: TOBY PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY

Further Details: To contact Sue about rocking horse restoration, please email: bulahill@btinternet.com