Rocking horse
The rocking horse is a mostly wooden horse on runners (also gaited ), usually used as a children's toy . It's usually big enough for a toddler to sit on and rock on. The center of gravity must be lower than the center of the circle from which the ankles are arches.
Some look like real horses. Sometimes even covered with fur. But they are often strongly stylized and no longer necessarily horses, but z. B. donkey or dinosaur. There are also rocking horses made of plastic these days.
Historical
The rocking horse probably originated in the 17th century in the USA . Its forerunners were horses on wheels, which, depending on their size, could be used as pull-along toys or to sit on. Such wheeled horses were already in use in ancient Greece, as you can read in Horace . The toy came to Central Europe via England in the second half of the 19th century.
The building of rocking horses has a long tradition, especially in the densely wooded areas of Germany such as Thuringia , the Ore Mountains and the Harz Mountains . In Thuringia there are still companies that were founded back then. Some sources indicate that the first German rocking horse was made here in 1865. In the Odenwald there were ten companies in the Dieburg district around 1850 that produced rocking horses. Most of the companies were in Niedernhausen at the time. In Reichelsheim - Beerfurth , this toy has been manufactured in a factory unchanged since 1899 (status: 2011). The wooden horses are called Gäulches in the Odenwald .
The rocking horse was initially made from a metal frame with a paper mache or something similar and was therefore a toy for the children of rich families. It was only through the use of wood that it spread to the poorer sections of the population. Especially here it became a Christmas symbol for unfulfilled or unfulfillable wishes . This can also be seen in the fact that it plays a role in many Christmas poems and songs .
Older rocking horses from the 19th and early 20th centuries are popular collectibles today .
Modern variants
A rocking horse (spring rocking animal) can be found on almost every modern children's playground today. Typically, a steel spring is used here instead of the curved runners . In contrast to the classic rocking horse, this enables movement in the X and Y axes. There are also numerous variations in animal shapes, e.g. B. cow , giraffe etc.
The risk of injury is significantly higher with this type than with a classic rocking horse, since the spring can develop a very high tension when bent. This can easily lead to a "drop" if the child rocks beyond its limits.
Another modern variant is the electromechanical rocking horse. This is a lot closer to the original as it makes a similar teetering motion. However, interactions on the part of the child are not possible because the horse is continuously driven by an electric motor. In most cases, these are devices that are operated via coins and are, for example, in the entrance area of supermarkets .
Rocking horse models are popular Christmas trees - or Christmas decorations.
In reality, a rocking horse is not a swing , but a seesaw , which is why in Switzerland it is also called Gigampfi-Ross ( Gigampfi = seesaw).
literature
- Inga Bruckhorst (Red.): Rocking horse and lace-up corset. Childhood around 1800 . Jonas-Verlag, Marburg 2002, ISBN 3-89445-304-4 .
