ROCKING HORSES

The rocking horse made its debut in the seventeenth century: as time went by, riding sticks started to be decorated with a horse head and fine and elegant ornaments, ultimately becoming rocking horses. A 1610 rocking horse on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London dates from 1610 and is believed to be the first rocking horse ever made. The known pieces were made of wood, papier-mache or metal and often covered with animal fur and lavishly decorated. They were made for the children of aristocratic families, since it was absolutely necessary for an aristocrat to know how to ride a horse.