Stick horse

Made of pine wood because it is light, this stick horse consists of a metre-long pole with the figure of a horse’s head at the top and a small axle with two wooden wheels at the bottom. It was then painted and decorated.

Children played by imitating trotting on horseback, racing and even warrior games. This is another toy which has been with us since ancient times, given the relationship there has always been between humans and horses, but also because materials are easy to come by and it is easy to make.

This kind of horse is used in folkloric rituals in adoration of the god Baba Ramdevji in Rajasthan: a reference to an anecdote in his youth mentions the offering of toy wooden horses at his temple in Ramdevra. They are also present in the celebration of Călușari (Romania). Larger models are used in other traditional festivities –Romanian masks and Morris dancing in England-. Their size ranges from a costume for one person to large frames carried by nine bearers. This toy is mentioned in an English nursery rhyme called Ride a cockhorse to Banbury Cross.

Nowadays, wooden horses are not just ridden by children but also teenagers and adults in some countries. They are popular in Northern Europe, especially in Finland. These horses tend to be artistic creations made by hand. There are also competitions with wooden horses in the same categories as for real horses. A wooden horse is not always a toy for children. The English term «hobby horse» leads to the modern meaning of hobby to mean a pastime or interest. In The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman personal obsessions or «hobby horses», are explored in detail. The term is also associated with the draisine, precursor of the bicycle invented by Baron Karl Drais. In 1818, a London carriage-maker called Denis Johnson began to produce an improved version, popularly known as the «hobby-horse».