Ultimate Rocking Horse
There’s no children’s toy more iconic than the wood rocking horse. It’s the one toy that most children will remember well into their adulthood. I have great memories of the hours spent on my simple store-bought horse, pretending to ride the range and herd cattle. But our version here is nothing like what I had as a youngster.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES. One of the first things you’ll notice about this rocking horse is the unique rocking mechanism the horse body is mounted on. Instead of a couple of simple rockers, our horse sits atop an arched support that glides back-and-forth with the aid of a couple bent-steel rods. And all of this is fixed to a solid framework to provide exceptional strength and stability.
The other thing that stands out is the rugged beefiness of the horse’s body. This rock-solid design will hold up to the roughest abuse your little cowboy or cowgirl can dish out.
WOODWORKING CHALLENGES. Building this rocking horse is sure to put your woodworking chops to the test. From bending thin strips of plywood to form the rocker arch, to creating the horse body and legs using large patterns, there’s plenty to keep even the seasoned woodworker satisfied. But we’ll break it all down in simple step-by-step fashion to make it easy to build for the novice, as well. So saddle up and get ready for some fun with this fantastic project!
Start by BUILDING THE BASE
A rocking horse demands a sturdy base that won’t tip or flex during use. And that’s where our project begins. Here, four angled legs are connected to rails and stretchers using mortise and tenon joinery. This solid connection can take the abuse needed for a children’s toy. But before you start doing any woodworking, there’s a little bit of metalworking that needs to be completed.
As you can see in the illustration above, two steel rods are trapped between the legs and produce the rocking motion. Four smaller steel brackets provide reinforcement between the
