Growing up in Louisa – Wooden Horses
Weekly feature . . . by Mike Coburn
Growing up I remember playing on a large wooden rocking horse. It was like many that we still see around today, although most today are made of plastic. It had rockers much the same as a rocking chair. The nice thing about this particular rocking horse was the rockers were elongated and highly unlikely to allow me to ‘over-rock,’ and to fall and damage my cranium. This particular one had rope reins and a mane of what looked like rope that had been attached and unwound, left to hang like coarse hair. The tail was much the same but retained some of the wavy effects left from it’s original braid. The horse had no real saddle or blanket but they were painted on in browns and red. It also had a painted face. The stirrups were wooden pegs which worked very well. This horse was good enough for me. I probably gave it some name, likely Trigger, Ole Paint, or Champion. It was a companion and better yet, a way for me to work off my energy and make me more than ready to settle down. I was smart enough to know that it served that function and remembered this lesson. As a parent and grandparent I still follow the principal even to this day. Make the kid tired enough, he’ll go right to sleep. Well, sometimes, like grownups, it can be overdone. Overtired might mean you are too tired and can’t go to sleep. Usually we’re not nice about it either!
One of my friends or relatives that I visited in those days had another kind of rocking horse. This one was mounted on four heavy springs that allowed for grand dips and a rather rough kickback when overly stirred. I had it overturn with me once. It threw me over its head then followed me to the floor to end up on top of me. The nerve! I learned this lesson, too. I thought a broom handle would serve me better than this particular bronco. Obviously it had not been saddle-trained yet.
Another model I saw had a single leaf spring that coiled around and was attached to the horse’s belly. That one also gave too much play and threatened to dump me. One that I saw had two heavy duty springs so it was much safer, but hard to make move. Trying would serve to make me tired and perhaps a little bored. I didn’t need to worry about being bucked off, but I decided it wasn’t worth the effort to play with this one. Besides, I think it was meant to be more of a decorating item in a nursery or playroom, rather than a practical toy.
Many of these were very pretty. Some were fashioned to look like a pinto or palomino, and were actually decorated rocking horses to look like Trigger, Scout, and others belonging to the matinee stars. Some had painted tack that were artist’s impressions of the grand carved saddles and bridles worn in parades like the Rose Bowl. Some had painted feathers and a fake blanket instead of a saddle. These worked fine if you were pretending to be an Indian, but too limited for other uses. Many were trimmed with gold, silver, and sparkles that were meant to entice the rider into imaginary worlds of make-believe. I remember one that looked as if it was wearing armor, perhaps for a knight or a conquistador.
This world was my world for a good while, but disillusionment came when I was dragged to a merry-go-round, perhaps at one of the carnivals that stopped by our little town each year, or perhaps at Camden Park. These horses were carved and painted in spectacular colors. The mouths were open as if the rider was pulling at the bit. While the ride went in circles, these horses went up and down on a silver pole that was impaled right through the horse. It gave the rider something to hold onto should balance come into question. Alas, this was the horse of dreams. It was safe, fast and fun!
When my turn was over I begged yet for another ride. As if the owner of the carousel knew of what may well happen, he offered a seat upon the machine that was equally well appointed with pictures of lions, tigers, elephants and giraffes. The solution was easy, ride with your kid and rest your feet while picturing the little muffin screaming with delight. Regardless of how many quarters the adults had, there would come a time when the muffin would scream yet again, but not in delight. The money had run out. Cotton candy would have helped if it all wasn’t spent on the ride.
So was this a lesson on economics, or perhaps a kind manipulation both kids and parents use? As a child I was discovering the effects of choices we each will face in life. Undoubtedly, some will be fun and some less so. Costs will govern decisions, as will time, convenience, and the risks involved as we hope for a perfect outcome. So, is life like a rocking horse? Maybe in some ways, but maybe again the joys that we imagine we’ll get from our toys are temporary and no more than a diversion from reality. Certainly in life we will be thrown from time to time, but like a kid, we’ll get back on, hopefully remembering the lessons learned and choosing our rides with more care.
We have a rocking horse for our kids that their grandfather made. Our kids rarely rode it when growing up, but they would not have liked it if it went missing. They used it to sit on while watching TV, but they didn’t rock or gaze off into some fantasy. It was more of decoration, I guess. I had to find a new way to help them sleep. My wife and I would take them outside and make them run around the yard. They did it for a time but didn’t like it when they were made continue. It wore them out and they slept like babies. They have no right to complain, I’d seen they had a rocking horse. Wasn’t my fault they didn’t use it.
Write me with your memories. I’d love the hear them.
