Rocking Horse
Restoration Services

Restoration Services

Welcome to the restoration services at the Rocking Horse Works. For nearly 40 years we have been restoring and making rocking horses. Choosing to have your rocking horse restored is a great idea.

First, it enables future generations to inherit, love and enjoy a great toy from your childhood. As time goes on, this valuable heirloom increases in value, what a treasure.

Secondly, although restoration is moderately expensive, you get a fully functioning rocking horse for approximately half the cost of a new one. Not only have you saved money, but by choosing to have your horse carefully restored by us you have a horse that will have risen in value by one or more thousands of pounds.

Your Horse

Do you know who made your rocking horse? By looking at the various pictures on this website you may recognise some of the traits in your horse. A few key things to notice: are the pillars on your stand square or round? If square, is there a diamond-shaped cut-out on top above each pillar? That is probably a Collinson horse from Liverpool, the shaping of the pillars is a great way of identifying the make.

Restoration costs do not vary according to make, but do vary according to how much restoration your horse needs, we are happy to advise. The size of your horse does affect the cost.

Collinson, Baby Carriages
& Ayres Horses

All horses have to be identified as this affects the style of restoration. Each manufacturer painted and tacked their rocking horses to their own particular style. Horses are generally restored back to their original manufacturer's specification, hair types, saddle styles and painting. However, it is your horse and occasionally customers have their own ideas about what they want it to look like, and we are more than happy to accommodate.

You will notice that painting the horse is the most expensive part. This is because a horse cannot be painted until the many woodwork faults have been corrected, loose legs, structural damage to the body and so on.

Because of our vast experience in both rocking horse manufacture and restoration we are able to price the various aspects of restoration precisely. This means it is very easy for you to work out how much your restoration will cost. No matter how worn out your horse is, so long as it is all there, the prices shown in our price list are guaranteed.

The Operating Table

Eventually your horse will find its way onto our operating table where it will have a thorough examination to discover exactly what has to be done to bring it back to full health. Having detected all its faults and corrected them, the horse is ready for the next stage of restoration, careful application of paints and finishes in accordance with established criteria. After this the horse is saddled, bridled, given a new mane and tail, and finally mounted on its restored stand.

Saddles & Tack

Here you can see a traditional Collinson saddle made using exactly the same materials, red corduroy used for the padded seat and leatherette for the skirt and blanket.

This saddle is a Lines pattern, using leather for both the padded seat and skirt. The blanket is made from cotton or wool. Wherever possible original pins and decorative fixings are reused.

Hair & Leather

All sorts of colours were used for manes and tails. Here you can see a few examples of English hair colours, from black through rich chestnuts to light greys.

Brown leathers were always a favourite, though tans and black were sometimes used. An example of a brown saddle can be seen alongside.