In the US, toy horses were made as early as the 17th Century, by fathers in their workshops as gifts for their children. These were generally simple toys and the rocking mechanisms came later. In Europe, bow horses were made from around 1750 and rocking horses on a swing stand were made from around 1880. The dates are similar for the US.

An antique rocking horse from Europe is very different than one from America. The American ones are often called ‘folk art’ antique horses. The designs are simple and the manes and tails are usually made of horsehair. If there are saddles and reins left they will be leather. Some were painted and some were polished or left natural.

European horses, especially British ones, mostly date from approximately 1870-1920. Again, the manes and tails were made of hair, and the tack was leather, often fixed by brass fastenings. They were usually painted. They do not often have a manufacturers name on but some do, and the three biggest manufacturers were Collinsons (1836-1993), F H Ayres (19th Century and early 20th Century) and Tri-Ang Lines, who also made hide covered rocking horses.

So how do you know the horse you are looking at is an antique rocking horse? First, it’ll look old! But be careful! Old can be faked. You need to know where to look. First, look at the delicate parts of the horse – ears, bottom of the face, around the eyes and the legs. Most importantly, look at the seat. An antique rocking horse should have signs of wear, not only in the paintwork, but also worn wood in the places the saddle has rubbed. Also, the reins may have rubbed around the neck.

Secondly, the tack. On an antique rocking horse this is almost always leather. A carved and painted saddle is unusual on a true rocking horse. Make sure the leather is worn. Again, especially look at the saddle seat. A European one will probably have brass studding on it to fix it, but this is not always the case. Nails and other metal fixings can be artificially rusted so be careful.

Thirdly, the mane and tail on an antique rocking horse will almost always have been real horse or cow hair. If you find one with a carved mane, it is probably newer than you thought.

There are some very excellent companies who make reproduction horses and these should not be confused with a fake antique horse. If you do your research, check some pictures on the internet, and buy from a known dealer you should not have any problem and will enjoy your antique horse.

There are lots of toys available in the market and you will get suitable toys for any age group you want. The toys are perfectly divided into
categories for kids of different ages keeping in mind the mental status and ability of the child. If you have a toddler you will need to purchase
something that will be of interest for your small child and also keep him busy. He must enjoy the game or play with the toy and have fun. At the same time, if you buy some sensible toys, you can teach him about the different colors, shapes and sizes, and make his concept clear about opposites like big and small, fat and thin etc. If you will tell at the store the age of your child, the salesperson will give you the information of what type of toys will be the best for your child.

For a child who is little bigger than a toddler say of age 1 or 2 years, then you need to buy different toys that will keep him engaged. Along with this it would be good to buy some educational toys so that the child learns lots of things while he is playing. You can teach him counting, ask him to search for the alphabets or numbers or teach him the nursery rhymes with the CD and lots more. But first of all you need to understand his behavior and interests so that you offer him the toy of his choice and the purpose of a support for him is also fulfilled. The child can learn to balance and get familiar with the motion if you buy him a rocking horse. You have to look after the overall development of your child without interfering in his fun and enjoyment.

When the child is a toddler, he grows very fast and the development of his mind is also very fast and needs to be molded into perfect direction. If the mind of a child is directed properly in the perfect age he will choose the right path always. Parenting is a tough and responsible job and parents have to be very careful in choosing the toys for their children of any age. Every age has its own demand of attention and care. The child also needs to be offered quality time of their parents and the perfect selection of toys for their mental and physical development. There are many types of blocks available in the market for different age groups of children. They are created keeping in mind the ability of a child of that particular age and you can assure yourself by comparing the game’s involvement for your child.

Kids of different age groups have the capacity of doing things or solving puzzles quite differently. So there are levels made for any toy and if you think that your child can do better than those of his age group you can select a game of higher level than the average one.