Rocking horse restoration

Rocking Horse Restoration

Tired, worn, forgotten antique or vintage horses are given a new lease of life, making them ready for a new generation that goes far beyond restoration.

Favouring the Collinson brand due to their natural silhouette and sturdy structure, Julia takes each horse back to bare wood and makes any repairs needed to ensure each horse leaves fit and sound for future riders!

Additional detail is skilfully carved into the horse and glass eyes are fitted to refine the look before the horse is covered with traditional hot gesso prior to painting to the customer’ requirements and a real horsehair mane and tail is fitted.

The saddle and bridle is available in a selection of colours and is made to fit each horse by Julia. For a very special horse, a removable bridle can be made to measure and hand stitched, finished with a ribbon browband.

Information

Due to the host of personalisation options possible with the horses, each horse will be priced individually.

Each horse leaves with a hard backed photo book showing his transformation which can be in the form of a personalised storybook for a child if preferred.

Prices depend on the customers required specification but start at £2100.

A rocking horse journey

Here are a few images showing the various stages of renovation that the horses go through on their journey with Julia.

The Appaloosa

This was a very challenging rocking horse, commission to resemble the owner’s real horse! He took many days of painstaking detailed brushwork to achieve the finished result. At 47″ high, he was a large Collinson with completely removeable English leather tack.

King George

King George is an unusually large 54” Collinson horse that is rarely seen. He needed lots of extra carving and restructuring of his face as he was rather plain to start with and has been finished with a dark, iron grey dapple with a light grey mane and tail. His tack has been handmade in English leather and is completely removable meaning he can teach his little friends how to tack up a real horse!

Little One

‘Little One’ is a 38″ Collinson horse with a dark grey dapple finish, calfskin quilted leather saddle with a suede fishtail saddle cloth and brass fancy nails. He has a hand stitched leather bridle with solid brass buckles, a ribbon browband and a bespoke pelham bit with double reins.

Tony

Tony the pony is a 43” Collinson approximately 70 years old. He has been finished with extra carving, a pink velvet saddlecloth with a calfskin quilted leather saddle and a hand stitched removable bridle with a fancy ribbon brow band.

Louis

‘Louis’ is a 47″ Collinson horse commissioned in a dark grey dapple, calfskin leather quilted saddle with navy velvet saddle cloth and a hand stitched removable bridle with ribbon browband

Thomas

Thomas’ is a 47″ Collinson horse commissioned in a dapple grey finish with a stunning grey mane and steel grey flag style tail. His saddle is leather with a quilted suede seat and a navy velvet saddle cloth and he has a hand stitched hunter style bridle with nickel buckles.

Other Examples

Here is a selection of other examples of completed projects.

Rocking Horses