Adult Ridable Horse Thing: Research Phase

 I've had this idea for a project settled in the back of my mind that I hope to work on one day after I move to a new place. I want to make a horse statue or figure that I can sit on and display. I see beautiful carousel horses for sale and vintage rocking horses only to balk at the price tag. Basically, about as expensive as a real horse. 

So I looked into 4 of the common horse ridable object types to see what I could learn to make something that my grown ass can sit on with out breaking it or looking ridiculous. The 4 types I considered are Hobby Horses, Roller Horses, Rocking Horses and Carousel Horses. 

Hobby Horses

A severed horse's head on a stick...gruesome. And very much an abstraction of a horse. But there are other "hobby horses" like barrel horses or saw horses that you can mount saddles on with an optional horse head. Obviously, very much an abstraction but it did offer a variety of ways to create that horse head and add it to existing structures like benches, barrels, or broomsticks. 

Not the direction I intend but found some great patterns and examples of realistic hobby horse heads. 

Roller Horse

These are toys mounted on four wheels that you straddle and walk to make it move forward. The back of the horse is a flat plank mounded on four post legs that are attached to wheels. A head and sometimes tail are attached at the edges of the flat plank. 

Again, usually the horse is an abstraction in this case and very small. 

Another variation on the roller horse is the pump action or "squat machine" style ridable horses mounted on wheels. (There are motorized ones too but I was curious about this one.) The horses were completely plush animals with stirrup style pedals. 

But for me the important take away with this was the structure that makes this work as stable sitting/riding experiences. An it's basically that the horse is a bench on wheels. The legs are perfectly straight under the animal. Also it's made from metal tubes and thick plastics so sturdy material. I also found measurements for the adult size versions which is going to be helpful for sizing my own horse seat. 

However, I don't intend to make a rolling horse...even if it is tempting...and a bit cool. Maybe I could make it a squat machine. 😜 

Rocking Horse 

The classic toy, the rocking horse has sported miniature horses with both style and realism. There are 3 types that I really focused on: Rockers, Gliders, and Suspension types. 

Rockers

This is the image that the term  "rocking horse" conjures up. A wooden horse mounted on two curved rails similar to a rocking chair. And much like a rocking chair, the sitting weight is distributed down the four legs and into the rails or frame of the rocker. At least the classic style seems to have the horse in an extended leg position creating a neat 4 corners. Now there are a few more creative designs that may lift one hoof, create a different pose, or mount the horse on a post that sits in the apex of the bow shape (or is it convex?) between the two rails. 

Gliders

This design is fascinating. The base looks like part of a banister with a plank mounted on posts from a base. But this is not where the horse goes. Instead some bent metal is holding two rails suspended from the top plank along the sides of the base. The horse is attached to the two side railings and the swing motion of the rails moves it in the rocking motion. Again, same concept as a gliding rocking chair.  

Suspension

There's the old timey suspension and the ones I remember having growing up. In the old style, the horse is mounted to a curved or bow shaped piece of wood or metal. Then a wooden four post frame surrounds it. From each of the posts is a metal bar, kind of a squared off U-shape with the bow in the lower part of the U. So the support is all on that rail under the belly of the horse which is pretty good for support. 

The one I remember did have those four posts on a base still, but metal tubes. Four springs came off the posts and attached into a plastic pony directly, holding it suspended. The springs hold the weight and create the motion. Apparently, Radio Flyer still makes them...although they look a bit safer now than what I remember. 

I learned a lot about rocking horses and how they can hold weight. And getting support under the belly seems like a promising solution...which goes right into the next type of horse. 

Carousel Horse

There are 3 kinds of carousel horses: Stationary, Jumpers and Racers. 

The stationary type have most of their feet on the ground with the post going through them acting as the main support. The horse might have one or two feet raised but for the most part the feet on the ground provide good stability. 

Jumpers are the kind attached to an upper and lower metal bar that looks like a turning hand crank. So the animal is suspended and supported by the posts and metal arms. Often times the foot rests are on the base pole and not the animal sculpture. All four legs are off the ground in a variety of wild poses.

Racers are rarer to see on carousels, I only know of one place that still has them, Cedar Point. The racing carousel has a similar design to the Penny horse rides outside of grocery stores. At least when I was little. Guh...that's 30 odd years ago at this point. Anyway, the horse is ONLY supported by a bottom post with the stirrups on it as a motor makes the gallop motion. The post is generally under where the person is sitting so that provides the stability.  

Lessons Learned and Plans

In order to support my weight, remain stable, and look like a horse, it is likely I will need a supportive frame of some kind. One method is to create the 4-post frame around the horse to keep it suspended. Perhaps not by springs, but more like a hammock to keep it upright. 

Another method is the solid post underneath the belly. This means that in a sense, the horse is a giant barstool cover. The structure of the barstool or bench will hold my weight and offer stability so I don't need to rely on making chonky, straight legs or a pose that has all feet on the ground. 

But the exact plans and ways I might create the horse sculpture is still undecided. Do I go with a paper mache sculpt, a full plushie, or perhaps a mix of sculpture and plushing (aka an art doll).