Rocking Horse Restorations | History Museum

Rocking Horse Restorations

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24.01.2022 Restore or leave completely original It can always be a bit of a quandary. When I first started collecting and restoring, I would strip everything down and completely restore rather than conserve what is already there.... This horse was bought from a Rundles Auction in Wagga about 12 years ago. It is a No 2 Roebuck c 1930s. It won't be restored. There are so few of these horses in original condition, this horse holds a lot of history of the era it was made. It will stay in the collection as it is with the only work to be done is some restabilising of the gesso and artwork. Once a horse has been worked over it just become another restored rocking horse, rather than a rare original piece.

22.01.2022 We are starting to get a few bookings through to see the collection and have lunch. Today a lovely group of 20 through today from Merimbula. They arrived in what appeared to be a a Tus or Bruck - a Scania prime mover fitted out with a coach back. Very swish!!

22.01.2022 This is so beautiful

18.01.2022 Latest restoration ready to go home to Clare in South Australia. This horse has been with me for a long time. When I started on it I had no idea just how unstable it was, just held together with putty. The stand had modifications that couldn't be pulled down without damaging it, so it is on a new replacement stand. It had to be completely pulled down and rebuilt. Happy to see it on its new stand and ready to gallop with its stable mate to be home for Christmas.

17.01.2022 Still chipping away at the Lou Peets Merry-go-Round. Horse No 4 is just finished and No 5 ready to come onto the bench. It takes quite a bit of time to seal off all the damage. These horses aren't being restored but more conserved. All damage joints sealed from air and moisture and the artwork highlighted with some patches of artwork touched up as well. It is a case of knowing where to stop!!... There are 8 horses in all, but unfortunately, even after No 4 being finished, I'm not halfway yet - No 6 has been pulled down and is in the workshop with quite a lot of the rebuilding to do to him. How do I know he is No 6? Because it is written in pencil in his belly box. Love the history of these horses One piece at a time will get them over the line.

16.01.2022 This, believe it or not, is a Roebuck rocking horse c early 1950s. It had been stripped back and polished, but certainly not restored. Purely cosmetic with all the gaps filled with putty. Certainly not suitable to put into active service. The only way to get it sound again was to completely pull it down and start again. The old glues had dried out and failed. It had probably been left outside or on a verandah. Although rocking horses look lovely on old house verandahs,... they are the best place for them. Even the stand on this one has seen better days. The horse has been completely pulled down and the pieces cleaned up ready to start putting it back together again. There will be ongoing repairs as it comes back together again.

14.01.2022 The last one off the kitchen bench today. This horse was in a bit of a mess, but happy with the way it has come up. I'll be glad to get my bench back, we have a big fortnight ahead of us with a lot of visitors coming through. The horses are now ready to go up now, except for No 6. It has been a big job, but nearly there now.

13.01.2022 Two weeks ago we bought our very first bow nursery horse. Well, today our second one arrived. Very different from the first - a modern built horse, but like the Georgian one, the manufacturer is unknown This horse is beautifully made with two turned spindle seats instead of the cane seats of the Georgian horse. Quite unusual blocking up in the make up of the horse. The legs and side of the body box are the one piece which is quite unusual.... The head is quite lovely with a slight turn to the right rein. The harness is high quality in very good condition. Even the stirrup leather holes are numbered. I think I will remove the mane and forelock, it is too heavy for the size of the horse and replace it with a lighter cow tail.

13.01.2022 A memory from 7 years ago came up on my page. I can't believe where that 7 years has gone. I still have this horse in our collection and have to make up a varnished stand to replicate what the original would have been. Introducing Felstead, an interesting hybrid rocking horse - manufactured in Leichhardt around the mid 1930’s by Roebuck’s, but has gone through the Bartlett's workshop for a restoration probably during the 1960s. He is on a Roebuck stand of that era. His stan...d would have originally been varnished. The Roebucks and Bartletts had a gentleman's agreement not to sell in each others states, but over the years, as people moved from one state to another their rocking horses went with them. Obviously, Felstead was in Melbourne at the time he needed restoration. So a Hybrid of the two most renowned family rocking horse makers in Australia. I've never seen one like this before but believe there are a few around.

10.01.2022 An Update on the Lou Peets Merry go Round: Horse No 7 is finished and No 8 on the kitchen bench ready to start on. The last 3 horses needed a lot of work and taken a lot of time. I have a feeling they may have been exposed to more weather when they were stored than the earlier horses. More cracks and the paint opening up. The frame has been made and ready for painting, so once No 8 is finished they will be ready to hang, except No 6 which will go up after it is rebuilt and that's a way off yet. It was a goal to get them up before the end of the year, so it really is going to happen -

09.01.2022 Introducing the latest addition to our Rocking Horse Restorations collection. BUTTONS - 1860, GEORGIAN NURSERY BOW ROCKER 40" (1015mm) tall and 81" (2050mm) - long arrive yesterday. I've spent today doing some conservation, preservation, restoration work on him. There is more work to do after I receive more information from experts in the UK - he is a sweet lad.

09.01.2022 These horses aren't the prettiest horses in the world, but I'm really happy with the restoration of this one. Grey Eagle, named after the owner's uncle's show jumping horse, was picked up in Clare South Australia quite some time back and is finally finished, ready to go onto his stand tomorrow. The manufacturer of this horse isn't clear. There were a lot of them made and distributed throughout NSW as well as a lot found in South Australia distributed there through John Mart...ins a chain store in Adelaide. The rocking horse world thought for some years they may have been attributed to Ces Hockley from Dubbo but recently family photos have indicated Ces' horse had all wooden stands but this one is a combination of wood with a pipe frame. Here are some before and after photos of the horse.

08.01.2022 Horse No 2 cleaned up and artwork highlighted. All cracks sealed and air/water tight Still some patches to touch up. This is a time consuming job - 2 down, 6 to go.

06.01.2022 For those who aren't able to attend but may wish to give a donation, here is the website address: www.dryjuly.com/users/libby-bailey

06.01.2022 Kits - 3 only - Dark tan harness and saddle flaps with faux suede 3 pocket saddle seat. Tartan saddle cloth Quality chrome plated bit rings and English stirrups and with a chain mouthpiece. Gold coloured upholstery pins and chrome conchos. Stuffing for 3rd picket is included and filled when is put in place.... Fitting instructions included. ALL KITS INCLUDE COW TAIL HAIR: Mane, tail and forelock COLOUR of your choice - BLONDE or BLACK

05.01.2022 No 3 finished with No 4 on the kitchen bench. 3 down, 5 to go. They look so much better with nice tails - A horse is never balanced without his tail.

03.01.2022 We have been very busy in the workshop as well as artwork and harnessing this week. This horse, a Roebuck from the 1930s is back onto his stand and ready to gallop off to his owner in Finley. He arrived with a broken joint to the back leg, which is all sound now. After the repairs where finished he had to be sanded back, repainted plus new harness and hair.