Cord Hobby Horse (Review)

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.

When we took The Boy to explore Tredegar House recently, he was captivated with the hobby horses which were hanging up in the Victorian stables. The three of us had to race up and down pretending to be a horse, then find our own stable and have something to eat from the hay in the corner.

Therefore when I was asked if I'd like to review a hobby horse for him, I jumped at the chance; it's one of those traditional toys that every child should have. Traditionally referred to as 'cock horses' (as in the traditional nursery rhyme) above, hobby horses have been played with by children for centuries, and The Boy is no different!

There are a multitude of hobby horses on the market, and for some it is questionable as to their validity to use the description 'horse'; a vaguely stuffed head with a mediocre mane and poor quality fabric doesn't look very exciting, nor does it last very long. And really a hobby horse should have a little set of wheels on the bottom so it glides along the ground. I was over the moon to see this cord hobby horse, with a soft babycord head and cotton mane, and a sturdy wooden frame (with wheels) and leather bridle.

The Boy loves this toy and is forever charging up and down the garden playing at horse races, the only problem is that we might need to get another one as riding a broom-horse is a bit rubbish in comparison!

The hobby horse is priced at £18.00, which I think it a good price for a good quality, traditional toy of this ilk. There are cheaper on eBay and Amazon, but they are made from a rough felt or velvet fabric and seem to be little more than a bag of stuffing on the end of a stick. This cord hobby horse from the Great Little Trading Company is beautifully made, strong and far more conducive to imaginative play.

I was sent this product for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.