Another Horse Ready to Rock

THE Upper Hunter Men’s Shed have produced another beautifully restored rocking horse and there are two more in their stables ready for the special treatment.

John Pratley, who is the leading hand in the restorations said the rocking horses have become a tradition for the Men’s Shed.

See photos below.

“It seems to have become a tradition for us to raffle a rocking horse at Christmas, last year was the fourth one,” said Mr Pratley.

“Whenever we went down the street there would be people asking when the next one would be ready to raffle,” he said.

“We have a bit of trouble finding the old horses sometimes, but we put the word out that ‘if you see an old horse let us know’,” he said.

The men at the Shed have just finished restoring a rocking horse for a private owner and are working on two others.

“This one was from Ian Campbell at the Willow Tree Hotel and it used to sit in the coffee shop,” he said.

“He’s a bit rickety, so we’ll build the stand, fill the cracks with beeswax and we’ll make him look very presentable,” John said.

The other horse purchased by the Shed, is worse for wear, but John is confident they will give him a new lease on life.

“This one is an RJ Roebuck, they have great confirmation with regard to looking like a horse,” said John Pratley.

“That horse I’d suggest was made after the war,” he said.

“During the war people were too busy with the war and then after the war in 1950 a lot of cheap plastic toys came onto the market, these horses were always expensive so they decided to replace leather with vinyl and cut a few things to try and get them down into the market place.

“When I do them now I put leather and things back on them and we’ll have him looking like a million dollars when he’s done,” John Pratley said.

Related story:

• Rehoming Rocking Horses