For many, the rocking horse was their first toy and, well, exercise machine. And fortunately for parents, it is something that can be built using basic woodworking tools and skills.
There are several easy steps to follow that will allow any novice woodworker to create their own rocking horses fit for children to ride on.
1. Designing the Horse
Since this is a simple rocking horse, it is best to not get too elaborate with the “horse” part of design. Your wooden rocking horse should be comprised of:
- 1 horse head piece
- 1 seat
- 2 arching legs
- 2 support beams for the base
- 2 curved beams for the rocker
When designing the rockers, make sure that they cover an additional 5 inches at both ends of the horse. Also, give them a curvature of no more than 30 degrees. This should be enough to let the child build on their momentum with each sway without getting thrown off the seat.
The measurements of a rocking horse will be different from one woodworking plan to another. Just make sure that your horse is high enough for any small child to ride on and has enough width and support at the base to carry their weight.
2. Materials and Tool Guide
For this project, you will need the following materials:
- 1 sheet of 3/4-inch plywood
- 2×6 wood boards
- 4×4 scrap wood
- 1 wooden handlebar with 1-inch diameter
For tools, you will need:
- A drill
- Sandpaper
- Wood glue/putty
- Miter/ hand saw
- Chisels
- Wood stain/paint
- Wood glue
- Galvanized screws
3. Cutting and Assembly
Start with the horse head as this is the most elaborate piece of the project. Draw the outline of the head along the plywood and cut away. In some tight corners, it would be better to cut above the line and then work your way to the corners through chisels or the miter saw.
After this, you can then work your way down to the horse. The legs and the rockers are two other tricky parts, which is why you should rather take your time working through the curves of these pieces.
Once all the parts have been cut, you can start assembling your horse. Start at the bottom with the rocker and the legs before you work your way to the seat and the horse head.
Before attaching the horse head, however, it would be best to start drilling a 1-inch hole at the middle of the head. This is where you will slide the handlebar into later on.
Apply wood glue where the parts will connect and let it dry. After this, drill in holes from where you will attach the galvanized screws in. This should make for a rather secure connection especially at the legs, the support struts, and the rockers.
4. Finishing
Run every surface of the horse with sandpaper. The seat should be particularly smooth at all sides so the child won’t develop rashes while sitting on it.
After sanding, you can then apply the wood stain or paint of your choice and fill in any gap or blemish with wood putty. This will do the trick of sealing in the surface of the horse to give it protection.
After the paint/stain has dried, all that is left to do is to give a child a go at their very first rocking horse.
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