This Rocking Horse, named Butler, is another of the same type as Dobbin. The wooden frame has a carved head attached, with body and legs wrapped in straw, held in place with some string. Given that they were made around the middle of the last century, this seemingly simple design is remarkably resistant to wear.
However, the outer coat does wear, the tail falls off and some of the tack breaks or becomes loose. So that is where the restoration work is required.
The first step was to take all of the tack off. It can be broken into three sections. One, the saddle, stirrups and girth around the middle. Two, the martindale to crupper, running from in front of the neck to under the tail – their ends hidden under the saddle. And three, the pieces of tack around the head including the reins.
Butler was then taken off of his rockers.
The cover fabric was taken off – main pieces to both sides of the head and body, with three patches underneath covering remaining spaces.
The coat was used as a rough template for the new pieces of fabric.
To mask the slightly proud string wrapping, an undercover of wool safe – which also acts as a barrier cloth, was added.
The replacement hair – dolls hair – to be used for the mane and tail, was pinned on to check placement and length.
The mane was carefully positioned in the fabric for the head and sewn into place. The hair seen when the cover was inverted.
The new cover was sewn on. The tail’s knotted end was buried into the straw stuffings, before emerging under a fold in the fabric at the rump.
Butler was then reunited with his rockers.
The tack was added, following the original plan – so the saddle with stirrups, the tack around the head including ears and martindale to crupper.
However, these were all made using real leather as opposed to the original faux leather.
And finally Butler was reunited with his owner.
JBerryUpholstery has many examples of furniture Recovering and Restoration and also Soft Furnishings to add to or complement the finished items. You can see pictures of these in the Galleries – Recovering Gallery, Restoration Gallery, Soft Furnishings Gallery and Transformations.
If you have some upholstery that is in need of a bit of TLC or you are interested in Soft Furnishings then please contact us.
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