Many folks can fondly remember a fabulous rocking horse from their childhood. More than one person would say the toy created countless happy adventures. Sometimes those recollections can prompt one to become a collector of such toys.

Rocking horses have a range of choices that an avid fan can explore. There are the English varieties with their elegant bow rockers. Then, there are the American versions with their innovative rocking stands. Nothing is pure here because the two swapped ideas and made adaptations. The Americans modeled after the English patterns, and the English incorporated the American innovations. Add into this mix the primitive handmade versions and there is a broad field to investigate.

Rocking horses have been a childhood memory for adults since, according to some, ancient Egyptian times. Rudimentary renditions of the mighty beast were certainly part of life for those youngsters. However the modern rocking horse as we know it today can be dated to the 17th century.

Still the popularity of the rocking horse seems to be connected to Queen Victoria. The Queen's choice of a dapple grey rocking horse gave the whole industry a shot in the arm. Celebrity worship was alive and well in the 19th century and rocking horses were off and running because of it. What was the rage in good old England quickly spread to America and Europe.

The rocking horse was lovely to behold; however, it was inconvenient for most people to place. It took up a lot of room, and some complained the rockers would cut the carpets. In America, the complaints were noted as Jesse Crandall designed a spring platform in 1859 for the rocking horses his father, Benjamin Potter Crandall, designed. A Cincinnati native, P.J. Marqua later patented a design in 1877 that mounted the horse on a swing-type contraption. Both versions stayed in place, thus taking up less room than the bow rocker.

The industrial revolution made this entertaining toy more available to more children. What was once handmade could be machine made and priced reasonably for all. Today the antique rocking horse has several levels of pricing. To better acquaint one's self with which horses command the hefty prices, investigate the topic thoroughly. Numerous books, Web sites and museum exhibits can help yesterday's child become more knowledgeable about an old friend.

Jean McClelland writes about antiques for The Herald-Dispatch.