Rocking horse for Xmas - good present?

[FierceShushing]

Do you have a rocking horse and most importantly do your DCs play on it much? Someone has offered to buy one for Christmas but I don't know if it would get used, never having had one myself.

My ds was bought one he used it all the time, still does and he's now 4. The key thing was to get one big enough ds s is a proper old fashioned wooden one.

I have 2 boys. Ds1 got one for his first birthday. It was hardly ever used, out for 18 months. Tried to sell on eBay and no one would buy! Depends on the child IMO.

My daughter got one when she was aged 3, she is now aged 10 and refuses to let "Barney" go.My 2 year old also loves him, but I do remember her going through a stage of not playing with him much.Every single kid who has come throgh my door always likes the rocking horse.Good advice from the poster who mentions size, make sure it is big enough for them to play with when they are older.

Out of all the presents my children have accumulated over the years I can only remember the rocking horses origin.

I dreamt as a child about having a rocking horse, a huge dapple grey one, with real hair mane and tail and a red leather saddle and bridle and how rockers not that slidey mechanism lots have

Every so often I look at them on eBay

They're about £3k

Can anyone recommend a cheaper alternative for DC who Is 1 and a weeny, cluttered house with no bay window or spacious landing for Neddy to live on?

Bow rockers

My dd loves her rocking horse, and has done since she was about a year old (but she's only 17 months so I'm not sure about older kids).

I just got one of these for my 3yo DD (actually I got the next size down) and its really nice. It's big enough to last her until she's about 6 or 7.

Thank you everyone. Very interesting and helpful - I was surprised at how popular rocking horses are with your DCs, with the exception of Kt8791. Think I will say yes please to christmas pressie offer.

Mine was a five minute wonder sadly and I thought my two would love it.

pil bought one for dd1 when she was 1. it neighed and she was terrified of it until she was 3 1/2. depends on the child, I think.

Rocking horses....Do they ever go out of fashion? [old thread, but a rocking horsey time of year :) ]
As a child I desperately wanted one, a classic dappled grey fiery Victorian steed...but never got one...until after I started work and had my own place to keep one.
My brothers had one of those plastic headed Tri Ang ones made of tubular steel , but unless a child expresses an interest, buy one for yourself!
It is usually parents who yearn for one, Collinson rocking horses on ebay can be bought for about £200- 500 , as can fibreglass ''Haddon rockers'' rocking horses. A medium sized one of these will easily take a small adult [up to 10 stones]
A lot are mis- described/overpricedon ebay, and rocking horse dealers watch ebay like hawks.
Good horses do turn up on ebay, it is the ''go to'' place for most people.
Furry/fabric rocking horses don't hold their values as well as wooden ones...
If you buy a good wooden one, he should hold his value if you want to sell him on in future.

Like other posters, I longed for a rocking horse when I was a child. My brothers had a huge one, but they were a lot older than me, the afterthought, so it had gone by the time I appeared.

When my sons were small, our houses were not really big enough to accommodate a big one, so it was good to have the excuse of grandchildren and a larger house.

I bought one from Ebay, but though I have been searching, I can't remember or find the people I bought him from, who make the horses themselves and are perfectly lovely. He cost around £550 and arrived in his own small horsebox.

Our first batch of grandchildren are rather too big to play with him now but luckily we have a new small one who loves a ride on Edward Scissorhooves.