The earliest style of mounting a rocking horses was this board horse illustrated.

The rockers being made of two sets of semicircular boards making the rocking action.

Until about 1880, nearly all rocking horses had a bow rocker design, that had improved on the early board horses. Early bows are often deep and graceful, to many they are still the epitome of the idyllic childhood toy.

It was a  Cinncinnati man, Philip Marqua, who in 1880, patented the familiar rocking action many horses have today. It was an overnight success being less prone to tip over, move, or damage little fingers and flooring.

Another way of mounting a horse is on the pair of coiled springs illustrated on this horse. This is a modern replica of a design first used by an American manufacturer, Crandall, in the 1890s. More ready for a fast gallop, but watch out for the flying hooves!

Amongst many varieties of mounting designs for rocking horses in the period 1880-1914 was this spring stand on this large Ayres rocking horse. The normal "Marqua" type action was supplemented by being mounted on the leaf springs in the photograph. The result is a double motion, and a little more like the real thing, though not for the faint hearted.

This child's chair also doubled up as the rocking horse. Good practice for the younger aspiring rider!