There’s something enchanting about rocking horses and Tracy’s Miniatures captures the magic, the nostalgia and the elegance of these old traditional toys from the 1800s and 1900s. Tracy of North Yorkshire makes hand-carved rocking horses and Period Equine toy horses in 1/12, 1/16 and 1/24 scale. This all began about 6 years ago when she decided to make a miniature rocking horse for her dolls house. Tracy told Miniatura: “I have always loved horses, I had two when I was younger. I always wanted a big rocking horse but unfortunately, I never got one. So, when I got a dolls house that was one of the first things I wanted to buy for the house. However, I couldn’t find one anywhere, so I decided to make one myself.”

So elegant.

Tracy explained that she has always been creative and artistic, and developed a love for wood from woodwork classes at school, although she never went on to study woodwork, as she wasn’t planning on doing that as a career.

A selection of Tracy’s miniatures.

She continued, “I wasn’t happy with the first rocking horse I made, then one day I got talking to a gentleman at my work. He had made full size rocking horses for many years but was retired. We talked for a while and then a week later I arrived at work and there was an envelope addressed to me containing some hand-written notes and sketches. His words of wisdom have been invaluable for the horses I make now. I named my very own horse after him – Albert. Unfortunately, I never got to thank him as I went to work in a different town shortly after.

A beautiful zebra rocking horse.

“All my horses are my own design. I have a book that I draw things out in and then transfer to make a template before cutting them out of wood. I like looking at old images and going in antique shops and museums, they are great for ideas. “Once carved and primed, my horses are hand painted and varnished then finished with beautiful velvet and quality leather. All elements of the horses are made by me, making each one unique. I use a mixture of mohair and viscose for the mane and tail, I mix the colours individually for each horse. If a customer has allergies or is vegan then I just use the viscose.”

Rocking horses from past times.

After the wood carving, then of course comes the leather bridle and saddle etc. Tracy added, “It takes a lot of time and patience when working with leather to be able to have a range of colours. I have to thin the leather myself then it needs a gel applied to stop leather fuzz before making up the saddles and bridles. The designs are straightforward as having horses previously and tack to clean you have some knowledge of how they are put together.”

Tracy explained that she first got into dolls houses because of her mother-in-law. “She already had a dolls house, but she bought another not realising that it came flat packed. I was asked to build it for her and in doing so, saw how wonderful it was to build a basic house then make it look so individual with different finishes. I was hooked! A week later I had ordered my own. I now have three houses, all unfinished and one I am renovating for my friend’s granddaughters. My mother-in-law loves what I do and was getting dolls house gifts until last year when she had to move and had nowhere for her dolls house. It came to me. She still has the miniatures I’ve made for her in a cabinet.”

Tracy’s miniature bronzes.

Tracy says that she always tries to have a good selection of horses available in her shop for purchase. “If you can’t find a horse that is right for your project you can request a special order, I always love a challenge!”

She suggests that if a customer orders a rocking horse they allow six weeks for the horse to be finished as there are a lot of elements to making each horse.

I wondered if she had plans to make a full-sized rocking horse, but she said that she wouldn’t have the room to display it as she would like. But she does intend making a miniature 12 inch horse to display on her living room unit in the new year – if she gets a quiet month.

Tracy’s miniature walking sticks.

Tracy also makes a selection of miniatures including bronze effect miniatures and miniature wooden walking canes. “The bronzes are little metal pewter miniatures that I paint and wax and then mount them on a wooden plinth, I needed a way to use up all my off cuts of wood and one day walking through an antiques centre came across some beautiful old bronzes on wooden plinths.”

“I love making the horses and the emails I receive from customers thanking me for what I do makes it all the more rewarding.”

www.etsy.com/shop/TracysMiniatures