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My son Morgan and I had been going to visit a horse in the neighborhood on an almost daily basis. Morgan was just in love with that horse. We fed and petted "Horsey" as he called it, being just two. Horsey in return, promptly came over to greet us when we arrived. Horsey nuzzled Morgan's head and face and would get giggles in return. But Morgan would not, however hard I tried to put him up, sit on Horsey's back.
It was a day or two before Christmas and I was short the "big" present for Morgan. His infatuation with Horsey triggered the idea to get Morgan a hobbyhorse. After research, it was clear that what was commercially available was just not that interesting or suitable. Working on sculpture at that time, I was motivated to design and build the hobbyhorse myself. There was scrap lumber at my loft, and the tools as well. All the lumber was standad size of different length, pine and fur and some plywood. I must have been inspired, because it took me just half a day to put the original together. The original is raw wood, sanded and sealed with butchers wax. Over the years that simple finish withstood all crayon attacks. The hobbyhorse is one rugged steed.
Come Christmas morning the horse was in the middle of the living room, unwrapped, just standing there. When Morgan came in and, after a fiew moments, saw the horse, he just stood there, rigid with surprise. No smile, just a serious expression. Eventually he walked over to the horse. He put one hand on the "reigns", pulled it down to bring the head of the horse to his level and kissed it on the nose. They have been the best of friends ever since.
Morgan was a very active child and over the years gave the horse quite a good workout. Much to his mother's dismay he practiced circus acts on it. When he was blue, Morgan would sit on the horse and rest his head on its. The best of pals, he never gave the horse a name. It was always simply "Morgan's Horse". Eventually Morgan outgrew the horse, but it was kept around over the years as a beloved member of the family. Of late, Morgan's daughter Alyxandra has claimed both the original and its newer siblings as her own and may oft be seen riding two at once during her visits to the "stable".
Roland