It's my nephew's birthday! Not only is he the cutest (I'm definitely not biased in any way) but today he became the world's best one-year-old Wonder Horse rider (obviously a measurable stat I spent countless hours researching)! He rides these things like it's his day job. He has 'walked' but is not 'walking' yet, but he can ride with the best of 'em!
Bouncing, bouncing, bouncing, the squeak of the springs almost urging him "faster, faster"... holding on with both hands is a rare occurrence, he's a real cowboy, heck, sometimes a trick rider! He'll even take his cowboy hat off his head and wave it around (usually, it's dropped at some point in the wave around, but it sure is adorable).
As stories go, my sister and I were quite the Wonder Horse riders ourselves. Attempting daring stunts of standing on the saddle with one foot and constantly trying the, "look mom, no hands!" trick. I'm certain I was less daring than my twin, but haven't gone back to the tapes (and yes, I believe there actually might be legitimate tapes!) So, in all fairness, it's in his blood.
Of course I wondered, who do we have to thank for inventing the Wonder Horse? The man behind the Wonder Horse is William Baltz from Pocahontas, Arkansas, a man often found in his workshop. Several items he created were toys for his children, but the fantastic Wooden horse (a toy horse attached to a wooden frame with heavy springs) was created for his son, Billy, for Christmas 1939. The toy was such a hit with his children he obtained a patent for the toy horse and it went into production and officially named "Wonder Horse" because it was invented in the state of Arkansas which was nicknamed the "Wonder State" at that time.
The Wonder Horse has been a favorite of children for years, and it's no surprise. We have a pasture full, and I haven't turned one down since I started restoring them. Do you have a Wonder Horse, or rode one as a kid?
