Outside the door of the Rocking Horse Company workshop you will find a sign with the heading "The Toymaker" and it reads "He is the hero of the village, because he works wonders for little boys and girls. He can make a single piece of wood come alive, and stir the imagination of any youngster. He is more than a toy maker , he is a dream maker".

Alan Taylor, an English immigrant carpenter/builder who was tired of the pressure of the construction industry, first established the Rocking Horse Company in 1995. This was the realization of a childhood dream. The workshop was established in the newly constructed craft centre at the world-renowned Ngwenya Glass complex near the rural village of Ngwenya in Swaziland . In October 2003 Alan decided to retire to Dullstroom , South Africa and Brian Roberts, a carpenter/joiner by trade and Chas Prettejohn, the owner of Ngwenya Glass, acquired the business.  

Brian's “hands-on” approach ensures that the quality of each hand carved horse is of the highest standard. Each horse is created from local kiln dried hardwoods sourced from reputable timber merchants throughout Southern Africa . The tack is handmade to fit each specific horse, which is sold with a certificate of authenticity.  No two horses are the same; its creator endows each with its own irresistible personality. 

Horses can be personalized to meet the buyer's specifications, from choice of wood, colour of saddle and trimmings, to personal items embedded in the belly of the horse. There is a small cavity in the interior of the body of the horse that can be filled to contain any personal items, such as a lock of hair, family photo's or family trees, before it is sealed closed. In a few hundred years time the horse may need to be restored, it is then that the restorer may well come across the hidden treasures that will give the owner an insight into the world of yesteryear.

Before any of the horses are closed and sealed, a copy of the Times of Swaziland (our local newspaper) is enclosed in this cavity – even if no personal effects have been supplied by the purchaser. 

Don't miss out on connecting the romantic history of traditional rocking horses of yesteryear together with the future of generations to come!

Allow us to create a special “family heirloom” that will be treasured and enjoyed by the young and the “not so young”!  

As can be seen in the pictures above, the range of toys has been expanded to include many more items than our rocking horses. Commissions accepted.