Games: Modern Playing Horsey


Figure 1.--This is a cotton harness used as a playtoy for playing horsey bought on eBay. It is a very simple device consisting of a white front plate with three little brown flowers and two bells . This one is sewn on one end and on the other it is possible to slide the larger strap . The smaller part of this yellow strap is pulled around the neck in such a way that the longer one is used as a rein or leash in being put under the arms. Maybe this harness has been used also as a safety harness for toddlers . Maybe some readers would be able to remember more about it. It seems having been popular in 1945 and there is a tag attached on with price 75¢ .

Apparently this game has not totally disappeared. A reader in Canada writes us, "I found a play harness last winter [2002] in a net store called Magic Cabin. It is a real soft harness made in Estonia or Germany. I remember in the 1970s When learning horse riding, my daughter played like this with her best friend to master technic of horsing." Here is a cotton harness used as a playtoy for playing horsey bought on eBay. It is a very simple device consisting of a white front plate with three little brown flowers and two bells . This one is sewn on one end and on the other it is possible to slide the larger strap . The smaller part of this yellow strap is pulled around the neck in such a way that the longer one is used as a rein or leash in being put under the arms. Maybe this harness has been used also as a safety harness for toddlers . Maybe some readers would be able to remember more about it. It seems having been popular in 1945 and there is a tag attached on with price 75¢. Our Canadian reader tells us, "There is only one reason why it is a play toy. Any toddler can easily wean off from such a harness. When I was young, I used a rope I put around neck at back and under arms and I was a horse. It is absolutely not a restraining device but more a kind of training device when kids are to young to go on horseback or when they are learning how doing horse riding . My daughter used such a harness on her girlfriend and on herself for practizing how to control a real horse. The front plate here is more like a lederhosen front-plate with edelweiss. The yellow strap is ajustable . And bells are a remnant of bells on horses equipment. Think of Santa Clauss reindeeers. Soo ... maybe it is a safety harness. but if so, let me tell you that the boy or girl will have to be collaborative and quiet. And if so, no need to be harnessed. A harness is intended to control a wanderer or a boisterous kid, not a mature one. And it is not necessary to be Houdiini to escape from it. In 1900, it was specified that it existed such toy harness like the one you shown a couple days before. In the Midwest country , it was a dream for any boy to be a cowboy. But before being a good rider, the kid played horses like on today when kids are playing with automobiles or trucks.





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Created: 6:04 PM 3/14/2005
Last updated: 6:04 PM 3/14/2005