Hobby Horse
An evolution of wearable frivolity.
Brief Background
Many images exist, as seen below, of people wearing a horse or other animal as a sort of costume. No effort is made to disguise human feet, and fake legs of the rider are not employed as they might be in modern costumes. These animals were used in celebrations in Germany in the 15th century. The first one I made was built to accompany a friend at an event called the Emprise of the Black Lion. It is an equestrian event, and I don't have a horse, but they let me participate as a diversion and comic relief to the somewhat serious nature of parts of the event. This was classic jestering at its finest and I even had a child follow me around clacking some coconut shells to make hoof beats. This was one of my favorite recreations, and it was well-received. The success of this first venture lead to future improvements and similiar antics. Continued below pictures--
Brief Background
Many images exist, as seen below, of people wearing a horse or other animal as a sort of costume. No effort is made to disguise human feet, and fake legs of the rider are not employed as they might be in modern costumes. These animals were used in celebrations in Germany in the 15th century. The first one I made was built to accompany a friend at an event called the Emprise of the Black Lion. It is an equestrian event, and I don't have a horse, but they let me participate as a diversion and comic relief to the somewhat serious nature of parts of the event. This was classic jestering at its finest and I even had a child follow me around clacking some coconut shells to make hoof beats. This was one of my favorite recreations, and it was well-received. The success of this first venture lead to future improvements and similiar antics. Continued below pictures--
What did you do? The early years
In the first version of my hobby horse I used a baby basinette basket, inverted and I cut a hole in the bottom to just fit around my waist. It was very tight. I think I just wore my regular jester clothes and an old skirt made up the barding. The neck was made of an apron that just covered the stick, as the head was a horse head on a stick that I bought at Goodwill. The tail was a string of bells that I bought at Shipwreck Beads. I had a jester's marotte that I could use for jousting and sword fighting and doing the other equestrian games. It was funny, and it just made peoples' faces light up with smiles.
In the first version of my hobby horse I used a baby basinette basket, inverted and I cut a hole in the bottom to just fit around my waist. It was very tight. I think I just wore my regular jester clothes and an old skirt made up the barding. The neck was made of an apron that just covered the stick, as the head was a horse head on a stick that I bought at Goodwill. The tail was a string of bells that I bought at Shipwreck Beads. I had a jester's marotte that I could use for jousting and sword fighting and doing the other equestrian games. It was funny, and it just made peoples' faces light up with smiles.
Franzia, the Wonder Horse
After a while, I moved out of the Known World for work, but I still wanted to participate and make people happy when I could be around, which was in the summer. I loved the hobby horse so much, and it is just something people don't really do in the SCA but I think they should, so I made a plan to create a more realistic-looking horse. One that would not look so silly in a thrift store way, but silly in a hardware and craft store way. The only thing that I kept from the original was the basket body, but I built it up with chicken wire and papier mache.
The backside was left open wire just covered with the fabric. The chicken wire was easy to weave into the basket with other baling wire and some pliers.
Continued below pictures--
After a while, I moved out of the Known World for work, but I still wanted to participate and make people happy when I could be around, which was in the summer. I loved the hobby horse so much, and it is just something people don't really do in the SCA but I think they should, so I made a plan to create a more realistic-looking horse. One that would not look so silly in a thrift store way, but silly in a hardware and craft store way. The only thing that I kept from the original was the basket body, but I built it up with chicken wire and papier mache.
The backside was left open wire just covered with the fabric. The chicken wire was easy to weave into the basket with other baling wire and some pliers.
Continued below pictures--
The horse was very popular at her debut event. She was able to give rides to babies, and I got a lot of smiles and encouragement. I also got some suggestions on how to up my antics. There were many funny suggestions, but the one I followed through with was making the hobby horse into a mobile wine dispenser. I had two flavors of white wine to offer, a Pi-Neigh-ot Grigio and a Chardo-neigh. How was the wine dispensed you ask? From the rear, under the tail of course. This was not my first wine dispensing enterprise. I used to have a box of wine in a haversack with a little flap for the spout that I would dispense at court when the royals did a largesse exchange.* It would not be my last beverage dispensing either. I bought a backpack with two tanks, taps, and cups and then I dispensed water and wine at an event in 2019, but I digress. Because I had opted not to put papier mache on the backside of the horse I was able to add the wine easily. I just took the bags of wine out of the boxes and installed them into the hobby horse. That is how she got the name Franzia the Wonder Horse. It was very heavy and uncomfortable until people started drinking the wine and emptying the bags. It was also back-heavy and I had to add shoulder straps.
I always wear a lot of bells, so even when Franzia wasn’t dispensing wine she was pretty distracting. I may have disrupted a dance class, among other things.
The following year we no longer had the same event hauling situation and I had to downsize Franzia and put her in storage. She still exists. That next summer I wanted to have a similar experience, but I just didn’t have the space to haul Franzia to events. So I did the next best thing. I purchased a toucan pool waist ring and wore it around at night at an event. It didn’t dispense wine, but it had similar proportions to the animals worn at a German Carnival in the 15th Century. She didn’t have a name but she did waddle about trying to roost on light-up bocce balls and hatch them. It was a very silly adventure. Unfortunately, there are no photos of this.
*Largesse exchange is a time during the ceremonial part of an SCA event where all the different group leaders trade various gifts made by the artists in their groups that are made and donated as prizes and awards. It isn't that interesting to watch for the gathered populace, so I could usually get away with runing around and filling cups and tankards.
I always wear a lot of bells, so even when Franzia wasn’t dispensing wine she was pretty distracting. I may have disrupted a dance class, among other things.
The following year we no longer had the same event hauling situation and I had to downsize Franzia and put her in storage. She still exists. That next summer I wanted to have a similar experience, but I just didn’t have the space to haul Franzia to events. So I did the next best thing. I purchased a toucan pool waist ring and wore it around at night at an event. It didn’t dispense wine, but it had similar proportions to the animals worn at a German Carnival in the 15th Century. She didn’t have a name but she did waddle about trying to roost on light-up bocce balls and hatch them. It was a very silly adventure. Unfortunately, there are no photos of this.
*Largesse exchange is a time during the ceremonial part of an SCA event where all the different group leaders trade various gifts made by the artists in their groups that are made and donated as prizes and awards. It isn't that interesting to watch for the gathered populace, so I could usually get away with runing around and filling cups and tankards.