RESTORATION A MAJOR ROLE of Rocking Horse Elite, as well as supplying unusual types of rocking horse, is the specialist restoration of most types of moving toy horses. Restoration can play a very large part in the value of a rocking horse. If restoration is necessary than a sympathetic restoration is essential. 21 YEARS of experience has enabled us to provide a very sympathetic method of antique restoration that can accommodate even the most unusual and varied of subjects. These have included many types of gigs, skin covered horses, pull horses, carts, nursery rockers, spring rockers, moving head horses, English gallopers {complete with applied gold leaf mane}, Jubilee rockers, to name but a few. Galloping gig - before and after As you can see from the above pictures, some specimens arrive in a very sad state. Our main speciality is restoring subjects back to their original factory finish using, if possible, any original paintwork or gesso which may remain, however small. Our qualified carver and designer carve damaged or missing pieces of timber and if necessary replica posts for stands turned to exactly match existing. Finally the painting is applied to accurately mimic the varied painting styles of the various makers. With a wealth of specialist leathers and the use of our own devised techniques, we can imitate, a significant range of aged effects to these leathers to compliment the condition of each individual horse. The tack is also custom made and is often hand dyed to obtain the correct colour. We take a pride in our work and the careful, painstaking restoration of a genuine antique is as important to us as passing on one of our stock to a new owner. The Practicalities of Restoration. The first step in restoration it is assess how much, if any, restoration needs to be done.