Rocking Horses

I have had this project going for a few months now, maybe even, longer.  I have always loved wooden rocking horses. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors, just like people, I guess. Each horse has a story behind it. They take time to cut, shape, glue, and finish, and each was built by a craftsman who loved what he does.

When John, our youngest son, was born, I had a pattern for a wooden rocking horse that I wanted to build for him. I decided to ask my dad to build that horse, and he did a great job. I know the horse gave him some challenges, but Johnny received a beautiful oak rocking horse from Grandpa Jarding. The horse is a nice stained piece of oak, and will be a family heirloom for generations to come. I imagine a few generations hence, when true craftsmanship is all but forgotten, and everything is built with computer-guided machinery, some great grandchild of ours will ride that horse and I hope his parents will tell the story about Great-Great Grandpa Jim Jarding who built that horse. They will tell him that Grandpa Jim was a farmer for the first part of his life, and was always a farmer at heart. He took a job carrying mail in the early sixties. He loved carrying mail, and made a lot of good friends over the years. Grandpa Jim built many different things for us. He welded a steel pipe swingset for us while still on the farm. If something needed to be built or fixed, he just did it. He was a pretty handy guy with tools. Our sister, Connie, was born with Cerebal Palsey, and could not stand or walk. Dad built little walkers for her from steel pipe and wood, while mom sewed seats for the walkers out of leather and cloth. Connie had several tables built for her by dad so she would have a place to stand and watch mom working in the kitchen. Dad even built her first wheel chairs from steel well pipe and casters.

That is probably where I got my urge to make things. I always liked working with wood, and, thanks to the genetics from Dad, I was able to have some success at it.

I planned to build a rocking horse for each of my son’s families when the time came. I build Kolbe an oak horse last Christmas. I thought I had plenty of time to build the other three. God has put me on an accelerated plan now, so I am trying to get these other three horses done for this Christmas, and I will make that. I will also have to build a dolly cradle later this spring for one little granddaughter.

I had decided to cut out all three sets of parts at the same time to “mass produce” these three horses. The process moves along, but when working with 1 ½” And 2” oak boards, the wood is hard, and the wood does not always cooperate with the tools shaping it. I have found that I had to re-glue and re-cut some pieces, as the router knocked out large chunks of oak at the most unexpected times. The grain of the wood has a lot to do with this. As the rapidly spinning router blade moves along to shape the oak piece, sometimes the grain is a bit rough or moving into a knotty area, and the router tears out a larger piece than I had hoped it would. The wood worker, me, has to then not swear, go get another piece of oak, cut and glue it, and shape it to the pattern of the piece I need. This has been a process, but I do enjoy the process. I try to be patient, and it has been going well. I try to take a faith lesson from all of this, and here it is.

We are all like pieces of uncut raw wood in the hands of the Master Woodworker. He, through life’s trials, tests, and blessings, cuts us to the pattern we are to be. As He shapes us, I think sometimes we fight back, and our stubborn and sinful ways can cause his machinery to tear out a large chunk of wood. He patiently glues back the piece and continues to shape us into the beautiful creation we are meant to be. Sometimes He has to almost start over with the process in some of us, but He doesn’t get angry and throw us aside, He keeps working with us until we become what He knows we can be. I suppose the pieces that just won’t cooperate end up in the fire pit pile, like my scraps do.

As my future grandchildren ride their rocking horses, I hope they squeal with joy and have big smiles on their faces. They will have lots of fun on their horses, and both Grandpa Jim and Great Grandpa Jim will be up in heaven smiling down on them and watching them have fun.

I have been feeling pretty good, and feel that God has truly Blessed me and my family this Thanksgiving. Make it a great week, and enjoy God’s many Blessings!