Hale County
Rocking Horses
Larry Knight began working with wood while he was assisting a family member with carpentry work. He used these early skills to make his first rocking horse twenty years ago for his daughters. Even though Larry was pleased with this first experiment, he did not make another until he moved to Greensboro to begin a new marriage and a new career in furniture building. With the purchase of good tools and the desire to make a highly polished product, Larry tried the rocking horse again. He has created family heirlooms that will retain their quality in the future as highly valued antiques.
Larry uses pine for the body of his horses because of its sculptability and strength. Some of the slats of the runners are made from cherry, oak, or cedar, which provides contrast and texture. He hand paints the horses uses mixed paints, stains, and varnishes. Larry’s most creative pieces are painted to resemble zebras, leopards, giraffes, and other wild and colorful four-legged creatures. Each rocking horse is signed and numbered and no two animals are exactly alike.