Dapple grey rocking horse on bow rockers made in London, England by P Leach.

Rocking horse on bow rockers, carved, turned and painted wood. The galloping horse is painted a dappled grey-white, with red nostrils. The head is turned slightly to the right and has carved teeth and tongue, and glass eyes. The body has pommel holes and mortise and tenon leg joins. The legs have accentuated fetlocks, and the rear legs have carved hocks and prominent stifles. The tail and mane are dark brown horsehair. There is no harness.

Its rocker has elm sides and a pine platform, which has four top boards and three cover strips. It is painted dark green.

This rocking horse was seen discarded in an alley alongside a fish and chip shop (at 24 East Street) in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, by Frank L Emanuel, who belonged to the Art Workers Guild, and recognised that it was well carved, but thought that it was rather older than it actually is. He asked at the fish and chip shop and was told that the horse could be sold for £5, he subsequently wrote to the V&A with the owner's contact details urging that it be acquired. Leigh Ashton, the V&A's then Director, followed it up with a letter to Mrs May Crampton, the owner, offering to buy the horse. Mrs Crampton asked for payment in cash before handing over the horse, but accepted a promise of a money order through the post afterwards.

'The earliest date I have for him [P. Leach] is 1826 as an apprentice, and then as a rocking horse maker in 1852, but not at Euston Rd. The earliest mention of 305 Euston Rd I know of is 1884, and by 1891 another address, so to be safe, I would say circa 1888 as a manufacture date for the horse. I have recently restored a swing-stand horse very very similar to your bow rocker, and this had an accompanying letter stating it was purchased in 1889.' (David Kiss, rocking horse restorer)

W.38-1946