Morris and Other Ritual Dance
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Morris dancers and a hobby horse: detail of Thames at Richmond, with the Old Royal Palace, c.1620
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Some modern dance sides have reinterpreted the hobby horse: this hooden horse is a zebra
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The Abbots Bromley hobby horse "undressed" (from Folk-Lore, 1896)
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The original Abbots Bromley hobby horse in costume, c.1976
A hobby horse is depicted in a stained glass window, dating from between 1550–1621, from Betley Hall, Staffordshire, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, directly below a Maypole and surrounded by what appear to be morris dancers (accession no. C.248-1976) .
A painting from c.1620, now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, shows Morris dancers by the Thames at Richmond; their party includes a hobby horse.
Some historical English Morris dance "sides" (teams) had hobby horses associated with them, but the popularity of such animals with morris sides today probably dates from the early years of the morris revival, when Ilmington Morris created a tourney horse, ridden by Sam Bennett for many years. Some modern revival sides have extended their animal repertoire in various imaginative and appropriate ways, e.g. Pig Dyke Molly molly dancers, who wear black and white costumes and makeup, have a hobby zebra.
A hobby horse takes part in the ancient Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. The old original horse (see gallery, above) has been replaced by a more realistic carving in recent years.
Read more about this topic: Hobby Horse, Customs, Britain
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