Hand-painted Old Jointed Wooden Horse antique garden tool I'd long been admiring both

I'd long been admiring both the forms and color on early croquet posts

likely 1880s or so

Barbour's Thread Co

just great--almost iconic really--with terrific aging to the paint

Hand-painted Old Jointed Wooden Horse antique garden tool I'd long been admiring bothThere are no holes to suggest this horse ever hung from strings, and with his front legs jointed at the knees he can't stand up straight (though he will balance on his own if resting on a knee) so I'm not entirely sure what this very sweet old horse was made for, though now I think I might mount him on the wall balanced on a few strategically placed nails. The white details of the face (including smiling mouth) mane and tale were hand painted on top