It's Time For A Little Horseplay With This Sweet Steiff Filly On Wheels

Let's saddle up and take a look at this week's delightful vintage Steiff find. Here we have a barnyard friend who's really on the move, and excited to share her story with you. Check out this happy handful and see what makes her so much more than just a dog and pony show!

This pretty pony is the mane event indeed. She's 12 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair which has been airbrushed with brown spots. Her tail and mane are made from longer, stiff mohair, and her ears are made from felt. Her face is detailed with brown and black pupil eyes and black airbrushing to indicate her nose, mouth, and other facial contours. She is ready to hit the trail with her red faux leather saddle, red plastic reins, and red string headwear detailed with yellow felt circle decorations. She is mounted on two metal axels which are connected to four blue wooden eccentric wheels. She bobs to and fro, much like a real filly, when she is pulled along. Pony on wheels was made in this size only from 1954-1957 and then again in 1960. 

Hold your horses! It's no coincidence that the information printed on filly's yellow cloth ear tag pretty much describe her to a "T." The code reads, "1312 ex." This stands for 1=standing, 3=mohair, 12= 12 cm, and ex= riding upon four wooden eccentric wheels. And her thin lettered, raised script button, which debuted in 1952, is perfectly period to her as well.

This delightful pull toy is a natural product line extension of a beloved, standard line item introduced in the early 1950s. This of course was the company's pony, which was made in 12 and 17 cm from 1951-1976 overall. The larger and smaller sizes were quite similar in design, with two details setting them apart. The first is that the smaller version had a dark tan mane, and the larger version had a white mane. The second is that the smaller version had a saddle and headwear made from thin red string and decorated with felt, while the larger one did not have a saddle and had headwear made from faux red leather and metal studs. 

Creating petite pull toys on wooden wheels from the smallest, or smaller versions of popular Steiff designs was an efficient way for the company to grow its product range in the c. 1950-1960 time frame. Versions on wheels were usually produced a few years after the animal design was initially introduced - much like in the case of the pony. For example, Cockie the cocker spaniel was introduced in 1952 in 10, 17, and 25 cm. The 10 cm Cockie was made as a pull toy from 1954-1957 and 1960. Bully the bulldog was introduced in 1951 in 10, 17, and 22 cm. The 10 cm version was made as a pull toy from 1954-1957 and 1960. And the company's postwar mohair donkey - made in 14, 22, and 28 cm from 1950 onward, was made as a 14 cm pull toy from 1954-57 and 1961. You can see Bully and Cockie on wheels here on the left.

These pint-sized, mid-century pull toys remain extremely popular with toy collectors worldwide, and for good reason! They are adorable, don't take up too much room, and look precious posed in groups or accompanying vintage dolls from any era. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this pony on wheels made horse-sense to you.

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