Buck the trend of the standard issue rocking horse by ponying up for one of UK artist James Harvey’s Rocking Animals, which allow tykes to tame beasts like rhinos, hippos and even an elephant. More showpiece than ride-on toy, these exquisite masterpieces are each individually hand carved from eco-friendly, plantation grown Birch plywood. Harvey hopes his rockers will inspire children to learn about and protect wildlife.

The gentle giants weigh in at 110 pounds, and are sturdy enough to accommodate adult riders who want to wrangle some fun too. Designed to be handed down for generations, we hope the real-life counterparts of these toy animals will be around to roam the earth for years to come as well.

To that end, Harvey donates a portion of the sales from his Rocking Animals to animal conservation charity, Tusk. Tusk works to protect endangered species throughout Africa, and they also focus their efforts on working with people in rural communities who live alongside wildlife, to teach them to protect animals via the proper management and sustainable use of natural resources.

Is there a particular animal you’d like to hold court in your child’s nursery or playroom? Harvey will custom build any creature in the kingdom, from light or dark wood at your request. Contact James Harvey for more details on special orders. Giddyup!