Chamber Horse

Chamber Horse
Chamber Horse

1750-1800 / Furniture / John Wesley / John Wesley's House / Leather / Metal / Wood / Woodwork
Wood, leather, metal
c.1770-80

This unusual type of chair is an 18th century 'Chamber Horse'. Essentially, chamber horses were exercise chairs. The leather covered part contained a set of metal springs, which, when sat on and pushed, bounced up and down. It was very similar to the motion made as one sat on a trotting horse, so this exercise chair was soon known as a 'chamber' horse. It allowed the user to take exercise when the weather did not permit riding on horseback, or when a horse wasn't available.

Although this is not John Wesley's, John had a chamber horse just like it. He wrote to his niece Sarah in a letter on August 18, 1790, (when Wesley was 87 years old):
" You should be sure to take as much exercise every day as you can bear. I wish you would desire ... to send you the chamber-horse out of my dining-room, which you should use half an hour at least daily."