He Makes Life-Size Horses From Old Tires
Old truck and tractor tires, plastic bale twine, and a few pieces of construction lumber and bolts are made into the most realistic black horses you’ll ever see by retired Iowa farmer Virgil Davis. “I’ve seen tire swings that are supposed to look like horses but really don’t. I thought I could do better,” says the affable and fun-loving Davis.
Here’s how he built a swing horse about the size of a Shetland pony. “The frame for the horse is made from a 4-ft. long wooden 4 by 6 that supports the body and a 2 by 4 that extends up at an angle to support the neck. The main body of the horse is made from pieces of 12.5 L16 wagon tires that I cut apart using a pattern. Pieces of sidewall are cut to form the neck, the face, and the front legs. Flat pieces are folded in half and bolted together to form the legs. The hooves are shaped from a portion of a tire sidewall and tread. All the materials are attached to the main frame with construction screws. Chains connect to eye bolts on the back of the horse and the top of the head, then up to the swing frame, to provide a sturdy riding horse that glides up to 6 ft. back and forth.”
Davis adds other accessories that make each horse even more realistic. Eyes are made using large black carriage bolts extending through belt pieces on the side of the face. Ears are made from thin gauge tire walls turned and clipped to a point at the top. Stirrups are made from tire belting and a bridle and reins from plastic roping. The mane and tail are made of black plastic baler twine cut to a common length and secured to the neck and back. Hinges on the legs and feet give the appearance of a galloping horse as it sways back and forth on the swing set.
Davis has also made a large black draft horse that resembles a real life Percheron. It’s 7 ft. tall and 11 ft. long from the tip of its nose to the hock. The back and sides were fabricated from 21.5 L16 truck tires while the main body is one big wagon tire with a wood frame inside, built strong enough to hold 5 adults. He built his own tools to bend the tire inside out. White baler twine adorns the feet to resemble flowing long hair. Davis donated the huge tire animal to the Draft Horse Association, where it was auctioned off bringing more than $1,000 in a charity event. He’s also made a smaller race horse that pulls a surrey.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Virgil Davis, 2686 250th St., Humboldt, Iowa 50548 (ph 515 378-3344).
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He Makes Life-Size Horses From Old Tires LIVESTOCK Horses/Mules Old truck and tractor tires plastic bale twine and a few pieces of construction lumber and bolts are made into the most realistic black horses you’ll ever see by retired Iowa farmer Virgil Davis “I’ve seen tire swings that are supposed to look like horses but really don’t I thought I could do better ” says the affable and fun-loving Davis Here’s how he built a swing horse about the size of a Shetland pony “The frame for the horse is made from a 4-ft long wooden 4 by 6 that supports the body and a 2 by 4 that extends up at an angle to support the neck The main body of the horse is made from pieces of 12 5 L16 wagon tires that I cut apart using a pattern Pieces of sidewall are cut to form the neck the face and the front legs Flat pieces are folded in half and bolted together to form the legs The hooves are shaped from a portion of a tire sidewall and tread All the materials are attached to the main frame with construction screws Chains connect to eye bolts on the back of the horse and the top of the head then up to the swing frame to provide a sturdy riding horse that glides up to 6 ft back and forth ” Davis adds other accessories that make each horse even more realistic Eyes are made using large black carriage bolts extending through belt pieces on the side of the face Ears are made from thin gauge tire walls turned and clipped to a point at the top Stirrups are made from tire belting and a bridle and reins from plastic roping The mane and tail are made of black plastic baler twine cut to a common length and secured to the neck and back Hinges on the legs and feet give the appearance of a galloping horse as it sways back and forth on the swing set Davis has also made a large black draft horse that resembles a real life Percheron It’s 7 ft tall and 11 ft long from the tip of its nose to the hock The back and sides were fabricated from 21 5 L16 truck tires while the main body is one big wagon tire with a wood frame inside built strong enough to hold 5 adults He built his own tools to bend the tire inside out White baler twine adorns the feet to resemble flowing long hair Davis donated the huge tire animal to the Draft Horse Association where it was auctioned off bringing more than $1 000 in a charity event He’s also made a smaller race horse that pulls a surrey Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Virgil Davis 2686 250th St Humboldt Iowa 50548 ph 515 378-3344
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