22/09/2025
Pedigree Soft Toys Ltd.
Recently there was an unusual Lines rocking horse that came up for discussion on a Facebook forum, the horse was hide covered but beneath was a fabric covering. After a bit of research I have got to the bottom of its origins….
In the late 1930’s a struggling company of ‘expert animal artists’ approached Lines Bros for financial support, the outcome being that Lines bought the company and subsequently ‘Pedigree Soft Toys Ltd’ was formed in 1936 as a subsidiary of Lines Bros Ltd.
Pedigree Soft Toys Ltd. produced a wide range of soft toy animals and also a great variety of wheeled toys and later dolls were added to the range.
The item that concerns us of course is the production of ‘PST’ rocking horses, these were based on the Lines ‘Tri-ang Sportiboy’ range and were offered in 4 sizes from 30” up to 50” in height. The horses were described as being covered in ‘beautiful plush’, stands were painted in either red or green and the metal components were chrome plated. It is assumed the horses were made within the Lines rocking horse department and the plush being fitted in the nearby PST ‘Southern Factory’.
Date wise, from 1937 but I’m not sure if they were produced after the war so perhaps only available for a couple of years. Some examples of ‘Hide-covered’ horses have also come to light over the years but no catalogue listings have been discovered so it’s not known if these were produced under the ‘PST’ or ‘Tri-ang’ brand….. still more research to be done…
D Kiss 22nd Sept 2025.
