The Padstow Hobby-Horse
... OLD customs die hard, and in a few West Country towns the Hobby-Horse still makes his appearance on May Day. The origin of the custom is unknown, but the Hobby-Horse was a popular attraction in the Middle Ages and has survived as a May Day institution at Padstow. The body of the horse is a large, tub-shaped framework covered with black tarpaulin. There is a small horse's head in front, but the ...