How To Crochet a Horse FREE Pattern

There are so many wonderful vintage patterns out there, and either they state that they need a specialised hook or yarn that is no longer available yet, or if we just give them a try, they turn out to be pretty good crochet patterns, like this crochet horse.

This is a vintage crochet pattern originally printed in The Star Book No. 39 by the American Thread Company. I cannot find an original place to link to, but I found this pattern in an old knitting book from our local charity shop. 

I love horses and have tried many horse patterns, but always left feeling slightly disappointed by the outcome. the best one I had come across was a My Little Pony pattern, but it still looked very cartoonish.

I wanted a finished horse that looked like a horse. with changes in colour for markings. This is one I made to look like my own Clydesdale horse. Reggie.

FREE Crochet Horse Pattern (vintage)

It really IS EASY, and actually turned out to be a very simple crochet horse pattern 

This is the Pattern as Follows.

Materials Required—The following AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY Products:9 ½” HORSE. (Top of head to feet) “STAR” PEARL COTTON, Size 5. 60 yd. Balls. 8 Balls White and 1 Ball Red. Steel Crochet Hooks No. 4 and 8. Work with two strands of thread.
13 ½” HORSE. “DAWN” KNITTING WORSTED, 1 ¼ oz. Skeins. 4 Skeins Brown and 1 Skein Tangerine or Orange. Bone Crochet Hooks No. 3 and 6. Work with single yarn.
Cotton or Kapok for filling.
17 ½” HORSE. “STAR” COTTON YARN, 100 yd. Skeins. 7 Skeins Black and 1 Skein White. Crochet Hooks No. 6 and G. Work with double yarn.
BODY.
With White and Large Hook ch 38 and work 37 s c on ch. Ch 1 to turn each row.
2nd and 3rd Rows—2 s c in first s c, 1 s c in each remaining s c.
4th and 5th Rows—1 s c in each s c.
6th Row—Increase 1 s c at beginning of row and work 2 rows even.
9th and 10th Rows—Increase 1 s c at beginning of each row.
11th Row—Increase 1 s c at beginning of row and work 4 rows even.
16th, 17th and 18th Rows—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of each row.
19th Row—Start Neck—Work 1 s c in each of the first 17 s c, ch 1, turn.
20th Row—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of row, 1 s c in each remaining s c of neck.
21st Row—1 s c in each s c. Repeat the 20th and 21st rows 3 times.
28th Row—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of row, 1 s c in each remaining s c, ch 12 for head, turn.
29th Row—11 s c on ch, 1 s c in each s c of neck.
Next 14 Rows—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of each row, break thread.

LOWER SECTION OF FACE. Attach thread at neck edge in the 28th row and in the first st of the ch 12 and work 1 s c in each of the next 10 sts of ch, 2 s c in last st, ch 1, turn and work 3 more rows even.
5th Row—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of row and work 1 row even.
Next 4 Rows—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of each row, break thread. Attach thread in first s c of 18th row and work 1 s c in each of the next 14 s c, ch 1, turn. Decrease 1 s c and work 1 s c in each of the next 13 s c, ch 1, turn, decrease 1 s c and work 1 s c in each of the next 12 s c, then work 1 s c in each s c across back, 1 s c in each row of neck, 1 s c in each s c at top of head, continue working around head and down the front to the first row without breaking thread.

START FRONT LEG. 2 s c in first s c of opposite side of ch 38, 1 s c in each of next 8 sts, ch 1, turn.
2nd Row—Decrease 1 s c, 1 s c in each of the next 9 s c.
3rd Row—Increase 1 s c at beginning of row.
4th Row—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of row. Repeat the 3rd and 4th rows 3 times.
11th Row—1 s c in each s c.
12th Row—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of row. Repeat 11th and 12th rows 3 times, then work 6 more rows even, break thread.

HIND LEG. Attach thread in 13th st from end of row, work 1 s c in each of the next 12 sts, ch 1, turn, and work 2 rows even.
4th Row—Increase 1 s c at beginning of row, 1 s c in each remaining s c.
5th Row— Decrease 1 s c at beginning of row, 1 s c in each remaining s c. Repeat the 4th and 5th rows once and work 1 row even.
Next 8 Rows—Decrease 1 s c at beginning of each row and work 10 more rows even, break thread. Attach thread at top of head at face, work 1 s c in each of the s c of top of head to back of neck, ch 1, turn. Work 1 s c in each s c across top of head, down front of face, around mouth and up to under neck, ch 1, turn. Work 1 more row of s c all around head then work about 5 s c down back of neck, break thread. Work another section in the same manner.

UNDER SECTION. Work 2 under sections following the first 5 rows of the body. Then work front and hind leg on each section.
EARS. Ch 2, 1 s c in first st, ch 1 to turn.
2nd Row—2 s c in s c.
3rd Row—2 s c in first s c, 1 s c in next s c. Work 8 more rows increasing 1 s c at beginning of each row, then work 1 s c in each row down one side, 3 s c in the first st, 1 s c in each row up opposite side, break thread.

TAIL. Ch 6, join and work 1 s c in each st, without joining rows and working in back loop of st only work 1 s c in each s c for 14 rows.
I did not Do this I made Tail as I would on a blanket fringe.

FRINGE. * Draw up a loop on hook about 3 inches or length desired, hold loop on hook, s c in next s c, draw up another loop on hook, s c in same s c, draw up another loop on hook, s c in next s c, repeat from * twice. Work a few loops in the same manner in about 3 or 4 rows for under part of tail, break thread. Cut loops.

MANE. Ch 51 and work 50 s c on ch, then work fringe same as tail fringe.
I DID NOT DO THIS! I made mane as I would a fringe on a blanket.
BLANKET. With 1 strand of Red and Small Hook ch 46 and work 45 s c on ch.
2nd Row—Ch 3, turn, * 2 d c in same space with ch 3, skip 3 s c, s c in next s c, ch 3, repeat from * across row. (Ch 3 to turn each row.)
3rd Row—2 d c in same space with ch 3, s c over the ch 3 of shell, * ch 3, 2 d c in same space, s c over the ch 3 of next shell, repeat from * across row.

THIS is NOT my own pattern it is a vintage one revisited