A Dala horse (Dalahäst) is a traditional Swedish painted wooden horse. It may be painted red, blue, black, or white, or may be a natural wood. I received this Dala horse from my paternal grandmother Helen Martha Marie (Anderson) Gatlin when I was a child. At the time, I did not realize what it was; I just thought it was a pretty painted horse. Years later, after I began to learn more about my ancestors' cultures, I realized that it was a Dala horse. I have purchased more Dala horses since then, and also have red, black, and white ones. Dala horses are most often red. However, because I received a blue Dala horse as a child, when I think of a Dala horse, a blue one comes to mind.
More information on Dala horses can be found at the following sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalecarlian_horse
http://www.dalahorse.com/dala_horse_history.html
http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/annualeventstraditions/p/dalahorses.htm
http://www.scandinavianheritage.org/dalahorse.htm
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