What a great question!

First, I'll show you what Wikipedia says:

"A Dalecarlian horse (Swedish: Dalahäst) is a traditional wooden statuette of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna. In the older days the dala horse was mostly a toy for children, but nowadays it is used as a symbol for Dalarna or sometimes the whole of Sweden."

The Dala Horse was originally a toy, created by woodworkers for their children.  Most often they were made of scraps left over from the creation of clocks, since that was a primary source of income in that era.

Horses were important, also, in that time period, and since so many relied on the horses, the wooden dala horses were a great toy for children. 

Its roots are Swedish, and because Mora Minnesota is the sister town of Mora, Sweden, you will see many dala horses around our wonderful little town. 

Why is it so important in Mora, and not other towns?  I'll quote  Wikipedia again.

"The earliest references to wooden horses for sale are from 1623 -- nearly 400 years ago. The pattern of today is about 150 years old, and it reflects a style of painting known as kurbits. In the 19th century, Stickå-Erik Hansson from Mora introduced the technique of painting with two colours on the same brush, still used today. The Dalecarlian horse of today is still a handcrafted article, made of pine. At least nine different people contribute their skills to create each horse."

Dala horse production flourished in the 1800's, and the horses were used as payment for household goods and groceries.  Decoration of the toys were of the utmost importance, because the most beautiful ones brought the most value. 

The colors of our Dala Horses are very traditional, and our are based on Erik Hansson's original colors.  He was one of the most prominant Dala Horse painters in history.   

Hopefully this will give you a little bit of insight into the history of "that orange donkey" (as I've heard so many people say),  a great piece of heritage and pride here in the Mora area. 

For more information on real estate in the Mora Minnesota area, visit my website!