also: ちくば
noun
stilts
Walking stilts, typically made of bamboo poles with footrests. Common in traditional play and festivals.
子供たちは竹馬に乗って遊んでいた。
The children were playing on stilts.
noun
hobby horse
Only with reading ちくば
Archaic term for a toy horse, often a stick with a horse's head. Read ちくば in this sense.
昔の子供は竹馬を馬に見立てて遊んだ。
Children in the past played with a hobby horse, pretending it was a real horse.
Compound of 竹 (bamboo) and 馬 (horse). The stilts sense comes from the resemblance of riding a bamboo pole to riding a horse. The hobby horse sense is a direct extension of the imagery.