text: question with how to phrase something? if you were to try to convey the idea that a child was playing with a pretend horse, would you say, "he/she played with the horse doll," or "he/she played with the doll horse?"  basically, would you phrase it as a "doll horse," or "horse doll?"  thanks! if it's a small model of a horse it's a horse doll or a toy horse.  if it's a stick with a pretend horse's head on it that the child straddles and runs along with (while making horsey noises) - it's called a hobby horse.  if it is a totally imaginary horse, existing only in the child's head, then it is an imaginary horse or pretend horse.  doll horse is definitely not right.