MochaDun
Well-Known Member
Never thought I'd tune in to this but Dan Snow's series about the history of railways in the first episode covers the role of the horse before steam engines got mobile. They feature for about the first 15 minutes, hauling coal carts - amazing fact - 2,000 wagons would go up and down the wagon ways a day taking coals to Newcastle...that's about one cart (with about 2.5 tonnes of coal onboard) every 20 seconds or so. We owe those horses a lot for their hard work 
Where I hack was a former dramway used by horses and at the end we have the remains of an old mine and one of the last working horse whimsey/gin's that was in use. I tell my pony how easy he has it toddling along there now snatching at cow parsley instead of pulling coal!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q16wj
Where I hack was a former dramway used by horses and at the end we have the remains of an old mine and one of the last working horse whimsey/gin's that was in use. I tell my pony how easy he has it toddling along there now snatching at cow parsley instead of pulling coal! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q16wj