Horses

MrG · Post by **MrG** » 19 Jul 2010, 16:37

This is something I've been suprised not to see discussed on here!

How many powerswitchers can ride? How many of us keep horses?

After all they are the transport of the future surely. I have a friend in Bristol that is quite horsey and I've asked her to teach me to ride. I actually got put on horses a fair bit when I was very young so I'm hoping it might kind of come back to me.. my cousin farmed on Dartmoor and used one a fair bit to get around since he was constantly getting banned for drink driving (or drink driving while already banned for drink driving) plus they know their way home when you are too drunk to actually see.. Land Rovers can't do that!

Expensive beasts to keep though!

madibe · Post by **madibe** » 19 Jul 2010, 17:10

I hope you have got your tongue firmly in your cheek with the statement about horses being the transport of the future?

thats a lot of hay we'll be needing then?

Post die-off of course is a different matter...

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 19 Jul 2010, 21:09

I like horses but I couldn't possibly eat a whole one

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 19 Jul 2010, 21:48

I can't see how horses could replace all the cars on the road. Before the infernal combustion engine, only a minority of people would have had their own personal transport, apart from those things attached to the bottom of our legs! 20+ million horses would be a bit of a problem to look after.

Heavy horses for agriculture, forestry and haulage seems much more practical. Maybe oxen would be even better than horses.

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 20 Jul 2010, 09:26

There are far more horses in the UK today than in pre-industrial times. They were the transport of the rich. Even work horses were really expensive and few in number.

When times get tough, a lot of horses will be put down.

lancasterlad · Post by **lancasterlad** » 20 Jul 2010, 11:29

RalphW wrote:There are far more horses in the UK today than in pre-industrial times. They were the transport of the rich. Even work horses were really expensive and few in number.

When times get tough, a lot of horses will be put down.

Horses are already being re-homed due to the economic climate - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8554123.stm

Post by **clv101** » 20 Jul 2010, 11:33

RalphW wrote:There are far more horses in the UK today than in pre-industrial times.

When was peak horse? Have you got a time series for the last few hundred years?

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 20 Jul 2010, 11:48

clv101 wrote:
RalphW wrote:There are far more horses in the UK today than in pre-industrial times.
When was peak horse? Have you got a time series for the last few hundred years?

That would be interesting. Ireland is positively coming down with horses now. Many more than I remember in my childhood I think. Of course Ireland also has a name for breeding good horses so there are many cashing in on the "Irish Horse" thing......

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 20 Jul 2010, 13:42

Actually, doing a bit of googling, horses were quite numerous (maybe a couple of million) by the end of the 19th century. Maybe 2 million. One million heavy draft horses.

The current population is estimated about 1 million

Post by **clv101** » 20 Jul 2010, 14:04

A horse needs ~5 times as much food as a man? Could we swap our million horses for feeding 5 million people?

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 20 Jul 2010, 14:28

About a third of agricultural land was used to provide food for horses in times BT (before tractor). That would make a big hole in our self sufficiency with the current population.

Post by **clv101** » 20 Jul 2010, 14:45

Did using horses on the other 2/3 increase its productivity by at least 50%, thus offsetting the horse fields?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 20 Jul 2010, 16:50

Is growing rape and using the oil in a vehicle better than horsepower?

MrG · Post by **MrG** » 20 Jul 2010, 17:03

When times get tough, a lot of horses will be put down

Not past peak glue yet then! Seriously though that will be a shame they are beautiful creatures

Did using horses on the other 2/3 increase its productivity by at least 50%, thus offsetting the horse fields?

Well in the absence of tractors you'd need some sort of draft animal.. I guess what your all saying is that its all going to be about draft people

hmm.. well in the "bad soviet times" T's mum looked after an acre of land by hand (on her own after work).. you've gotta respect that!!

I still reckon I'm well up for (re)learning to ride its got to be a useful skill especially for someone that can't drive! In fact it isn't even so much about riding as being familiar witht he tempurment of the beast

Actually, doing a bit of googling, horses were quite numerous (maybe a couple of million) by the end of the 19th century. Maybe 2 million. One million heavy draft horses.

Bet that misses a lot of uncounted donkeys! Everyone forgets the donkeys

contadino · Post by **contadino** » 20 Jul 2010, 17:58

The use of horses for agriculture and transport has been steadily increasing in Eastern Europe for the last decade. Even here, prices for work horses from the Murgese are going through the roof. A half-decent one will cost somewhere in the region of €3000 now, whereas 5 years ago they couldn't give the meat away in the butchers.

Several olive groves near me are now worked by horses, rather than one 5 years ago.