Changes through the ages
Horse & Hound|June 06, 2024
Horse management has unquestionably revolutionised over the past 14 decades – but is it always for the better? Catherine Austen charts the changes
Changes through the ages

WE know that the lives of people in Britain have changed immeasurably over the past 140 years. Has it also been the same for horses? The greatest difference must be that there are far fewer of them. It is estimated that there were more than three million horses in the UK in late Victorian times; now it is understood that there are well under a million. Much of that reduction is because we now keep horses purely for leisure and sport, whereas in 1900 at least one million of those were working animals, employed on farms, in public transport, in coal mines and to deliver goods.

Horses were essential for personal transport, either ridden or in harness. They were part of daily life for almost everyone, whether they lived in the countryside or in the towns and cities. Although the lives of working horses were often brutally hard, as anyone who has read Black Beauty – published in 1877 – will know, horses in general were well looked-after and greatly valued.

“People had a working knowledge of the working horse,” says trainer Sir Mark Prescott. “Joshua East made a fortune from Hackney cabs – in the end he had a monopoly – and he said to all the operators, ‘I will provide your horses, but you must rest each horse for three months a year, and if a horse goes lame, I will give you another one.’”

The two World Wars changed everything. According to equine welfare charity Brooke, the last London bus drawn by horses ran on 4 August 1914 – the day Britain declared war on Germany. While the British Army had around 25,000 horses in 1914, that number would swell; by 1917, the Army employed more than 368,000 horses on the Western Front alone.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HORSE & HOUNDView all
Better judges' cover a must to protect the sport's future
Horse & Hound

Better judges' cover a must to protect the sport's future

A group insurance option has been found to protect the officials showing needs but only if enough sign up

time-read
2 mins  |
November 28, 2024
IVF with frozen sperm is a 'milestone' in equine breeding
Horse & Hound

IVF with frozen sperm is a 'milestone' in equine breeding

The first successful use of frozen semen in the technique has been recorded in an American study

time-read
2 mins  |
November 28, 2024
Challenging ourselves to be and do better for our horses
Horse & Hound

Challenging ourselves to be and do better for our horses

The 2024 FEI general assembly heard how we should all challenge ourselves to give horses the best lives possible

time-read
2 mins  |
November 28, 2024
Scottish jockeys to benefit from fund's top services
Horse & Hound

Scottish jockeys to benefit from fund's top services

A new centre in Galashiels has been built thanks to a legacy donation

time-read
1 min  |
November 28, 2024
How horse simulators could help encourage people into riding
Horse & Hound

How horse simulators could help encourage people into riding

It is hoped the new model will help break down barriers to the sector for a wide range of people

time-read
2 mins  |
November 28, 2024
Many horses' needs aren't met: study finds chance to improve
Horse & Hound

Many horses' needs aren't met: study finds chance to improve

Researchers say all must ensure horses have space, friends, forage and good experiences

time-read
2 mins  |
November 28, 2024
Humble pie
Horse & Hound

Humble pie

How many ladies does it take to cook a shepherd's pie? It’s a complicated one, says Tessa Waugh, on a quest to find appropriate ovens for the impending hunt auction dinner

time-read
2 mins  |
November 28, 2024
I love an underdog
Horse & Hound

I love an underdog

The arrival of the winter mud brings with it a Venetia Williams hat-trick, but the day belongs to a warrior gelding, who never stops trying”

time-read
2 mins  |
November 28, 2024
Jumping Jack cracks it
Horse & Hound

Jumping Jack cracks it

A scopey grey is learning to be quick” anda broodmare makes up for lost time

time-read
4 mins  |
November 28, 2024
A star is born
Horse & Hound

A star is born

A nine-year-old mare helps put Luxembourg on the map and we celebrate a remarkable grey’s comeback

time-read
3 mins  |
November 28, 2024