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Petrol and diesel prices are soaring – and there's no sign of these falling back. In fact, the trend remains stubbornly upwards. Time then, perhaps, to consider a return to the English saddle – should horsepower become a serious form of alternative ‘modern' transport in the 21st century?
Just imagine – streets again filled with the finest equestrian animals, a stable on every street corner, fine horse tack, decorated coaches, tram cars pulled by these beasts of burden, a horse or two tied up outside every home… hmm, or is this way too wishful thinking?
Viewing the past through apparently rose-tinted spectacles does make such a future transport scenario sound attractive. Well-dressed ladies and gents astride their powerful, elegant steeds, family cars replaced by family horse carriages for a spin at the weekend, and romantic couples galloping across meadows for that breathless rendez-vous - even mail delivered again by Pony Express.
Given the price of fuel and the environmentally disastrous route humankind is apparently headed down, burning fossil fuels at an all-too-alarming rate, it does make one think that the true consequences of switching to horsepower are not as burdensome as, at first glance, they might appear.
Examining some research on the Internet, I discovered that the average cost of running a horse over a mile is about the same as a family-sized car – based on 2007 fuel prices when oil was at $100 a barrel.
Bearing in mind, oil prices are expected to easily hit $200 a barrel in the near future, any financial barriers to horse use suddenly – and remarkably - don't look prohibitive.
In the USA, one relatively famous community – called the Amish - has favoured the horse over motor transport for many years.
Important then to balance the potentially strong business case for a return to horse riding and the need to purchase equestrian apparel, horse rugs, blankets and other horse tack and supplies.
So, what about the reverse side of the coin, the downsides of renewed growth in domesticated horse use on our streets and in our countryside?
Possible drawbacks to returning to an equestrian style of living:
- Roads and tracks filled daily with faeces and urine by the gallon-load
- Sickness, illness or disease can decimate teams of horses
- Pulling wagons up steep hills can be impossible
- Horses eat throughout the day but tend to work only part of a day
- Use of horse cars and coaches requires regular changes of animals
But with its major contribution to global warming well documented, a significant detrimental effect of the motor car also includes an inability to breed.
Being able to ‘grow your own transport' can ensure a cost-effective development approach for any horse business, surely – especially when contrasting that with a new car cost of anything between £5,000 to many tens of thousands of pounds – even hundreds of thousands.
Ultimately maybe, it could be the sheer practicality of horse ownership compared to the motor vehicle that must be weighed up.
While a horse-drawn society would not pollute the atmosphere – everything emitted by trusty steeds goes back into the earth – weather could be a severely limiting factor for horsepower. Hot and sweaty, cold and freezing, rainy and wet – the car appears more comfortable.
And would human society be at all happy to cut back on its seemingly unlimited travel aspirations where most single, 1 hp, horse journeys are likely to be less than 10 miles? And, notably, there are not many horses taking humans into space.
So maybe then, matters are not so clear cut about what's best to do about future transport needs. A strong business case must now currently exist for renewed interest and development of horsepower; the opportunity is for ‘saddle transport' that is convenient and cheaper than anything driven by fossil fuels.
The Lone Ranger was happy in his saddle, living and taking care of his horse in his time – so, why shouldn't we all be thinking the same these days? Reasons against are very few, it seems – certainly not a bad lifestyle. Hi-ho Silver away…
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