Why did Ebony retire so early?

ISSUES RAISED FROM THE SAMMY GOES NORTH STORY for Children.


The first question is "why is Ebony retiring after working at the Brewery for only seven years,"


Surely, you might well ask so short a time, horses can work for several years longer than that!

Ah yes but not all the time working on hard modern tarmac roads.

It is the roads that are the issue;  Constant pounding on the hard surface transmitted through the rigid

steel horseshoe would cause permanent damage to the horse's feet and legs if sustained for too long.

Even at rest, the horses in a permanent working environment are on a hard surface.

O.K. they have a straw or sawdust or rubber matting bed, but all around them is concrete or stone.

They get an annual holiday but only for a couple of weeks.
 
Agricultural horses have a far different life. The work is still hard but not beyond their capacity; in

neither places do they work all day. Only for so many hours in that day. 
The agricultural horse will be asked to pull loads on the roads and also to travel to the fields by way

of roads, it is in the fields where the more demanding work is done where it is easier on their feet and

legs. Mind you, there are different problems facing the horse in the field;  he has to have sufficient

time spent on him or her to ensure their coat and legs and feet are completely clear of dirt and mud.
Long term problems quite quickly occur if the coat and feet and legs are not perfectly cleaned after

work and before work begins the next day.

This is why the horseman would begin work with his horses several hours before they begin work

themselves and then for several hours afterwards.

Next time we will deal with the harness.


As a footnote, just before I started working for the Firestone Company in 1966 they had ceased

production of rubber horseshoes. It seemed a good idea at the time and I am not entirely sure what

the  reasons were for not continuing, apart from their being fewer horses working on the roads.

Perhaps some other readers have more information on this?
 

Thanks for reading.

KS

The Picture provided by Joe House, Ebony's Horseman shown leading him out of the wagon.