We haven't had a thread about horses as transportation for a while...

Got real horsepower in the backyard... jumped on the retired racehorse last night, bitless (there is a bridle that does not use a bit), barefoot (the horse was barefoot - no shoes for her) and bareback (no saddle for me). I think I provided my family members some viewing excitement as the mare was feeling the effects of a higher octane grain than she needs... but I lived to tell the story and did not get launched.

The Arabian I would have taken out today but spent the day hiking with a friend and wish I knew how many miles we logged between different sites.... the four wheeling I did (after two hikes) in his "lifted" Jeep was worthy of some Jeep commercials... rocks, hills, mud, water, and what we were traveling on did not qualify as a "road" in my opinion. He laughed and said "How would your Prius do on this?" Not even an option once we went off road!

I am lucky I did not have a heart attack - a horse I can control - a vehicle is another story but a fun trip nonetheless... happy to be a passenger on this trip!

 

From the horseless carriage to the all-electric LEAF, a short video explaining it all from Nissan

"CleanMPG - Mar. 11, 2013
Are you glad to drive today vs. back when?
Charlie Yaeger is 97 years old. He has been driving for more than 80 years. He has driven everything from a Ford Model T to Nissan Maxima to a 1916 Baker Electric."

 

"It is almost impossible to think of the logistics required during the Civil War without thinking of horses and mules. These beasts of burden did the dirty work for both North and South. Horses and mules pulled supply wagons that kept the armies fed, clothed, and armed. They lugged artillery for miles on end, and many died a soldier's death on the battlefield. One estimate places the number of horse and mule deaths during the Civil War at well over a million."



(Note: it is estimated that in total some 3.5 million horses and mules were used in the Civil War. These animals saw a death rate ssome 5-6 times that of the soldiers on both sides. See Cavalry)

"Often when one considers horses and mules in the Civil War, it is in the glorious role of the cavalry. Indeed, numerous chargers sped famous horsemen in combat during the four years of conflict. Phil Sheridan, JEB Stuart, Wade Hampton, John Hunt Morgan, George Armstrong Custer, and many others won their laurels mainly on steady and proven steeds. Nathan Bedford Forrest claimed to have had 29 horses shot from under him during the war-and claimed to have personally killed 30 enemy soldiers in close combat....and as he said, that left him one ahead.

"But, it was the common horses and mules that never got the glory. Those that pulled their hardest in belly-deep mud; those that stood steady and ready to pull a cannon to safety while all around men, and other horses and mules fell and had to be cut from harnesses. It was those that were especially targeted by enemy troops to make it easier to capture artillery and wagons. It is these horses and mules that deserve more recognition."

Read more: Random Thoughts on History:: Civil War Horses and Mules

 

An Amish woman and her daughter were riding in an old buggy one cold blustery day. The daughter said to her mother, "My hands are freezing cold."
The mother replied, "Put them between your legs. Your body heat will warm them up." The daughter did, and her hands warmed up.
The next day the daughter was riding with her boy friend who said, "My hands are freezing cold."
The girl replied, "Put them between my legs. The warmth of my body will
warm them up." He did, and warmed his hands.
The following day the boyfriend was again in the buggy with the daughter. He said, "My nose is cold."
The girl replied "Put it between my legs. The warmth of my body will warm it up." He did, and warmed his nose.
The next day the boyfriend was again driving with the daughter, and he said, "My penis is frozen solid."
The following day the daughter was driving in the buggy with her mother
again, and she says to her mother, "Have you ever heard of a penis?"
Slightly concerned the mother said, "Why, yes. Why do you ask?"
The daughter replies, "They make one hell of a mess when they defrost,
don't they!

 

Racing is transportation... right...

 

That is real horsepower in action!