11/9/2005: Snow roller in Vermont 1941

xoxoxoBruce finds and documents this one nicely, let him tell it:

Back when horsepower was measured by a tail count, people traveled by horse. Groups and freight traveled in horse drawn vehicles like carriages and wagons. In the winter they used sleighs, sledges and sleds along with the wheeled vehicles so rather than plow the roads they would compact them with one of these heavy rollers.

This photograph was taken in VT circa 1941, which was certainly the end of the era. If the thought of driving on compacted snow may seem strange, remember: most roads weren't paved, they would throw sand on slippery spots, they didn't have much reason to go anywhere, but church, in the country winter, less traffic and slower speeds, cars used chains, and horses had winter caulks on their shoes.

Plus it was a hell of a lot better than the muddy ruts beneath it.

I noticed the far white horse has stopped pulling because (s)he can see the horse in front is down.
But the near dark horse is still pulling because (s)he doesn't know the horse behind is down.
Hard work

It's funny how the text describes travelling by horse as some unknown fenomenon that mabye took place only a very long time ago, though this really isn't that far away. In large parts of the world, I'm sure this is still how you do it. I have never travelled this way myself, though, but I sure would like to some time. It seems kind of peaceful.

Cool pic.

Hey Bromskloss, welcome to the Cellar.
Yes, it can be peaceful if your surroundings are peaceful. That's the key in that you are up close and personal with your environment.
Of course when mothers nature's in a snit it can be damned uncomfortable too.
In the US horses aren't used much for transportation any more but in many places here, there are more horses than ever. Just because people enjoy horses and spoiling their children.

Even though it's only 64 years ago, it seems like an entirely different era from now. O_o

Especially when you weren't even alive during the 30s and 40s (and earlier, or course) it seems like a completely different era.

do you think they had to make monthly payments or horses? how do you check the oil on those animals, anyway? heh.

Yes, sometimes they did make payments on tings, including horses.
I have a floor model Victrola (record player), my Aunt's father bought second hand in about 1920 or so for $14. I also have the reciepts he got for some of the 50 cent weekly payments.
Horses were considerably more expensive.

I still feel a connection with the horse drawn era because my Granddad remembers horses delivering milk on the streets of London.

Whereas my niece & nephew think having milk delivered to your house at all is weird & old-fashioned.

Its a great picture!

My Grandad didn't retire his horses until my Dad went into the Marine Corp in 1956. His Brother-in-Law who was a dedicated horse man breeding and training, kept them longer, I remember his last animal. My Great Uncle kept a pair of draft horses well into the '70s, he had a tractor which he mostly kept safely in the barn. It was hard for some of those old guys to let go. They'd worked with horses there whole lives, the smells, the ritual, the companionship. Of course some hated the critters and moved to tractors right away and some realized it was farming they hated but took it out on the animals.

Both my parents remember horses being used in NYC and places like Jersey City

One "interesting" thing I saw when I was in Northern NM about 10 years ago was some folks using horses for semi serious transportation - mostly between neighboring farms, or around the farm - I don't really count it because they also had vehicles, but I guess sometimes the horse works better (or is more fun - but I repeat myself)

But come to think of it, when I was living in Indonesia in the 90s, there were still a lot of horse-drawn carriages. I never rode any (since we had a car) but seeing horses was quite a usual sight. But since Indonesia is quite tropical, they wouldn't have had snow rollers anyway, hah... Oxen plowed the fields though. That was a common sight too. Not sure about how it is now.

Not only does this image remind us of a time when the car was just really becomming a part of everyone's lives but also one has to consider the people in the picture. Probably wearing a few layers of wool at best. No polarfleece or down, no Gortex, God it must have been cold sitting up on top of that thing in the wind!

If horse tails make for a measurement of horsepower what does this image of my great grandfather make for:

Helps if you upload the image, sorry!

yea, 3 tries makes it! One of those days.

Around here, it's very common to see draft horses, mostly Percherons and Belgians, plowing fields - and Standard breds pulling Amish buggies. The latter pisses me off everytime.

I was visiting Egypt this summer, and they really made use of both horses and donkeys for transportation. And camels! :-) In the streets they where mixed with all the cars. As for the camels, the police actually used them when patrolling in desert areas.

I saw a very unpleasant accident involving a horse drawn cart & a coach full of tourists in Egypt...

I was in an accident between a mule drawn wagon hauling tourists (me and my wife) and a tour van on our honeymoon in Hawaii. Fortunately, it was a 5-10 mph accident of the sideswipe variety. Good for a story. "Fuck! Fuckin' mules!" is still ingrained in my head. The van was dented all along its side, and the mules and wagon were unscathed.

Fortunately, it was a 5-10 mph accident

I saw an accident once with a 90 km/h mule. That was really bad.

Great images!
The black & white seems to intensify the nostalgia. Oh, for the good old days.....When a dollar was a dollar....When a man was a man.......when...well anyway.

I hate to break out the humor angle before anyone else but, CAN YOU SAY STUMPBROKE?

maybe I AM old redneck. I don't expect noone to fess up here, I damn sure ain't... hee hee..........

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinx snip~~ and Standard breds pulling Amish buggies. The latter pisses me off everytime.

I was wondering that too, Jinx ... better to pull a buggy than become dogfood or a Frenchman's dinner. They can't all be Rysdyk's Hambeltonian, after all.

How do you feel about racing greyhound rescue?

Certainly when my friend and i were travelling last year we saw horses and donkeys still being used in morroco, and the year before in bulgaria! It's really strange - it has a strange attraction don't you think...

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisinhouston ...snip...No polarfleece or down,...snip...

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce Whyzat?

Goretex doesn't smell funny, though.

it seems to me that if they had devised some rigging that could put that big wheel in FRONT of the horses, they might have had an easier time of it.


oh, yeah, F the amish.

Is that not another example of someone trying to put the horse before the cart?

My Granddad always told me "don't get the cart ahead of the horse".

Speaking of wool, I love the military wool blankets(as long as you have something else between it and yourself).
WOOLY BULLY.....WOOLY BULLY.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by busterb Is that not another example of someone trying to put the horse before the cart?

Technically, they're pushing the horse collar which pulls the load. But you're right, pushing a load is very difficult and impossible to steer.