Horses catching trains? How were they loaded?

[Wonderbolt]

I could see loading a horse new to boxs and at a unfamiliar stations being a challenging experience. Teaching horses to load into a modern road box (in a yard they are based in and used to) can be difficult.

   I suspect it may have been dangerous at times and that railway staff may have kept their distance as much as possible and let Grooms do the loading.

     The Blanket over the trick head illustrated in the image earlier in the thread I imagine will have been quite commonly used, as its an old horsemans trick.

 

I wonder was Straw, Hay and oats provided by the Rail companies or by the users themselves? Laying a bed in the wagon must have been done at the depot or in a siding?

[Horsetan]

 

I thought that covering the horse's eyes was a fairly standard tactic when attempting to persuade a reluctant one to enter a horsebox.  Maybe Clive Mortimore or Horsetan could confirm, or otherwise.  In the photo it looks like the squaddie has just used the most suitable item closest to hand - his greatcoat.

 

I've been to countless equestrian events and seen horses loaded thousands of times. Most load readily enough but when they do refuse I've never seen anyone throw a blanket over their head. When horses do refuse twenty people will come along and offer twenty different solutions, never heard covering it's head suggested.

 

It might work with a horse of suitable temperament but if you threw a blanket over my wife's current horse he'd go berserk. They are animals whose first reaction to threat is to flee and suddenly being plunged into darkness is not going to reassure them.

 

So, it might work on occasions, I wouldn't want to try it it with most horses.

 

The only instances I've seen a horse blindfolded is to encourage it into the starting gates in a Flat race - and that only rarely. Never seen the tactic used for loading into boxes.

[APOLLO]

Horses on trains - easy

 

First pony up for the ticket.

 

 

Then proceed to the train

 

 

Brit15

[JDW]

 

[phil_sutters]

Horses on trains - easy

 

First pony up for the ticket.

 

 

Then proceed to the train

 

 

Brit15

I see that your station's signage isn't as inclusive as it needs to be, taking account of current passengers - so I have corrected that oversight. Pardon my cheek but they are a great pair of photos and my warped sense of humour kicked in!

[adanapress]

I think I recall that one of the last shunting horses in Railway employ, was used until very late on, at Newmarket, moving horseboxes with horses still in,  to make up trains.   The horses knew that a horse was outside and it calmed them, rather than some puffing steaming monster.   These were very valuable animals - inside that is!. .   It may have been relevant that the District Motive Power Officer at the time  was a great lover of horses, and painted their portraits  from time to time  - My Uncle Geoff Ford.   One of Sir Nigel's premium apprentices at Doncaster,  later  Shedmaster at Plaistow during the blitz!  and much else besides.   One of the 'three musketeers' that made East Anglia work well in the late 50s and would you believe it,  profitably!

[phil_sutters]

Another - just came across it while looking for something else - item. Scroll down almost to the bottom, but definitely not to the bottom! If you click on the link to Part 1 at the top of the page, you can see a coloured illustration of unloading a race horse.

http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/GoodsTrains3.html

[Ronnie MB]

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I don't think that one would want to leave horses in pens at the side of the track, particularly not  racehorses which are nervous creatures.

 

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I think there is a reference in one of the Morpeth accident reports to a pig being carried in a crate in the guard's van of the derailed train.

[The Johnster]

I went a'volunteering on the Ffestiniog during my summer hollys in 1969, and on the way back home had to change at Shrewsbury.  The bay platform was full of a rake of GUVs with pigs in them, and you knew all about it if you were downwind!  I was a bit surprised that livestock were being carried in this way, and when I began working on the railway a year later searched in the General Appendix to find out if there was any mention of such a practice.  Horses and cattle were prominent in the GA, but I could find no mention of pigs.

 

Boxes of live chicks were a common item as parcel traffic in guard's vans, as were greyhounds TBCF, which I always enjoyed sharing a van with; gentle, friendly creatures who responded well to a bit of a fussing!  I also once had a coffin, which I was told was empty,  not that it would have made a lot of difference if it wasn't, but that is getting proper OT...