What Did Pit Ponies Do?

The pit ponies’ main duties were pulling heavy carts of coal, so they had to be strong and sure-footed to avoid stumbling on the underground paths. On average, they worked an eight-hour shift daily, hauling around 30 tons of coal to the underground railway.

What happened to all the pit ponies?

The last pit ponies retired in 1994 bringing to an end a partnership between man and beast which had stretched back three centuries. At the turn of last century more than 70,000 ponies were used in Britain’s network of coal mines but at their final retirement there were fewer than 20 left still working.

What ponies were used in coal mines?

The most commonly used breeds were Shetland, Welsh, Sable Island and Dales ponies. The ponies were low set, heavy bodied and heavy limbed with plenty of bone and substance, and of course surefooted. The British Coal Mines Act of 1911 made it clear that ponies had to be at least four years old before starting work.

When were pit ponies last used in UK?

1994
Pit Ponies were used in mining from the mid 18^th Century to the late 20^th Century, with the last pit pony leaving the mines of Ellington, Northumberland in 1994. At the peak, there was 70,000 registered horses being used for mining in 1913. This then dropped to 21,000 after the nationalisation of the mines in 1947.

What is a coal horse?

1) A horse used regularly to transport loads of coal.

Why did they stop using pit ponies?

The Coal Act of that year forbade the use of women. The welfare of pit ponies, like that of women and children before them, was left to chance until 1887. Since then no other working horse had been protected by such detailed legislation.

How long did pit ponies stay underground?

A pit pony, otherwise known as a mining horse, was a horse, pony or mule commonly used underground in mines from the mid-18th until the mid-20th century.

Did pit ponies go blind?

Many people, mistakenly believed that pit ponies eventually went blind underground but in fact the use of blind ponies was expressly forbidden by law. Unfortunately some ponies did go blind but it was from old age or they injured their eyes at work before the introduction of effective leather headgear with eye.

How did pit ponies get down the mines?

In the bituminous collieries of Wales, the ponies were often stabled above ground. They walked in and out of the sloping mine tunnels and didn’t have to endure the lift.

Why were ponies used in mines?

At first ponies and horses worked wholly above ground, transporting coal for local use and, at many small mines, provided power for the horse-driven winding gins. Later, they were used underground to pull corves and tubs of coal along the roadways. Drift-mine ponies would come to the surface every day.

Do they still use birds in mines?

Today, animals have been replaced by digital CO detectors that warn miners of danger. Use of canaries in coal mines ended in 1986. However, you may still hear people use the phrase “canary in a coal mine” today. It’s an idiom that describes something that may be a warning sign of trouble or danger to come.

What breeds were pit ponies?

Many different horse and pony breeds were used in coal mines, including: Highland, Galloway, Shetland, Fell, Dartmoor, New Forest, Dales, Welsh Cob, Exmoor and Dartmoor. Larger breeds such as Clydesdale and Shires provided bigger horses for work on the surface.

What is the oldest horse in the UK?

Old Billy
The greatest age reliably recorded for a horse is 62 years for Old Billy (foaled 1760), bred by Edward Robinson of Woolston, Lancashire, UK. Old Billy died on 27 November 1822.

Why do they pin fire horses?

Pin firing, also known as thermocautery, is the treatment of an injury to a horse’s leg, by burning, freezing, or dousing it with acid or caustic chemicals. This is supposed to induce a counter-irritation and speed and/or improve healing. This treatment is used more often on racehorses than on other performance horses.

What is a gin horse?

The horse is harnessed to the wheel. As it walks around, the gears engage and turn the drum, thus raising baskets of coal from the mineshaft. Another version — often powered by donkeys — used a vertical treadmill very like those once used in prisons.

What is curry a horse?

The horse is rubbed or “curried” to help loosen dirt, hair, and other detritus, plus stimulate the skin to produce natural oils. The currycomb is usually used in a circular motion to work loose embedded material. Alternatively, you can use multiple short but swift strokes, following the direction of hair growth.

What happens if a horse stands in mud?

Not only does mud make it difficult for horses to move properly, but it can cause slips and falls. Mud also affects a horse’s balance, and standing in mud over the long-term can cause joint pain. If your horse stands in deep mud or falls as a result of the mud, he can sustain strained or even torn tendons or ligaments.

Why did horses disappear from North America?

Horse history
Horses originated in North America, but all the wild ones were killed by early hunters, researchers say. Some horses snuck over to Asia before the land/ice bridge disappeared. Those were domesticated by Asians and then Europeans, who reintroduced horses to the Americas.

Why did horses disappear from the Americas?

Because of the Bering Ice Bridge, it’s theorized that some horses were able to cross into Europe and Asia before their disappearance in North America. The reasons for this North American extinction are still unclear, but there is evidence pointing to a few culprits: humans and climate change.

How long did pit stops take in the 70s?

Fifteen years later, an effective pit stop was about 45 seconds. In the early 70s, this time dropped to almost 27 seconds.

What was the last pit to close?

January 26 2005 will go down in history as the day when the last pit in the north-east announced it was closing, in a flood of controversy.