MTFCA Forum

Quote : "The horse is finished." - Henry Ford

When work horses come to mind, on farms, pulling heavy wagons and stage coaches, a popular image is the Budweiser Clydesdales, and the time frame the 19th century. In fact, the heavy draft breeds (e.g., Belgians, Percherons, Shires, Clydesdales) were a rarity for the most part, and practically non-existent in the West before WW I. Following the Great War, the heavy draft breeds were in high demand, and many were imported from Europe.

By 1924, the year Ford production reached ten million Model Ts, the U.S. horse population reached a high-water mark of over twenty five million.

This big guy (probably a Percheron) gets a non-Ford ride, likely to the owner's farm. For what it's worth, the U.S. horse population is holding its own, currently at 7.2 million, most of whom don't work full time.

My dad grew up on his grandparent's cattle ranch during the Depression and World War Two. They used horses to pull buckrakes, wagons, and sometimes herding cattle. He sometimes rode a horse to school, although the school was located on the corner of their property, so he usually walked.
His favorite horses were the Percherons.

In Montrose Ca. a suburb of Los Angeles, there was a man who came around and plowed up weeds in the vacant lots using a horse and plow. There was also a Junk man who drove down the street with a wagon pulled by 2 horses. We would also see some horse pulled wagons in Glendale and Los Angeles. This was before and during WW II Also many Model T's still around.
Norm

Not too many years ago there was a guy that trained draft horses at the base of South mountain in Phoenix. He had drag made of RR ties and
would regularly drag 19th Ave ( Gravel road ) up to the T Bone steack house restaurant. While training them, best darn gravel road I ever seen
don't know if he stopped & the city paved the road or the city paved the road & he had to stop. As a horse lover it was sure fun to watch him.
Craig.