“Why did we stop here?”
“Because the driver pulled the reins?”
“Don’t get smart with me.” The off horse sighed before addressing the tourists on the sidewalk.
Every day is similar. Our hay buffet is interrupted, we’re given a minute or two at the watering trough, and then the human puts on our harness. Our first task is a walk to the dock. Then we wait while humans load our wagon with a variety of boxes and crates. Most of them are uninteresting to my teammate and I. However, some of the crates addressed to the grocery store or a restaurant have an appealing odor.
Next comes the deliveries. Our driver pulls us to a halt. Some of the freight is unloaded. Then we merge into traffic and walk to the next business.
Horses have been pulling all sorts of wagons and carriages for humans for generations. While most places have replaced the “hay burners” with mechanical “gasoline” or “diesel” motors, a few places stick with the old ways.
These horses would fit into the historical romance, New Dreams, in the blink of an eye. Perhaps their ancestors walked to the Mississippi River dock to meet the steamboats in 1851 and then delivered freight to businesses in town. New arrivals often arrived with a travel trunk which required their expert skills. Lucky horses had kind owners who kept the animals well fed, inspected hoofs and shoes, and brushed down their coats after hours of hard work.
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