HORSES WITH JOBS

Ghosts of the Coal Mines PIT By Margaret Evans PONIES AND HORSES

A Welsh miner

and pit pony. WALES BLAENAFON, MUSEUM, COAL NATIONAL PIT BIG COURTESY PHOTO

58 Canada’s Equine Guide 2017 CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

he human race has long had a love affair with coal. Coal is a fossil Ghosts Coal Mines T fuel that started forming in the Carboniferous Period 359 million to 299 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era. Stone and Bronze Age flint axes have been found embedded in coal, evidence that people were using it for fuel long before the Roman invasion. In the 13th century, coal seams were found along shorelines of northern England, and settlers dug them up then followed them inland under cliffs or hills, the earliest beginnings of drift mining. But with the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, coal mining exploded, providing fuel for steam engines, transportation, and home heating. Miners often took two packs of lunch or ‘snap,’ In the early years, men, women and children worked the mines until one for the pony and one for himself. laws were enacted to protect females. As productivity improved and underground haulage needs increased, horses and ponies filled the need.

“The first records of ponies being and the earliest coal mines in the late worked in mines was in the north of 1700s were on Cape Breton Island England around 1750,” says Wendy and at Pictou in Nova Scotia. On Priest, Horse Keeper Supervisor at The Vancouver Island, coal was National Coal Mining Museum for systematically mined from the mid- England. “Horses were used on a large 1800s onward. After the arrival of the scale after the 1842 Mines Act that railroad toward the end of the 1800s, abolished the underground employ- coal was mined in the interior of ment of boys under 10 and all females. British Columbia, Alberta and “People who visit the Museum are Saskatchewan. Coal is not found in under the impression that Shetland either Ontario or Quebec, the areas ponies were mainly used as pit destined to become Canada’s ponies. In fact, all sizes were used, industrial heartland. from Shetlands to Shires. In different A paper titled Coal Mining in parts of the country, the width of coal Canada: A Historical and Robbie was the last horse working in the mines in Wales. He retired in 1999 from Pant-y-Gaseg Mine which, in translation, seams varied considerably. Thick coal Comparative Overview written by PHOTO COURTESY BIG PIT NATIONAL COAL MUSEUM, BLAENAFON, WALES BLAENAFON, MUSEUM, COAL NATIONAL PIT BIG COURTESY PHOTO means ‘Horse’s Hollow.’ seams meant high [ceiling] Delphin Muise of Carleton roadways. Large ponies and horses University and Robert McIntosh of could be found working in these the National Archives of Canada in mines. Small ponies such as Welsh 1996, describes how horses were ponies and Shetlands [in England] introduced for coal haulage in Nova worked in small seams with low tops. Scotia when increased productivity Many scraped their heads as they overtook existing haulage systems. worked as the roadways were so low. “A first step in removing this Welsh mines commonly used larger bottleneck was the introduction of Welsh cobs, around 15 hands.” animals to haul coal underground. In ex-miner Ceri Thompson’s Horses had been used underground book Harnessed: Colliery Horses in to pull tubs laden with coal in British Wales, he documents the wide- collieries since the late 18th century. spread use of small Shire horses in The GMA [General Mining the main roadways in the mines. Association], priding itself on Animals larger than ponies were adopting the most advanced mining used because the drams held up to a practices, introduced horse haulage ton and a half of material compared underground shortly after its arrival to the smaller half-ton tubs in most in Nova Scotia.” English coalfields. At first, they pulled skips, sled-like Horses and ponies were integral vehicles pulled over wooden roads workers in coal mines, not only in made of logs. Gradually the skip was England and Wales, but in Canada replaced with a wooden coal tub and the United States. bolted to an iron frame and fitted Nova Scotia was the dominant with a wheeled undercarriage that Taller horses would become injured by scraping their heads or backs on the low-ceilinged roadways.

PHOTO COURTESY BIG PIT NATIONAL COAL MUSEUM, BLAENAFON, WALES BLAENAFON, MUSEUM, COAL NATIONAL PIT BIG COURTESY PHOTO area of the coal industry in Canada, ran on rails. By 1871, several miles of

CONNECT TO THE HORSE INDUSTRY www.HORSEJournals.com 59 underground railway were in place on the An 1879 illustration of the east coast of Canada. descent of a horse down Underground haulage improvements a mine shaft. were also made in British Columbia where, in 1856, underground passageways were enlarged to allow the use of horses and mules to haul coal along the levels to the pit-bottom. “Driving a horse through the intricate tunnels underground required both finesse and strength,” wrote Muise and McIntosh in their report. “It was often the second job adolescent boys had underground, considered a learning experience that exposed young miners-to-be to the different environments of the mine. Perched between the horse and the tub or tubs being pulled, often with ‘his foot against the horse’s rump to hold back the tub[s],’ a driver led the horse along dark underground travelling roads, collecting tubs loaded with freshly cut coal and transporting them to a point where they could be hoisted to the surface. He then had to return the empty tubs to the working places. The driver’s role was critical to efficient mining. Since a miner’s earnings depended on his productivity, the efficient movement of coal to the surface for processing was essential; empty boxes had to be ready when he was ready to load the coal, and coal had to be delivered to the pit- bottom with a minimum delay and loss.” In Cape Breton, many ponies were actually small horses from Sable Island shipped to the mainland. They spent their lives underground and it was not until the early 1960s when the last of the Cape Breton pit ponies retired. In 1982, Ronald Caplan’s Cape Breton’s Magazine published an article Horses in the Coal Mines that featured interviews with

PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA/PUBLIC DOMAIN WIKIPEDIA/PUBLIC PHOTO: miners who recalled the working conditions

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60 Canada’s Equine Guide 2017 CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS for the horses and the dire circumstances they sometimes faced. Miners spoke of horses scraping the tops of I’m not coming out until you get me a their heads on the ceiling so that flesh would be hanging and bone exposed. In really low tunnels they would get jammed by their withers. Injuries often got infected in the dirty air and required veterinary treatment, or more drastic treatments such as the use of syringed kerosene oil, which seemed to absorb pus and discharge. Occasionally a horse would pick up a bacterial infection leading to tetanus. Horses used in the mines were either cured of an illness or injury, or euthanized in the event of a catastrophic injury like a broken leg. Any horses that were unwanted or unsuitable would be offered to local residents, who were always a willing market. It was exhausting, filthy work. Several dozen horses were used in a mine and the underground roads had to be kept clear of pit water which, in Cape Breton’s submarine mines, was acidic and salty. Standing water not only interfered with the movement of coal tubs but aggravated cuts on the horses’ fetlocks, causing inflammation and infection. While treatment of the ponies varied from what are you waiting for! mine to mine, they were adequately cared for since operators understood that their working efficiency was directly related to their animals’ health. There was further incentive given the cost and time involved in purchasing and training a replacement for an injured or sick pony. Many miners lamented that management was more concerned with the ponies’ care and safety than with the men since “you could replace a man anytime them days.” Some mines had underground stables where the horses and ponies were housed for most of the year. They were brought to the surface and turned out to pasture when work slowed down. A stableman was in charge of the underground stalls and it was his responsibility to make sure there was a good supply of feed and water for the animals. Other mines would transport the ponies up and down in shifts much like the miners themselves. The Horses in the Coal Mines article reports that, in the early years, many horses in Nova Scotia mines went underground and stayed there year in and year out. But that changed in the 1940s when miners started getting vaca- tions and horses were brought up for their own vacation and turned out in a large field. Understandably, they loved it and would gal- lop around the field kicking and bucking. Their eyesight needed to adjust to the bright- ness of daylight, and puddles they’d normally step through would be jumped as obstacles. In Pennsylvania, some of the oldest mines used oxen, then mules, to pull the coal cars in and out of the mines. Mules were preferred over electric mine motors and were used

CONNECT TO THE HORSE INDUSTRY www.HORSEJournals.com 61 s A horse bound and ready to be lowered into the mine.

s An 1867 illustration of the apparatus used to lower a horse into a coal mine.

right up to the mid-1950s when many mines were shut down. Motors ran on an overhead electric trolley line and, in the presence of even a small gas problem, a spark could trigger an explosion — using mules avoided that hazard. The mules were smart, hard-working, and they could pull at least three full mine cars of coal. In Alberta in the late 1800s, ponies, mules, and horses were put to work in the coal mines. One mine might have as many as 80 ponies that were capable of pulling five fully- loaded coal cars. Like miners elsewhere, Alberta coal miners developed a fond relationship with their animals, often bragging about how smart they were, or how strong, or how heroic. Working with the same animal, a miner forged a bond with their pony and each got to know the other and how they worked together. Pit ponies worked in mines at different depths. In Eng- land, deep mine ponies lived underground from depths of 125 metres to over 150 metres. Retired miner Tony Banks, a pony driver, worked in The Manor coal mine at a depth of 247 metres. The deepest pits in Wales went down 700 metres. “I used to have a pony called Ted,” says Banks. “He was a great pony to drive. I used to give him a nice brush down before we left the stable before I fitted his collar and mobs. Then the next job was his nose bag for snap [lunch] time. He would get a mint or spangle [a boiled candy] just before we set off on our way. I used to whistle on my way up to his stall and he knew it was me. It was a sad time when I had to

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/MARZOLINO PHOTO: give him up when I went coal face training.”

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This is a pit bridle from Welsh drift mine and old miner’s lamp. Often, the tack used at mines was made of whatever resources were at hand. Many of the deep mine pony bridles were made of leather with metal eye pieces for protection. There PHOTO: KATHERINE SIMONSEN were different designs in different pits. The material used was often rubber conveyor belting held together with rivets. There was no bit. Eye injuries were common until effective protective headgear with eye guards was made compulsory in the early 20th century. Pit lamps were used throughout the entire era of coal mining. In some mines, lamps were fitted on the pit ponies’ bridles. Some mines had electric, sealed lights at the pit bottom and in the stables. The only light on the roadways came from the cap lamps the miners wore. The roadways to the workings were pitch black with no light at all yet the ponies could easily navigate their way back to the stables. The electric lights were sealed so that gas could not get in and cause an explosion. Miners relied on their cap lamps and gas lamps as they worked. Before safety lamps were invented, miners used candles with open flames, which caused frequent explosions. These were also used for detecting gas in the mines. Many harmful gases or “damps” were produced during mining operations. Firedamp, which occurs naturally in coal seams, is nearly always methane, and is highly flammable and explosive. Carbon monoxide (white damp) is particularly toxic, and as little as 0.1 percent can cause death. An excess of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the air (black damp) is an atmosphere in which a flame lamp will not burn. Stinkdamp refers to hydrogen sulfide, characterized by a rotten egg smell. The gas mixture found in a mine after a fire or explosion is called afterdamp. Since 1911, canaries were used in mines to detect possible carbon monoxide. Signs of the bird’s distress were the first indicators of a problem. Their use was phased out in 1986.

CONNECT TO THE HORSE INDUSTRY www.HORSEJournals.com 63 Ventilation and the provision of quality were used in the mines, it was the job of chil- worked in total darkness but knew their air was essential and was done with intake dren eight years of age and younger to sit in way around. A new boy could expect to start and outflow pipes from the surface. Air going the dark and open and close the doors when his career as a pony driver. He would be in and air going out had to be kept separate, the coal drams passed through. given a pony and told to harness it up in its which was done with air doors to maintain Pit ponies and horses developed unique stable and take it to the workings. Priest says air quality in each area of the mine. Air doors skills. They learned how to turn around in that, at some point, the boy would need to prevented leakage of intake and return air, small spaces, respond to verbal commands, let go of his pony and that would be the po- and they had to be kept closed. Before ponies and open the ventilation doors. They ny’s cue to bolt to his stable maybe three miles away along pitch black roadways, along the way pushing the air doors open An 1879 artist’s depiction of a stable inside a mine. with its head gear. They were savvy and mentally sharp, developing other instincts where their eyesight would be challenged in the darkness. Ponies rendered blind in one eye from injury would learn to rub their noses against hard stones to feel their way as to where to turn. In a typical working day of eight to twelve hours, a pit pony would regularly pull out 30 tonnes of coal. Priest says the ponies could count. “When working, ponies pulled drams or tubs of coal. These tubs were on rails a little like railway carriages. Ponies could actually count! I have been told this hundreds of times by ex-miners. They listened for the click as each tub was attached. Three was acceptable, four was not. The pony would not move until the fourth was taken off.” She recalls how the ponies saved lives. “Ponies often stopped in their tracks, refusing to move. The next minute, the roof [ahead of them] has fallen in. Ponies saved the lives of many miners this way.” And those ponies were smart. “There were some ponies that actually got on the conveyer belt with the miners and had a ‘ride’ back to the stables.” The mules in the Pennsylvania mines had the same instinct to count the number of cars being hooked with chains. Three was

PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA/PUBLIC DOMAIN WIKIPEDIA/PUBLIC PHOTO: okay with them. But they wouldn’t pull a

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64 Canada’s Equine Guide 2017 CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS fourth. Mule drivers figured the mules were counting so when they wanted to hitch a fourth they would do it quietly and discreetly and the mules would pull that extra car unknowingly. Horses also demonstrated that counting PHOTO: HORIA VARLAN ability. Phil Budding worked in a small mine and he told Ceri Thompson of the savvy nature of horses. “Every day they would pull their drams out of the pit and, after they had been disconnected, they would turn and go back into the mine. After they had pulled eight drams out, they would head for the stables instead of going back underground. On the weekend, we’d only have to do six drams and, after they had disconnected them from the sixth dram, they’d turn and go to the stables. On the Monday, they would again wait for the eighth dram before heading for the stables. They could not only count, they also knew what day it was. They were clever horses, they were unbelievable.” In the 1870s, there were an estimated 200,000 pit ponies in Great Britain. Life for these animals was very hard, many working up to 16 hours a day, often without food or water. Some animals never saw the light of day. There were widespread reports of abuse, injuries, and sickness. In 1876, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) campaigned for the protection of pit ponies and urged the government to consider the suffering of the animals hidden from view, deep underground in coal mines. In 1914, the RSPCA reported that of 70,396 horses and ponies working in British mines, 2,999 suffered injuries resulting in death, while 10,878 were injured but survived. Not included in these numbers were the ones that had to be put down due to old age. “Blind ponies were not allowed [by law] to work in the mines,” says Priest. “Working in the dark did not make them blind as such. Ponies’ eyes were damaged due to injury from falling rocks or sharp objects hitting them. Old age sometimes caused blindness. They had lung problems with the coal dust, as did the miners. The Coal Mines Regulations Act of 1887 offered the first proper protection for working horses and ponies in the form of mine inspectors to monitor how horses and ponies were treated underground to the extent that the roadways should be big enough to allow ponies to walk along without rubbing against the tunnel. The Coal Mines Act of 1911 was more effective and the section dealing with ponies became the ‘Pit Ponies’ Charter.’” The Charter overhauled the management of pit ponies with instructions on their use 1-877-849-9049 and care, working hours and shifts, a minimum age of four before working

CONNECT TO THE HORSE INDUSTRY www.HORSEJournals.com 65 Taller ponies and horses worked thicker coal seams with higher ceilings, and smaller ponies worked the seams with low ceilings.

A drift mine owned and operated by the City of Lethbridge in 1909. s s Horses hauling loaded coal wagons to the surface

at Drumheller’s Newcastle Mine in the 1920s. A6152 ALBERTA, OF ARCHIVES PROVINCIAL PHOTO: underground, annual veterinary checks, and provision of adequately bath to wash away the coal dust. Clipping minimized sweating, sized stalls with clean straw or other suitable bedding. All stalls had which allowed them to cool down more efficiently. to be cleaned daily and kept sanitary. Further acts of 1949 and 1956 Priest says that, understandably, ponies going underground for built on these mandatory conditions ensuring further protective care. the first time would have found their new life very alien. And it Miners who looked after ponies underground were known as started with transporting them down the mine on a cage. Larger Horse Keepers. In south Wales, they were known as “Gaffer Hallier.” horses that could not fit on the cage had all four legs bound in straps They were responsible for the care of horses, ponies, harness, and tack. and were lowered down on a cable under the cage. Where possible, stables were constructed in an area where clean, “This must have been terrifying for them,” says Priest. “Some would fresh air could be fed to ventilate the stables and take the smell of have had training, some would not. Fear and panic must have been urine and manure out by way of the return airway. Manure waste commonplace. Injuries were many, such as falling, scraping their had to be transported out of the mine. Feed had to be brought in and heads or backs on the low roadways, being slammed into air doors all feeding requirements had to be met day and night. An ongoing when braking systems in the wheels of their drams [carts] failed, and problem was the number of rats and mice that were always getting falling rocks and roof falls. There were miners who were good to their into the animals’ feed supply. ponies and there were some who were not. The pressure was on the Because the horses and ponies worked hard in a warm, sweaty men to get coal out fast. Some ponies would have settled into their environment, their coats, manes and tail hairs were totally clipped roles easier than others. Many died, many went on to work for years.” off, a practice that began at least as early as 1890. This made cleaning Priest says that a pit pony’s first set of shoes would have been fitted them after a shift simple. They were hosed down or taken through a above ground before its descent into the mine. Templates were made

66 Canada’s Equine Guide 2017 CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSEUM FOR ENGLAND FOR MUSEUM MINING COAL NATIONAL THE OF COURTESY PHOTOS Wendy Priest of The National Coal Mining Museum for England, introduces The underground stables showing ponies with manes clipped off, and the the museum’s horses to Princess Anne when she came to open their new harness hanging including a protective bridle. Note the ribbons hanging in underground education classrooms and extended tour section. the white pony’s stall.

and kept for each pony so that subsequent sets of shoes could be fitted cold underground. Sparks from hot shoeing could cause explosions. When ponies began their mining life, some mines invested in a short training course so that the animals could get used to wearing harness and pulling carts on rails. This also allowed them to identify any ponies that would not be suitable for the work. The overman Horse Keeper was responsible for dealing with injuries and would report sick or injured animals to the veterinary surgeon who had the authority to stop them from working. Accidents were numerous. Thompson, Curator of Coal Mining Collections at Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon, Wales, has gathered many anecdotal stories of horse incidents. “We had a horse that used to play up [be disobedient]” Reg Griffiths of Big Pit Colliery told Thompson. “On the third week, I was leading him when he bolted. I had hold of the harness and was trying to pull the stop wire to stop the haulage engine because it was pulling a journey [train] of drams up the heading towards us. Unfortunately, the horse broke free and I couldn’t stop the engine in time. He ran smack into the journey and was killed. The under-manager came in and said, ‘Pity about the horse’ — he wasn’t worried about me — ‘Make sure you save the tack.’ The dead horse was lifted up into an empty dram with his legs sticking up in the air and sent up the pit.” Ceri Thompson writes of an incident told to him by a retired miner in which one horse was severely injured and screaming in pain and fear. The retired miner says, “He was cut very badly and his ribs were probably smashed. He was squealing with pain, an awful noise I will never forget. It was heartbreaking. I was told to run and get a shot firing battery, a length of shot wire, and a detonator. The detonator was pushed into the horse’s ear and fired, killing the horse instantly. I don’t think that was at all legal but you couldn’t let a horse suffer like that. Everyone involved was in tears.” Budding also lost a horse to an accident. “That was Sam. He lost his footing on an incline and broke his back. We had to have the vet A Welsh miner and horse. there and the Mines Inspectorate. There was an almighty row about Note the miner’s lamp it all. Horses in mines had more consideration paid to them than the hanging from his belt.

PHOTO COURTESY BIG PIT NATIONAL COAL MUSEUM, BLAENAFON, WALES BLAENAFON, MUSEUM, COAL NATIONAL PIT BIG COURTESY PHOTO colliers [miners].”

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CONNECT TO THE HORSE INDUSTRY www.HORSEJournals.com 69 The era of the pit pony is not yet over. Today, in the Chakwal District of Pakistan, thousands of donkeys still toil in the coal mines where they work the coal seams inside the Salt Range Mountains. Rather than being hitched to coal cars, the donkeys carry heavy sacks of coal out through narrow tunnels. It is hard, hazardous work.

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ELLISON (6025 UPPER BOOTH) 101.38 acres in scenic Ellison (outskirts of Kelowna)! Outstanding views. Large open plan home with loads of windows. 60x36 barn/stable, riding ring with night lights. Fenced & cross fenced, year round creek. MLS® $2,090,000 PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSEUM FOR ENGLAND FOR MUSEUM MINING COAL NATIONAL THE OF COURTESY PHOTO John Carrington (right) was a horse keeper down the mines. He is pictured with guide Bob White and ELLISON (2850 OLD VERNON ROAD) Finn, the museum’s Clydesdale. 20 acre equestrian property. Home to well known Brooklyn Stables. Exceptionally well-designed Horses and ponies working drift mines [colliery official] who was a nasty bugger. training facility. Turnkey ready for your equestrian had life a little easier. These mines had This chap lost his temper with a horse and business. 10 acres in Hay production and a circular driveway built to handle full size rigs. horizontal seams of coal at the surface so the shouted, ‘Get out you devil!’ And the horse MLS® $2,695,000 animals hauling tubs, or drams, would ran, didn’t it? He sent someone to look for the move in and out of the mine. They would be horse and he ran around like a fool trying to turned out in a field at night or left with find him. I think that he nearly got to pit food to roam the yard until the next day. bottom. But there was a little side road just Priest says that many miners formed off the heading we were working in where strong bonds with their ponies. “Miners often there was a tub and some horse feed and the took two packs of ‘snap’ each day, one each horse was in there hiding in the dark. I think for the miner and his pony. One of our guides that it was the horse’s way of paying the SOUTHEAST KELOWNA (2800 DUNSTER RD) Acreage with quaint country home surrounded by at the Museum, who was a horse keeper in fireman back for being nasty to him. It’s peach orchard. Renovate or start fresh with beauti- the mines, can remember one miner’s wife marvellous to think that he had no light but ful building sites. Just minutes to downtown. making carrot cake — a rather large one — to the horse could sense his way around the MLS® $749,000 cut up for the pit ponies at Christmas.” labyrinths of roads underground.” But, she adds, there were men who were In England and Wales some of the pit not nice to the ponies and this caused ponies came to the surface for an annual friction, even fighting, among the men. two-week pit holiday. They would be Miners had to see their beloved ponies brought up on the cage with sacks over their sometimes work for other miners who had eyes to shield them from the sudden light. no respect for the animals and often had no “During the Pit holidays, I used to call in SOUTHEAST KELOWNA (4235 TODD RD) working knowledge of them. This frequently the pit field to see Ted,” says Banks. “I would Central country estate with sprawling 3400 sf rancher meant that the good, willing ponies were call out his name and he would trot over to & secondary home. Perched above 12.81 acres of prime worked both shifts as men coming on shift me for an apple or a carrot and a good stroke land. Easy maintenance & low taxes! Continue to lease out or plant your private estate vineyard or orchard. would go for the easy animals first. Then on his neck, and he knew I would have a MLS® $1,595,000 there were those who were downright cruel. mint or a spangle in my pocket for him.” To these hardened miners, ponies were just a “There are no horses or ponies working in Jerry Elya machine for moving coal. British mines today,” says Priest. “The last deep Geen Byrne Thompson wrote of one incident mine ponies came out of Ellington Colliery in Personal Real Estate Personal Real Estate recounted to him by Raymond Goodwin, 1994. Two of them, Carl and Sparky, came to us Corporation Corporation Bersham Colliery. at the Museum to live out their retirement. In 250-870-3888 250-317-1980 “I’ve seen men wallop the horses with Wales, there were a number of privately [email protected] [email protected] pieces of timber, but if you’re going to work owned drift mines that continued to use with horses you might as well be nice to horses and ponies as this was a cheaper www.GeenByrne.com them,” Goodwin says. “Because they’ve got a means of getting coal out compared with the mind of their own they’ll try and get their cost of mechanized haulage. The last two Kelowna own back otherwise. We had a new fireman horses came out of Welsh drift mines in 1999. OFFICE PHONE: 250-717-5000

CONNECT TO THE HORSE INDUSTRY www.HORSEJournals.com 71 A better life! Carl (grey) and Sparky, retired pit ponies from Ellington Colliery, lived out their retirement at the museum. Carl, one of the last pit ponies to come out of a British mine, came to the surface in 1994. Ellington Colliery was actually under the North Sea as well as underground.

They, too, came to the Museum to retire. Patch and Robbie were still relatively young so they were trained for riding and driving at the Museum as it was felt that they would benefit from the stimulation. They did well with us. ., Patch even went on to become a bit of a celebrity, appearing in the pageant Make your plans now to attend commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s Golden the 2017 AZCHA competitions Jubilee in 2002. He pulled a dray loaded with sacks of coal. There were around 1,000 horses in the production. Carl the pit pony also February 1-5...... Sun Circuit starred, all dressed up in his pit gear.”

February 22-26... Wild West Show In one of the world’s most hostile and dangerous working environments, men and April 6-9...... Spring Fling their horses and ponies were challenged Novice Challenge every day to remove the coal. It was hard, dirty, hazardous work that came with the October 4-8...... Futurity constant danger of injury or death from (tentative) falling objects, equipment failures, and roof November 2-5.... End of Trail collapse, as well as occupational health (tentative) hazards including black lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease EVENTS TAKE PLACE AT (COPD), hypertension, and cancer. Yet many Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Center miners were very kind to their ponies and Queen Creek, Arizona depended on them implicitly. They were, [email protected] after all, their means to their only livelihood. Priest says that while many www.azcha.com didn’t think the mines were the right place for horses and ponies, they were glad they were down there with them as the pit

72 Canada’s Equine Guide 2017 CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Museum guide John Dransfield and Eric in an original pit harness worn underground at Ellington Colliery by Carl, a pit pony that spent his retirement with The National Coal Mining Museum for England.

Whether it’s snow, rain, wind, sleet or heat, a HORSEMAN’S CHOICE SHELTER SYSTEM offers protection with no maintenance, quick construction, and can expand and be customized for your needs. Tuff Stuff Products PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSEUM FOR ENGLAND FOR MUSEUM MINING COAL NATIONAL THE OF COURTESY PHOTO ponies were their workmates and they always remembered them with fondness. We extend a very special thank-you to Wendy Their significance to the workers was Priest, Horse Keeper Supervisor at The profound and reflected in many poignant National Coal Mining Museum for England, for • Heavy Duty, Impact Resistant the information and photos she provided ways. Thompson recalled an incident told • Heat & Cold Resistant about pit ponies in coal mines in England. • Chemically Neutral • Holds Heavy Materials by a small mine owner in West Glamorgan Thanks also to Imogen Holmes-Roe, Curator • U.V. Resistant • Low Cost that perhaps epitomizes the miner-equine of Art and Photography, National Coal Mining • No Rust • High Quality relationship. A horse was killed in his for England, for sourcing historic photographs. • Smooth Edges • Paintable colliery. As it was pulled out in a dram, all We also extend grateful thanks to Ceri Thompson, the shift workers stood in a line with their Curator of Coal Mining Collections at Big Pit FOR INFORMATION, CALL helmets off in respect, and sang a sad Welsh National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, Wales. hymn as he passed by. b FRASER VALLEY STEEL & WIRE This photo of “Little Tick,” a favourite 1-877-856-3391 • 604-856-3391 pit pony, was taken in England in 1913. or CONTACT A DEALER NEAR YOU: • 100 Mile Feed and Ranch Supply Exeter Rd.,100 Mile House, BC • 250-395-2408 • Beaver Valley Feeds (1990) Ltd. 1050 S. Mackenzie Ave., Williams Lake, BC 250-392-6282 • Otter Co-op Association 12343 Harris Rd., Pitt Meadows, BC • 604-465-5651 • Dare’s Country Feeds 25236 Fraser Hwy., Aldergrove, BC • 604-856-1611 • Integrity Sales & Dist. 2180 Keating X Rd., Saanichton, BC • 250-544-2072 • North Cariboo Growers Co-Op 1218 Cariboo Hwy 97N, Quesnel, BC 250-992-7274 • 1-888-992-2667 • Northern Acreage Supply 4870 Continental Way, Prince George, BC 250-596-2273 • Purity Feed Co. 471 Okanagan Way, Kamloops, BC 250-372-2233 • 1-877-372-0282 • Purity Feed Co. 1690 Voght St., Merritt, BC • 250-378-4420 • The Horse Barn 517 Mt. Paul Way, Kamloops, BC • 250-374-3511 • Thunderbird Livestock Eqpmt. 1077 Allard Cres., Ft. Langley, BC • 604-830-9812 • Westway Feed & Seed

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