Historical Society Talk: "Horse Powered Transportation in Wintry 19th Century America"

In modern America, most of us take for granted the speed, comfort and ease by which we can travel from point 'A' to practically anywhere, at any time, in all sorts of conditions and during every season of the year.  This was not the case, however, for our ancestors who, in this respect, lived in a very different world propelled not by combustion engines or electric motors, but by horse power.

This month, we'll explore how people in Fluvanna used horses to travel during the long, cold and snowy winters of nineteenth century America. Jim Gruber, propertier of CrackerJack Farms, local entrepeneur and everyone's favorite horsen-drawn carriage driver, will be our guest speaker. We'll learn more about the ... 

• types of horse-drawn vehicles used during the winter, how they were used and their popularity;
• relative advantages and disadvantages of each;
• breeds or types of horses best suited for these vehicles;
• training and equipment required for horse and driver;
• different types of sleighbells and their purpose(s);
• decline in the use of horse-drawn vehicles and preservation efforts in the modern era;

Furthermore, Jim will share with us how and why he acquired the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to train horses specifically for the purpose of operating these antique vehicles, his passion for preserving this largely forgotten part of our past, his vision for our community and how we can partner with him to achieve our shared goals.

Right on the heels of the horse-drawn carriage rides we provided just a few short days ago, now's the time for you to ask the questions you haven't had a chance to ask yet and gain a more in-depth understanding of this important part of everyday life in early America.