As far as I can ascertain the pit ponies were very well looked after. During the second world war years nearly 23,000 ponies were working in the pits as well as 5,000 cob horses. They were well looked after by full-time stablemen, groomed and well fed and, by law had fresh water piped from the surface. (Of course they were essential). Some of the pits even had proper baths. They came up into the daylight only during the pits' one week summer break and had apparentltly had a whale of a time.
This may well be true but I'm slightly sceptical taken over a period of time because i've read of case in the States where the ponies/mules never surfaced again and went blind.

Some expert opinions would be appreciated or a pointer to a recommended book on the subject.

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Two of my mates and several ex colliers have told me the ponies were looked after better than they were. :lol:

Also several intriguing tales of ponies being aware of danger long before the miner was.

Two of my mates and several ex colliers have told me the ponies were looked after better than they were. :lol:

Also several intriguing tales of ponies being aware of danger long before the miner was.

I read somewhere that this also applied to rats, they went off at a rapid rate when disaster was immenent.. Getting off the subject slightly I suppose. So ponies were never allowed to go blind in British pits?

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Most of the miners I've spoken to about ponies, were probably speaking of post 1940s conditions.
Bit of history here.

http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/rescue/pony.htm 

It suggests the 'ponies going blind' bit is misleading

Edit: From memory I believe canal towing horses had a much more strenuous daily workload.

Edit2: Found on wiki as a related topic.

"R. D. Stevenson and R. J. Wassersug published an article in Nature 364, 195-195 (15 July 1993) calculating the upper limit to an animal's power output. The peak power over a few seconds has been measured to be as high as 14.9 hp. However, for longer periods, an average horse produces less than one horsepower".

Ponies weren't cheap to buy and unlike miners, if one was lost through accident or illness mine management would have to pay to get another one so it made sense to look after them well! So, I think there's some truth in the old miners saying that the ponies were better cared for than the men....

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hence the old soldiers' doggerel..

soldiers' pay
shilling a day
but a horse costs a hundred pound

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Who cared for the ponies during strikes and lock-outs?

I always thought a horse averaged a couple of hp?

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When I worked at a children's holiday adventure centre in south Wales in the mid-1970s (taking kids hillwalking and caving) I was told that most of the the ponies used for pony treking activities there were ex-pit ponies.

The ponies certainly weren't blind and seemed generally in reasonable condition - although the one and only time I galloped on one it did sound a bit wheezy!

Dave

I always thought a horse averaged a couple of hp?

One HP is a fair amount of work at 33,000 ft/lbs/minute, average lawn mower engine would see off any horse over a few hours.

When they did "Fly Runs" on the canals the horse/s were changed frequently to maintain a good average speed.

This from the Maple Hill Mine, Pennsylvania in 1938.

Interior of a mule stable in the Maple Hill mine, seven hundred feet below ground, showing a miner and some mules. Once they go down the mules don't come up until they die. Some have been down for the last twenty-five years.
🔗Maple-Hill-Coal-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-45976[linkphoto]Maple-Hill-Coal-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-45976[/linkphoto][/link]

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Who cared for the ponies during strikes and lock-outs?

A mate who was a Deputy always went down with a crew for a safety tour and pump checks etc on a three shift rota during the strikes I remember.

I would guess the ponies were on routine care or brought to the surface?

Edit: The Pennsylvania pic has jogged my memory slightly. I once visited the Ffaldau Colliery and I remember the stables as being empty, will find out the reason when I catch up with an old friend
Perhaps they no longer used ponies. 😉

As far as I know the ponies had stablemen to look after them. Apparently they were known to give up their holidays to look after them during the ponies summer break. It's quite possible this arrangement continued during strikes and lock-outs.

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Very good book published last year:

C.Thompson "Harnessed: colliery horses in Wales", National Museum of Wales, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7200-0591-2. Unsure offhand of price - a bout £8.00, I think.

72 pages, lots of photos, lots of text includuing oral history; covers all aspects. Notable chapters: "Colliery horses or pit ponies?"; "Cruelty in secret places?"

Can be ordered from any bookseller, or by post / online from National Museum of Wales - including National Coal Museum: Big Pit, Blaenafon, and National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

a mate of mine was a pony driver at Ellington until it shut in 93.they had been reintroducted there in the bord and pillar JCM areas as nothing else was as flexiable.
after closure his pony was brought up put in a field,he went up to see it and as normal took it an apple.he was very put out when it ran away from him as quick as it could,poor thing thought it was going to have to work again.
talking to the old lads around here most ponies were well treated,but some were abused.most could also count,they wouldnt pull more than 4 dans

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Obviously a very wise pony. Given the choice of a nice open field and working down the pit I'd run a mile. Not that I can of course. 😞

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Very good book published last year:

C.Thompson "Harnessed: colliery horses in Wales", National Museum of Wales, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7200-0591-2. Unsure offhand of price - a bout £8.00, I think.

72 pages, lots of photos, lots of text includuing oral history; covers all aspects. Notable chapters: "Colliery horses or pit ponies?"; "Cruelty in secret places?"

Can be ordered from any bookseller, or by post / online from National Museum of Wales - including National Coal Museum: Big Pit, Blaenafon, and National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Thanks for that. Will get copy. :thumbup:

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From most of the old miners I know/knew Pit Ponies were often very much loved by their Ostlers and as far as I knew well treated and a little spoilt by some of the miners. Locally was one Pony at Denby who was famously extraordinarily fast at getting back to his stall.... he was the oldest of the bunch and had esp in respect knocking off time being able to navigate quite happily in the pitch black to be first back for his scran!!
The counterside I have heard is sometimes they were resented by the drivers as they were regarded as better treated.... and were just an oss! But laterly in NCB days they were well thought of from what I have had related to me and much missed!
On the strike front I understand that the Ostlers basically were allowed to go look after the horses but on zero pay... the Ostlers I am told were proud of their animals in most respects but some could be cruel driving them by force and fear!
Tales from this area vary but I have oft heard it said that most ponies had a stubborn streak!!! and were actually difficult in the wrong hands...

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Have I just missed them or is it strange that there are no archive photos of pit ponies at work or relaxing in the UK. They were after all a vital part of the industry. There are plenty in the States a you know but that was mainly due to the work of one person.

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Seen a few pictures in books and certainly on some old postcards but thinking about it you are right... its a shame really as they were a pretty big part of mining history and well outlived their counterparts in farming etc

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