At the beginning of the eighteenth century the Agricultural Revolution revolutionized farming. Centuries-old methods were discarded and widespread improvements were made. One of the most notable changes was the replacement of draught oxen with the more versatile special heavy breeds of horses. The Victorian ingenuity of the Industrial Revolution produced an enormous range of horse-drawn agricultural machinery. Fields had been ploughed by draught animals for centuries, but suddenly new horse-drawn machinery included not just ploughs, but grubbers, cultivators, harrows, rollers, drills, reapers, binders, root lifters, manure spreaders and rakes. This book describes and illustrates these machines, the horses and their harness, inventors and manufacturers and lists the places where the machines can be seen today.

This guide to the identification of old farm equipment has been assembled to help those who have grown up since the horse-to-tractor farming conversion identify the myriad of horse-powered farm implements still to be found. The identification process is simple and quick, and is based on the presence or absence of such readily recognizable features as wheels and teeth. Photographs and identifying features of essentially all of the types of equipment used in the United States during the early part of the twentieth century are included.

There is more than a touch of romance about a coach and horses, whether it be the splendid state coach in a royal procession drawn by a team of ornately harnessed greys, or the mail-coach clattering over the cobbles of an inn's courtyard, pausing to replace its steaming horses with a fresh team. In the eighteenth century regular stage-coaches linked London with principal towns. Railways took over long-distance traffic in the nineteenth century, but horse-drawn vehicles continued to serve as cabs, station wagons, omnibuses and private conveyances until displaced by motor vehicles. Many can now be found in museums, but a considerable number of privately driven carriages are still in use, and the sport of driving is undergoing a revival. This book traces the evolution of horse-drawn passenger vehicles, tells how they were made and driven, and describes the types of carriage most popular in Britain and some foreign designs. It is a valuable guide for the enthusiast, and a fascinating introduction for the person who may not know a landau from a barouche.

Outlines the development of horse-drawn vehicles from their inception to the present day.

A century ago, horses were ubiquitous in America. They plowed the fields, transported people and goods within and between cities and herded livestock. About a million of them were shipped overseas to serve in World War I. Equine related industries employed vast numbers of stable workers, farriers, wainwrights, harness makers and teamsters. Cities were ringed with fodder-producing farmland, and five-story stables occupied prime real estate in Manhattan. Then, in just a few decades, the horses vanished in a wave of emerging technologies. Those technologies fostered unprecedented economic growth, and with it a culture of recreation and leisure that opened a new place for the horse as an athletic teammate and social companion.

The evolution of the modern farm Finally, an encyclopedia reference work covering American farm implements and farm-related antiques from the 1800s through the 1940s. Through Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques, follow the exciting and fascinating technological advances in farm equipment that made the United States the breadbasket to the world. Thoroughly researched, this guide features nearly 2,000 rare illustrations of farm equipment - the most poplar to the most obscure - from firms such as Deere & Co., J.I. Case, Allis-Chalmers, International Harvester and McCormick. Trace the history of: Alfalfa Grinders Balers Corn Binders Corn Harvesters Cultivators Elevators Drills Hay Tools Milking Machines Plows Saws Threshers Washing Machines Plus Much More! If you have an interest in farming and history, you'll love Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques. Not only does it identify and illustrate farm equipment, but it explains how this equipment was used and reveals many of the trials and tribulations farmers faced in using it. Also includes current price ranges for thousands of implements and antiques.

The New Horse-Powered Farm is the first book of its kind, offering wisdom and techniques for using horse power on the small farm or homestead. It sets the stage for incorporating draft power on the farm by presenting necessary information for experienced and novice teamsters alike, including getting started with workhorses; the merits of different draft breeds; various training systems for the horse and teamster; haying with horses, seeding crops, and raising small grains; in-depth coverage of tools and systems; and managing a woodlot, farm economics, education, agritourism, and more. It's a must-have resource for any farmer, homesteader, or teamster seeking to work with draft power in a closed-loop farming system.