Horses Are Wanted For Westport Milk Carts

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30543, 11 September 1964, Page 14

Horses Are Wanted For Westport Milk Carts

An advertisement in the livestock column of “The Press” this week suggests that in spite of the mechanisation of modern times, horses are still superior in at least one business.

“Wanted to buy: two or three horses suitable for milk cart work . . .” the advertisement said.

Inquiries showed that the horses were wanted by a Westport milk vendor, Mr R. Pengelly, to replace the three that have been pulling his milk carts for many years. Mr W. J. Bennett, the district’s farrier, said it had been proved beyond all doubt that the horse was still the most economical method of delivering milk. The rounds could be left in the hands of capable secondary schoolboys, he said, and there was not the initial outlay of £l5OO to £2OOO for motorised vans. “In fact, when the first vendor started here in the late 1930’5, he used a truck, but it proved uneconomical and he soon switched back to the horse-drawn carts. ‘There are two milk carts in Westport now, but we

have three horses so that one can have a night off. They deserve it—trotting around 12 miles of sealed roadway each evening can be very strenuous on their leg muscles. ‘Three boys work on each round on a roster system. One drives the horse and the other two handle the milk. They all keep on the trot and usually have their rounds cleaned up by 6 p.m.,” said Mr Bennett. One of the greatest difficulties w-as finding suitable replacement horses, he said. The best were about a quarter draught They had to be extremely quiet and not bothered by motor traffic. They must also get used to trotting around shiny streets at the height of a storm. Several replies to the advertisement have been received.