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.

Jonathan V. Levin’s previous writings covered the environment, local history, and economic history. He lives in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Jonathan V. Levin
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 248
Bibliographic Info: 12 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6713-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2837-0
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
Introduction 3
One: America’s Horses Go to War 11
Two: What Did You Do in the War, Dobbin? 28
Three: On the American Road 63
Four: On the Farm 103
Five: On the Range 123
Six: Recreation 131
Seven: Racing 142
Eight: Polo 151
Nine: Unwanted Horses 174
Conclusion 185
Appendix (Tables 1–10) 187
Chapter Notes 199
Bibliography 217
Index 231