Horses in Victorian London - Stuff That I Find Interesting

In 19th-century London, horses were essential for transportation, with around 300,000 horses used daily. They were housed in stables, mews, and even underground tunnels. Dead horses were processed for various products, and their waste posed significant sanitation challenges. The advent of the car eventually alleviated these issues.

What was the estimated number of horses in London on any given day during the Victorian era?

• 450,000

• 300,000

• 600,000

• 150,000

Where were horses typically housed in wealthy areas of London?

• In public parks

• In underground tunnels

• In small alleyways called mews

• In open fields

What was the purpose of the Camden catacombs in relation to horses?

• They were training grounds for horses

• They were marketplaces for horse trading

• They were used to house horses underground

• They were burial sites for horses

What was the primary use of horse hooves after slaughter?

• Decoration

• Jewelry

• Furniture

• Glue

What was a 'knacker' in the context of Victorian London?

• A horse trainer

• A person who traded in rendering animals

• A stable owner

• A horse carriage driver

How was horse waste managed in London before the invention of the car?

• It was left on the streets

• It was collected by children employed by the wealthy

• It was used as fertilizer in public gardens

• It was dumped into the Thames River

What was the predicted outcome of the 'great manure crisis' by 1950?

• Cities would be cleaner

• Cities would have no horses

• Cities would have more parks

• Cities would be buried under 9 feet of dung