In the summer they give horse drawn carriage rides.  That would have been cooler.  Still, a worthwhile stop in Cardston, Alberta.

The museum houses a big collection that ranges from rough hewn, all wood construction ox-cart-like work wagons to ornate coaches ridden in by royalty to light racing carts.  There are horse drawn fire engines, hearses, delivery trucks, school buses and many sleighs.  The story telling is well done as they chronicle the evolution of the carriage as it shaped and responded to societal changes from the late 1800s until the automobile displaced it.

It is easy to see that era as a more romantic time; gliding along in one of these beautifully detailed carriages behind a sleek thoroughbred at the hands of a skilled driver.  The clip clop of the hooves is all you hear as you are seated on red brocade and the breeze pushes back you hair.

Then reality.  The roads were rough and the ride bumpy since even the best carriages only had leather strap springs.  Horses smell.  In just one day a horse poops 22KG and pees 9 liters.  That’s a lot.   Lots of horses, like in towns and cities, meant LOTS of poop and pee.  Some drivers overworked their horses, they were injured and some even died right on the street.

I guess the car is an improvement.  They too,are smelly and some do quit in the middle of the road but they are certainly integral to the lifestyle we are currently living.