Boats used to be powered by horses.

Toronto’s first horse-powered ferry

Horses tend to be known for their land-based achievements, but that doesn’t mean equines aren’t sometimes aquatic. In fact, for more than a century, beginning in the 1810s, horse-powered ferries were a common form of transportation in the U.S. Also known as team boats, they were most often used in lakes and rivers — even a team of Clydesdales can’t cross the Atlantic — and worked by having a small group of horses (usually between three and five) walk in a circle on the deck while attached to a wheel that turned the boat’s gears.

Another form of horse boat, invented in 1819, allowed the horses to stand above a turntable and drive the wheel backward by walking in place. This was both easier on the animals and allowed more space for passengers on the deck. Horse ferries were especially popular in the Northeast in general and New York in particular, though they became less common by the end of the 19th century. The last known team boat remained in service on the Tennessee River until the late 1920s and was propelled by a single blind horse.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Most foals are born at night.

Despite their size and speed, horses are prey rather than predators. One way they protect themselves from the likes of bears and wolves is by giving birth at night, when mares feel safest because potential predators are more likely to be asleep. Studies have found that around 70% to 80% of foals are born between midnight and 6 a.m. Labor is divided into three stages, the first of which is characterized by restlessness and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. The second, delivery itself, can last as little as 12 minutes, while the afterbirth stage tends to take an hour or two. If all goes well, a new foal will be up and about before nearby predators have started their day.