"When the ( anal was first going into operation, it was fre- 

 quently observed, that travelling by land would be so much 

 diminished, that the consumption of horses would rapidly de- 

 crease. The reverse is now said to have taken place ; and 

 that horses are worn out in so improvident a manner upon the 

 canal, that the demand for them is greater than it has ever been. 

 The great waste of these animals and their consequent suffer- 

 ings, has fallen under the observation of many intelligent and 

 humane persons. It is not the interest of the owners of the 

 animals to hurry them on to premature destruction,and in most 

 cases where this is done, it is owing to an ignorance of the 

 principles, which should govern the adjustment of load and 

 speed. There is a maximum of usefufeffect, w^hich a horse 

 can produce without wasting himself prematurely. Where 

 this is exceeded it must be at the expense of his constitution. 

 These animals, so very serviceable to us, are certainly enti- 

 tled to kindness at our hands, at least ; and although it is 

 sometimes important that property should be transported with 

 something beyond natural speed, yet in most cases, the proper- 

 ty which is conducted upon the canal, cannot require the de- 

 struction of the agents which perform that service. 



This paper aims at explaining the principles upon which 

 their traction depends. The authorities which have been con- 

 sulted for results of experiments, are the most approved prac- 

 tical writers on the subject : and the sole aim of the commu- 

 nication is to do some good to the animals, as well as to their 



The body of a horse constitutes his natural weight, and it 

 is by his muscular power he is enabled to move it ; assuming 

 the average weight of a useful horse to be half a ton, and di- 

 viding his muscular power into eight parts, each part would 

 have 140 lbs. to move ; of which one is for pressure of the 

 load, the other seven for keeping up his action and weight. 

 In rising an acclivity where his own gravity is equal to the 

 force he exerts for the load, he must overcome that also, and 

 use two parts out of eight of his muscular force ; of which 

 he then has only six parts left for his action and weight. The 

 evidence of this is seen in the exertion which he makes upon 

 such occasions. But before the resistance he has to overcome 

 is further spoken of, it will be useful to explain that term. 

 When a body is in motion, its progress is retarded by the 

 pressure of its own weight to the surface it moves upon. The 

 friction or resistance thus occasioned, varies with the nature 

 of the surfaces. Upon iron rail roads, it is estimated at one 

 two hundredth of the weight of the load a horse can draw on 

 wheels, where the load and the speed are adjusted. To over- 



