I once had a team of draft horses that were
unpredictable and took spells of nervous behavior. They were great fun to drive but it was hard
to tell what might set them off. One
fall day, I had hitched them to an old John Deere wagon. I had been working them for about two hours
and was rolling through the middle of an open 40 acre field. The day was cool but comfortable and all had
been going well. As I contemplated
heading back to the barn, something stirred in the brain of the near
wheeler. Whether it was his imagination
or some reality that I hadn’t noticed really didn't matter. Both horses took flight and I found myself on a
ride that connected me firsthand to a part of our horse drawn heritage most
would like to avoid.
In an instant, the serenity of the
moment was exchanged for a time of rapt attention and rapid deliberations. I’ve heard folks say that the human mind
can’t ponder multiple thoughts at the exact same time but that day may have
been an exception. The next several
minutes seemed like an eternity with plenty of contemplations being hastily tossed
around in my head.
I don’t know how long the run-away
lasted but, as I slid sideways around the perimeter of a large circle, I
remember seeing good-sized chunks of grass and dirt being cut by the tires and thrown high
into the air. I kept the team turned as
much as possible and when they finally stopped, it was hard to tell who was
trembling the most – me or the horses. The
next surprise happened when I looked down from my precarious perch. It appeared that the wagon was quite a bit longer
than it had been when I started. Of
course, that didn’t make sense but as I climbed down, I quickly noticed the pin
had popped out of the reach and allowed the rear half of the running gear to
slide along the coupling pole leaving only few inches before the gear extended beyond the box. Thankfully, we had stopped just in time to
prevent the wagon from coming apart at full stride. (Moral of the story - always check to make sure the reach pin has a cotter key securely attached and do an overall vehicle safety review before hitching up!)
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Surrounded by members of a threshing crew, this lunch wagon may have fallen victim to heavy winds on the plains. |
Just as with traffic accidents today, these types of encounters occurred throughout America’s horse drawn era. The mishaps happened at night as well as during the day and could be the result of a number of different circumstances. Some took place when a vehicle traveled too close to the edge of a narrow, mountain road. Others ensued when loads shifted on hilly terrain. Still more happened in natural disasters, water crossings, sudden animal frights, or when parts broke at seriously inopportune times.
To the point about parts, early vehicle
builders knew the dangers of broken or weakened components. As a result, many designs were created to enhance
the performance of a set of wheels while adding to the peace of mind and
confidence of the user. For example, since
king bolts were a crucial part subjected to tremendous stresses, many of these
sections received extra reinforcement as did the associated areas on the
forward axle and sand board. Reaches
were likewise engineered to help eliminate wear or rotate in response to
changing terrain. Some brakes were
designed to self-engage when going downhill, aiding with the load on draft
animals and helping prevent skittish teams from running when they felt the
wagon pushing them. Steering systems
(much like some early autos) were developed to help minimize injuries to horses
from a tongue whipping to one side or another after hitting a rock or hole. Some manufacturers even had specially
designed pole caps that minimized the chances of neck yokes accidentally
slipping off of the tongue.
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In this exclusive original photo from the Wheels That Won The West® Archives, these tall-sided western freighters are being set upright after overturning on a narrow mountain road. |
There were countless innovations and
features especially designed for the well-being of the vehicle passengers and
draft animals. Some of these traits have
been covered in this blog while many more are deserving of discussions as
well. Even the types of wood used in
particular areas were often chosen for their safety and security points. Historically, the designed safety features of
early wagons and western vehicles have not received a lot of publicity. Nonetheless, it was an area that many manufacturers
focused on and one that gives us great insight into the unique characteristics
that helped set individual makers – and even different eras – apart from each other.
Please Note: As with each of our blog writings, all imagery and text is copyrighted with All Rights Reserved. The material may not be broadcast, published, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written permission from David E. Sneed, Wheels That Won The West® Archives.
