Re: Dumb questions

From: jorganos <joe_at_yIrabY7fuE6_ZQz4bh0YvGdLQN79CEr9n8CHw4wPWi81ew2AqipmG9z9V_k9i1K0S4gfCD6k>
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:39:36 -0000

Donald Oddy:
> So there's no reason to invent the horse collar unless some of
> the Lunar nobility have carriages drawn by ordinary horses.

The Dara Happans have chariots, so there is some demand for draft horse equipment in Peloria, even if not for plowing.

As far as I know, horse fittings in ancient times used yokes similar to those for oxen, leaving most of the horses' power unused, since strangling was a problem.

Since horses as sky animals are somewhat prestigious, I expect Dara Happan nobility to use them for carriages as well. And for the same reason they won't be considered for plowing.

> It looks like oxen are pretty much the standard draft animals which
> fits with an ancient rather than renassaince world.

I wonder how much of the length of the Oslir River and its tributaries has paths along the river for draft oxen pulling river craft upriver. It usually is either oxen or human muscle which moves river craft against the flow, and often from solid ground.

Here is a picture that might apply to Peloria or the Janube River as well: http://www.auburn.edu/forlang/russian/art/repin-boatmen.html