The days when horses and humans lived cheek by jowl in the capital are unarguably over. Brewers’ drays have disappeared, and most people would argue that the black cab does a far better job than the hansom cab ever did. But the ghosts of horses past still inhabit the city. Statues of kings atop their chargers take pride of place in squares and parks, water troughs are scattered about the place, and the more recent Animals in War memorial on Park Lane is a reminder that our dependence on them lasted until less than a century ago.
Not all of the reminders are visual, either. Many street names pay homage to our equine companions; Dray Walk, Stable Way and Cheval Place are a few examples, while the mews houses of central London — which today sell for several million pounds a pop — were built as stabling and grooms’ accommodation.
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