Index

to

The pack-horse on Dartmoor

by

R. Burnard

Trans. Devon. Assoc. 37 (1905), pp, 168-174.

Prepared by Michael Steer

Wheeled carts were virtually unknown on Dartmoor in medieval times; the most common method of transporting goods was the packhorse. No doubt fully laden ponies were a common sight. The first written record of ponies on Dartmoor occurs in AD 1012, with a reference to the 'wild horses' of Ashburton, owned by the Bishop of Crediton. Early manorial records indicate that, as today, many ponies were not broken in, but all were branded and usually ear-marked. Many of these ear-markings are still in use today. Before widespread use of machinery and modern transport, ponies and horses were used extensively to enable goods and services to be delivered, and farm work to be carried out. Google with the Archive Organization has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. The Internet Archive makes available, in its Community Texts Collection (originally known as Open Source Books), books that have been digitised by Google from a number of libraries. These are books on which copyright has expired, and are available free for educational and research use. This rare book was produced from a copy held by the New York Public Library, and is available from the Internet Archive.