Historian of China and the Silk Roads, esp. animal history, manuscripts, labour, and pet-keeping
Research Fellow @ IHR London | Co-founder of Chinese Animal Studies Network | Book Review Editor @ Animal History
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2) In the eyes of the law, horses were worth more dead than alive if they got injured on the job, and yet a 24-year-old horse Yarrow Elder enjoyed retirement at the end of his working life. Some horses clearly received special treatment!
3) But some horses weren't so lucky - one slow horse was named Whip its Rear, highlighting how pressured and fast-paced the frontier postal service was. This job was hard on horses' bodies. Many horses were registered as lame or as having saddle sores, and one was even injured by a blade!
