August 2nd, 1823 - The ship this morning was all in an uproar, in consequence of a horse, which one of the passengers had, being looked on as dying. It cost him £200 in England, and after a troubled passage the poor man lost his horse. At 12 o'clock saw light at Sandy Hook.
While I do feel sorry for the man who lost his horse I do wonder why he had brought it. Shipping an expensive horse across the ocean was always going to be a high-risk exercise; did he not know they had horses in America? Was it perhaps a stud horse, of which the potential profits from the bloodline might outweigh the risks of transporting it?
And what of the simple practicalities? A horse won’t fit in a bunk or cabin, so it’s going to need a stable, which will of necessity be cramped. The poor thing will get no meaningful exercise for the duration of the voyage beyond, at best, an occasional walk around the deck. And there’s the bedding and food to think of. A horse will consume substantial quantities of hay over a seven week voyage, all to be carried in the hold, and will produce large amounts of soiled bedding. I can’t imagine they were short of manure in America so the horse’s production was presumably all hurled over the side.
I know it was common for ships on very long voyages to carry livestock, for fresh meat, milk etc. Famously, one of Captain Cook's voyages carried a goat around the world, said goat having previously circumnavigated the globe on another ship. But, all in all, carrying this horse seems like more trouble than it was worth unless the horse was very special indeed.
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