Victorian Great Horse Manure Crisis | The Never Ending Horse Muck In London

[@MuddyDuck...]

After watching an old Sherlock Holmes film years ago, I remember looking into the same subject - and found a report that estimated that at its peak there were nearer 300,000 horses in the greater London area. A similar New York article at the time estimated it to be home to around 150,000 horses. It went on to calculate, that on the basis of 15 to 30 pounds of manure produced daily by each horse, that New York city had to somehow dispose of more than THREE MILLION POUNDS of horse manure DAILY. Not to mention the additional estimated daily 40,000 GALLONS of horse urine. On that basis we can therefore DOUBLE these figures to get an equivalent mind boggling estimate for the burden on London. So it was no wonder that the Times wrote their 'Great Horse Manure Crisis' article in 1894. However what we will never be able to estimate or get a sense of is the overwhelming stench that must have permeated those cities during that time. And to think that today people get angry if a dog fouls the street.

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

It really is impossible to imagine just how much muck there would have been on the streets. But I agree with you the smell of horse pee would have be horrid. I imagine plenty of headaches!

[@LivingMyDream4412]

I really enjoyed the history lesson... so interesting and fascinating! I am glad I didn't have to live during those times... my heart couldn't take it.

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

Thanks ☺️. I agree heart breaking

[@davesmith9844]

0:08 I'm not from the UK but it astounds me the number of UK people who can't get their own flag the right way up!

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

I had to go and check where the Union Jack was. It’s a horse filler and it can hang from a jump then the flags the correct way, but it can also go upside down when it’s a filler on the floor. It’s just how the jump is made, nothing more. 😄

[@simonheed7964]

It's because most of them are immigrants these days!!

[@raversmead]

I was thinking to myself 'I'll take the manure problem over modern vehicle emissions any day' .... then you got to the petrified carcass issue and I've decided today is a better day to live 😳 it's hard to imagine what it must have been like living in past times. I sometimes wonder if things were as bad as it sounds ... if modern media teaches us anything it's that people like to over dramatize to get a good story. I guess we will never know exactly how life was

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

Such a good point! I hadn’t really thought about that but your right people always over dramatise. Also when looking at paintings and a few photos of the period I’ve haven’t seen tons of horse muck on the streets, but maybe the artist just left it out. Or like you say maybe they were just exaggerating a bit.

[@raversmead]

@@EJMEQUESTRIAN and if you look at old photos and video reels there are no mountains of poop. There is poop .... but not that much. And there were still plenty of horse drawn carriages in the clips i have seen. Makes you think 🤔

[@michaeltommy-f1x]

If only every school had a teacher like you. We'd be a lot smarter and more knowledgeable.

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

Thank you, that’s very kind.

[@toastnjam7384]

I recall listening to a podcast on the great horse manure crisis of 1894 in New York and it mentioned that the increase demand for fodder local farms began growing more fodder and less food which caused food prices to rise in NYC.

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

Thanks for mentioning, really interesting. I’d not heard about that but imagining it could have been the same for the Uk.

[@davesmith9844]

What a load of horse shi.... this was a great video, thank you!

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

Thanks ☺️

[@shonamcwilliam2842]

I think this was when high platform shoes for women were worn, so their long dresses didn't get covered in muck.

[@EJMEQUESTRIAN]

Ah that’s really interesting. I’m off to read up on it. Thank you ☺️