Horsekeeper

The worker responsible for feeding and grooming a mine's horses and ponies, above or below ground, and for keeping their harness in good repair and properly fitted.

How it worked

A horsekeeper fed and groomed the pit's horses and ponies, checked that harness was sound and correctly fitted before each shift, and made the formal reports on the animals' condition required under the Coal Mines Act.

Why it was used

Horses and ponies remained a mine's principal means of underground haulage long after steam and later electric winding had taken over on the main shafts, and their proper care -- both for the animals' own welfare and because an unfit or badly harnessed horse was a hazard to the men working with it -- was significant enough to be a statutory reporting duty, not just good practice.

Sources

1. (secondary) 047 — Other Workers Below Ground — Dictionary of Old Occupational Terms (DOOT)
2. (secondary) Kemberton Colliery Shaft Accident - Shifnal - 1901 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026