Shortly after 5 pm on Wednesday, February 21, 1849, a lone rider galloped from the pier in Halifax, Nova Scotia west towards Digby, 232 kilometres (146 miles) away on the east coast of the Bay of Fundy. He carried a highly sought-after news packet that had arrived just moments earlier by the Cunard Royal Mail steamship Europa, from Liverpool, England.

People often say, “a horse needs a job,” as though life as an equine couldn’t be complete without trotting into the office occasionally. Historically, horses really did take on essential work, from carrying soldiers into battle to driving the gentry around town (as anyone who’s watched The Gilded Age knows.) Even in our own times, when horses are less necessary for most human activities, they’re still sometimes pressed into service. Of course, it helps if a horse is well-suited to their assigned occupation. So, before recruiting a horse for any of the following positions, consider some of the necessary qualifications.

A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre-Christmas visit to the little farm, where dwelt their elderly parents with a small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up. It had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine, which topped the hill behind the farmhouse.

Job Description: These sturdy horses and mules carry gear and supplies, usually in panniers or sidebags, typically across rugged terrain.