Horse boating today cannot be done in the same way. This is because the locks are different. The bollards are different and in new positions. The lock gates used to have a strapping post on top so that you could slow down a horse boat with no brakes and shut the gate at the same time by teasing the stern line around it to give a bit of friction and not jolt the boat. Also, there used to be various hooks and pulley wheels that used to help get the loaded boats out of locks, making it easier for the horse. Also, there used to be steps so Horses could climb out if they fell in. Many features still exist of course and the bridges all have the deep rope groves often found in metal rubbing bars formed from the towing line rubbing. The towing line was usually 90 feet long, different thickness sold by weight in ounces. It was cable laid construction white cotton. Once broken a line was not good to join with a splice because it would always get caught in bridge and lock groves but it made good decorative rope work or fenders.
Horses over fourteen hands were a bit too high for the bridges and Jim was an example of this. He would often scrape or catch the top of his collar on the underside of bridges, I had sawed the ‘Hames’ of short to avoid accidents.

Jim, ate a good varied diet. He always had a fresh pick of all sorts of grasses and plants along the way. We also fed him pony nuts mixed with bran and oats, which anyone with horses would sell us some along the way. Blacksmiths were more tricky and involved careful planning and trips to the phone box (no mobiles then). Working mainly on soft tow paths Jim’s shoes did not wear out so fast, unlike with road work, but we had toe grips fitted and heels to help him pull the boat out of the locks where there usually was old smooth brick work. We also did boat in winter so had ice to contend with. We could only travel then by following another boat before the ice refroze.

Tunnels were a different challenge often the foot path over the top where I led Jim was badly overgrown and had disappeared. Sometimes a road or other obstacles challenged our journey. There were also rusted and seized iron gates closed decades ago it seemed. I can only recall getting lost once. Remember, some tunnels are over one mile long so it’s often longer over the top than through.

Jim was the sort of horse that preferred to be driven rather than ridden. Also, he did not like to go inside very much. He put me in a good position to get to know many people well as he was so popular. Many people knew and loved him as we made our way up and down the canal system, many had met him a few times before. One of his favourite tricks was to put his head and shoulders right thought the side hatches and into the boat for toast and marmalade during breakfast each morning. If there was enough on the tow path next to the boat. We also had to worm Jim every three months with powders we would get from or horse or farm shop. Mixing them in to his food. He never seemed to notice. However, he was fussy about the water he drank and would sniff suspiciously at tap water. He liked canal water it probably contained a lot of nutrients and flavour. If the canal was polluted I was careful and he had to drink a bucket full of tap water. If he had worked hard and was in need of a drink he could manage almost three buckets in no time. Usually when we moved I had been up early to fetch him and brush him down and pick out his feet and then get the harness polished up all nice and shiny. Boat harness is pretty basic and you can get it on a horse including the Blinkered Bridle and cotton rope reins in just a couple of minutes.