The coal face at Ellington which was a mile out under the North Sea. They continued to use pit ponies until 1994. One of the ponies, Carl, lived out his remaining years at the National Coal Mining Museum
An exhibition exploring the lives of pit ponies will open to the public this summer (22 June – 4 October).
Artwork and photography by John Bulmer will on be display at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, offering visitors an insight into the tough working conditions for equines in the mines.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
The exhibition also features equipment and tack used on the ponies.
“It tells the story of the pit pony — what they did, what conditions were like underground and what it was like when they came to the surface,” said Anne Bradley, curator of social and oral history at The National Coal Mining Museum.
“Ponies have worked in the pits from the 1700s. However, in 1842 women and boys under the age of 10 were no longer allowed to work in the mines and the ponies took on the job.
“The last ponies came out of the pits in 1994 — but the majority were phased out long before then.
“The exhibition is also about the relationship between the ponies and the miners. Many started their mining career as pony drivers.”
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.
