[UncleEntity]

I would argue that horse drawn carriages were a 100% solution for something like 8000 years of human history. It’s been barely over a hundred years where there has been something that could efficiently replace them and the ‘self driving’ modern replacement have maybe 0.01% the smarts of a horse.

I mean, go get drunk and pass out on the back of your horse and the chances are real good it’s going to take you home without running into the back of a parked emergency vehicle sitting on the side of the road without giving it specific directions to do so.

Full disclosure: I’ve never passed out on a horse…

[ethbr0]

Horses produce a lot of shit, need to be fed, generate rather large biohazards when they expire, and have an oscillating motion that isn't a great match for drunkenness.

"A horse for every person" probably wasn't the best of times.

On the other hand, they are excellent listeners.

[UncleEntity]

They’re also zero-carbon which is fairly important these days.

[pjc50]

A good discussion, previously on HN: https://acoup.blog/2022/05/13/collections-ancient-tanks-char... ; the carriage or similar appears to be four thousand years old.