A Dying Breed. The Owners, That Is. Not Their Horses.
If you’ve ever been on the streets of downtown Baltimore, you may have heard them. They sell their wares from quaint carts drawn by some very handsome horses wearing the “Baltimore Harnesses.” As they slowly jingle in down the street, you may be fortunate enough to hear them hawking their wares. Who are these horse-drawn entrepreneurs that fill this charming corner of Americana?
Arabber, originally uploaded by mobtownblues.
They’re called Arabbers. And they’ve been a staple in the Baltimore area for hundreds of years.
According to the Arabber Preservation Society website,…
‘Arabbing’ is a term used to describe the activities of a group of small scale entrepreneurs — mostly Black and male — who for more decades than anyone can remember have hired horses and carts to carry a variety of food items to the neighborhoods of Baltimore. — from a 1994 editoiral in the Baltimore Afro-American.
Sadly, however, Arabbers are becoming a dying breed. According to Bridlepath, social and economic forces have been at work over the decades to force them out of business, including municipal governments and even animal rights groups. The forces against the Arabbers have become so great, that the Arabber Preservation Society was formed for the purpose of preserving arabbing in Baltimore.
Thankfully, the Preservation Society appears to have made some headway to preserve arabbing as a way of life. And in 1996, their Board of Directors approved an equine veterinary assistance for the Arabbers’ horses. They even established an emergency fund to come to the aid of the horses who need medical attention in a pinch.
They even established a farrier assistance and apprenticeship program. This helps the Arabbers with their horseshoeing needs and also gives on-the-job-training for young farriers at the same time. This is a true win-win situation. Very nice to see.
For more information about the Arabbers and their beautiful horses, check out the Arabber Preservation Society. And don’t forget to check out my friends at Bridlepath, as well.
Yours for Better Horse Health,
Sierra Lynch
arabber horse horse business
Tags: Horse Issues, Horse history
