Page 13 - Bulletin 12 2008

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comfortable form of travel. The demise of the omnibus did not, however, mean the
demise of the horse as a familiar element of street traffic as car ownership did not

become general till the 1930s, and many trades relied on various types of horse-carts for
their livelihood. And so the allied industries also survived for some time in Kalk Bay

and Muizenberg. For instance, in the Trade Directory of 1889 we find a Mr Church

operating a Blacksmith, Farrier and Wagon making business, while Messrs C. P. and H.
Albertyn were Carriers and Forage Dealers. They, and Mr J. van der Poel of

Muizenberg, were also involved in Livery Stable-keeping.

In 1892 Mr C. Adams took over Mr Church's business, and in 1903 Mr P. Albrecht
operated as a Saddler. But with increasing ownership of the motorcar many of these

allied trades, too, began to close – or convert themselves into garages serving the needs

of automobiles, as Mr Adams did in Belmont Road, Kalk Bay. At this time, also,
architects were gainfully employed, as were builders, in planning and converting coach

houses into motor garages. In the old stable at the ‘The Moorings’, at the bottom of

Leighton Road, the wall-rack from which bridles, saddles etc were hung remains intact
100 years later.

However, for many decades after the wealthy had switched to motor cars the less

wealthy still used the horse and cart to hawk fruit and vegetables in the Kalk Bay area,
and, of course, dozens of fish carts from the Cape Flats would converge on the harbour

during the fishing season. Many of the fish-carts carried small boys at the back of the

cart hidden with stones among the fish. They were hired by the cart drivers and would
pelt would be hijackers en route while delivering fish. Recreationally, horse and donkey

rides for children on local beaches remained popular for decades. (Figs. 1.7 & 1.8).

The role of the horse as a draught animal in municipal services

The importance of horses and the mules in the delivery of essential services to the

residents of Kalk Bay – Muizenberg was such that in each annual Mayor's Minute – the