Horse mill

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The olive grinding mill, High Atlas (Morocco)
The olive grinding mill, High Atlas (Morocco)
A horse powered threshing machine
A horse powered threshing machine

A horse-mill is a mill that uses a horse as the power source. Any milling process can be powered in this way, but the most frequent use of animal power in horse-mills was for grinding grain and pumping water. Other animals used for powering mills include dogs, donkeys and oxen. These are all forms of animal engines. Man, can also be considered to be an animal, and engines powered by man include treadwheels.

Sometimes a horse mill was used in conjunction with a watermill or a windmill.

In Antwerp, Belgium, the Brouwers Huis Museum (Brewers House museum) is a good example of horse powered pumping machinery, the building dating from the C16th and the original wooden machinery was replaced in cast iron in the mid C19th, but retaining the original layout.

For locations of past and surviving horse mills, see List of Horse Mills.

[edit] Gallery

The Horse Mill at Wester Kittochside Farm near Glasgow

A bullock-powered mill, Seychelles

[edit] References

  • Animal Powered Machines, J. Kenneth Major. Shire Album 128 - Shire Publications 1985. ISBN 0-85263-710-1
  • Water-mills windmills and horse-mills of South Africa, James Walton. C Struik Publishers, 1974. ISBN 0-86977-040-3

[edit] See also

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