While I certainly recognize a good element of humor in the idea of an AVERAGE person in the United State pulling a tow mixer with horses or other animal, it could be a very practical option in different circumstances.
There are a great many people in other countries and in other cultures that go through their entire life without ever owning or driving a car.
I suggest that the most economical and practical power source to pull a tow mixer is the power source someone already owns and cares for anyway. If that is a car, a pickup truck, a tractor, horses, oxen, mules, a dog team, or a gigantic herd of trained kitty cats. (I thought about mentioning a herd of trained hampsters, but EVERYBODY knows that the best way to use hampster power would be to build a stationary mixer and power the mixer from the hampster's wheel.)
In many cultures the cost of owning a large animal is drastically cheaper than a car. They manufacture new model replacement power sources themselves if you let the males mingle with the females. They can fuel themselves by eating off a range of grass and grains. An individual can learn from his elders how to make his own harnesses or other equipment. That is the way farmers powered their farms for centuries.
The only issue I envision with horses or other animals pulling a tow mixer is that it would be extremely important include BRAKES in the mixer design. Otherwise the operator would have serious problems when going downhill.
Of course, for most of us in the U.S., attempting something like this would be a huge joke because we would have to buy everything to make the system work instead of doing it ourselves. That and most of us wouldn't have the slightest clue how to handle the animals. No doubt those that have spent their whole life around animals would think of average westerners as funny or stupid if they watched us make the attempt. I'm not sure they would be wrong to think so.
For people who have spent time abroad, these types of carts are EVERYWHERE.
http://rpmedia.ask.com/ts?u=/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Horsecart_with_watermelons.jpg/120px-Horsecart_with_watermelons.jpg--- In
papercreters@yahoogroups.com, Donald Miller <donald1miller@...> wrote:
>
> I would assume you are joking about the horses as the last time I checked, the price of a draft team and the collars, harnesses and other gear would cost way more than a good used pickup. And the price of hay has gone up on a scale comparable to diesel fuel.
>
> --- On Fri, 3/16/12, Alan <rustaholic777@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: Alan <rustaholic777@...>
> Subject: Re: [papercreters] Re: MIXERS;
> To:
papercreters@yahoogroups.com> Date: Friday, March 16, 2012, 5:49 PM
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> You seem to be forgetting the horses I mentioned.
> Just a nice walk for them.
> Alan
>
>
