Thursday, March 14, 2019

1903 Film of Siberian Ponies in Ziegler Polar Expedition

From 1903 to 1905, Ziegler financed  expeditions to reach the North Pole, all of which failed.  Anthony Fiala, commander of the expeditions, used Siberian ponies, as well as dogs, to haul sledges  The second expedition set off with 26 men, 16 ponies, 16 sledges, 117 dogs, and 9 sledges from Norway. 

As Fiala said about the ponies, " These little creatures behaved so well and proved of such value that I made provision to take more of them this time."  The ponies did a better job than the dogs of pulling the sledges over rough, jagged ice but the dogs were faster on smooth surfaces.  The ponies were considered "meat on the hoof" unlike some of the later expeditions that planned for the ponies to survive. 

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