The Horse as Man’s Best Friend

No matter what time of year it is, no matter the weather, a constant sight to behold on the streets of Wien are the many Fiaker, or horse-drawn carriages. These are as Viennese as the Oper and an integral part of the old customs of the Viennese culture.  In the dusk of evenings, one almost expects to encounter a gas-man out of the shadows, going around lighting the gas-lamps as one would expect in the hey-day of horse-drawn transportation – the gate-way into another age!

The word ‘Fiaker’ itself is derived from Rue de Saint Fiacre in Paris, named for the Irish patron saint Fiachre, the location where what can be considered the first commercial horse-taxis began.  According to the official website of the Fiaker club, there are approximately 100 such teams of horses and coachmen available for hire across the city: either for the tourist-tour or occasionally, festively decked-out for a wedding party.  It can be easy to dismiss the offer of a horse-drawn carriage ride as nothing more than a cheesy, tourist-driven attraction, but the fact is that the horse was an essential mode of transportation for millennia, the skills of which were highly valued. Horsemanship was a highly accomplished trade, one which was handed down from generation to generation.  It was only after the Second World War that the popularity of the horse-drawn transportation dropped dramatically, as automobiles took off as the new mode of transportation.

Today, one will still find that the vast majority of Fiaker teams are family businesses, passed from father to son (or daughter!) through the decades and given the time-period of which they were born, most of the carriages are over 100 years old.  This makes a ride in a Fiaker quite special: it is not merely a service, as one might expect in a journey by taxi, but a direct means of contact with people who made the city what it is through their interaction with the public and their participation in forming the city landscape.  Many of these cab-drivers are characters, which is evidenced by their wild storytelling and love for embellishment of the truth!  They are also a font of knowledge of the city itself, knowing every nook and cranny like the back of their hand… and we can be certain that their horses are in the same boat!  There are a number of regulations in place today which means the horses and divers are secured certain allowances: where they can park to pick up fares; the number of hours the animals may work in any one week; the weather conditions they may operate under; even the traditional costume of the cab-driver is now a protected requirement in order to secure a Fiaker licence in Wien.  The sight of the jauntily dressed driver with his polished carriage and the gleaming coats of his horses is a welcome sight whatever the season, enlivening the classical streets of the city and reminding us of slower times, where life was not so hectic and horses were man’s best friend and a very essential part of daily life.  If you haven’t the time to actually enjoy a jaunt in a little piece of history, at least take a moment or two the next time you see a team drive past, to admire the care and attention, the history and tradition which is neatly wrapped up on four wheels and sixteen hooves!