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Calesa/Animals: An Introduction To The Calesa

The Calesa is a horse-drawn carriage that was introduced to the Philippines by the Spaniards during their 333 year rule. It was originally used mainly by nobles and government officials as a luxury mode of transportation. In the early 20th century, as automobiles became more common, the Calesa transitioned to being used more for tourism than mainstream transport. The Calesa has sides and a roof to shield passengers from the sun, is pulled by a scrawny horse connected to large wheels by poles on either side, and is brightly colored with the cochero holding a whip upright like an antenna that is used to direct the horse without harming it.

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44 views

Calesa/Animals: An Introduction To The Calesa

The Calesa is a horse-drawn carriage that was introduced to the Philippines by the Spaniards during their 333 year rule. It was originally used mainly by nobles and government officials as a luxury mode of transportation. In the early 20th century, as automobiles became more common, the Calesa transitioned to being used more for tourism than mainstream transport. The Calesa has sides and a roof to shield passengers from the sun, is pulled by a scrawny horse connected to large wheels by poles on either side, and is brightly colored with the cochero holding a whip upright like an antenna that is used to direct the horse without harming it.

Uploaded by

Bing Bongo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Calesa/Animals

An Introduction to the Calesa

Among the many things that the Spaniards brought in their three hundred thirty-three rule in
the Philippines was the introduction of the mode of transport called the Calesa. The Calesa is a
horse-drawn carriage mostly used by nobles and government officials- the only persons who
could afford its luxury. It was then the most oft used land transport , and it wasn’t until the start of
the century, and upon the introduction of the automobiles that it became less for mainstream transport
and more for tourism purposes.

The carriage has small sides and a roof to keep the glaring sun from burning its passengers; two huge
wheels holding the carriage up, which are then connected to a scrawny horse by two poles strapped
either side of the horse. It is brightly coloured and a whip is kept in a pipe to the cocheros right hand
side and sticks straight up in the air like a radio antenna.

Because it is the rod that the cochero whips and not the horse, the animal is not actually harmed1.

1
http://www.philippines-travel-guide.com/kalesa.html

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