Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Veleda Cordes holds Casper the Shetland pony as day camp students Grace Warsal and Annabell Taralson take a turn petting the animal.

NEW ULM– A group of happy campers learned about horses during the Brown County Historical Society’s day camp event.

The day campers met at the historic Kiesling House to hear Veleda Cordes give a quick lesson on horses and their impact on history. As a part of the lesson plan, Cordes brought along a Shetland pony named Casper.

Cordes explained to campers that today, horses are usually kept as pets or for fun, but in the early days of the United States horses were a vital part of life.

The animals were often used for work purposes. Draft horses were needed to plow fields, but the animals were also used as the primary mode of transportation.

Even the smaller Shetland ponies were put to work. Cordes explained the Shetlands were bred on the Shetland Isles in north Scotland and used to pull mine carts.

The short stature of the Shetland pony made it perfect for pulling mine carts through cramp spaces with limited head space.

Cordes said in the days before cars, people needed horses nearby for travel. Today the horse is consider a country animal, but more than a 100 years ago horses were common inside the city.

The event was the second day of an 11-week history day camp program hosted by BCHS.

Camp supervisor and coordinator Lauren McMackin said each week will feature a different theme. For the first week, the campers are learning about the history of homes.

Wednesday, the campers will be visiting the Sod House on the Prairie near Sanborn.