In addition to the use of horse drawn vehicles in settlement and the economy, horse drawn vehicles were also used for social purposes. This pattern of use was significant to elite society, as they were the only individuals who could afford pleasure vehicles until the end of the nineteenth century. Among the elite, visiting approached a form of ritual behaviour, with visits being made at certain times of day and requiring certain types of dress. In Ontario From Victorian Diaries. A question that arose from this examination of the social uses of horse drawn vehicles is whether or not women drove vehicles on their own.
All evidence suggests that women did drive.
The best evidence for this conclusion comes from Howard's diaries. May 15, 1842. H orse drawn vehicles were also symbols of status and esteem in the nineteenth century. Nineteenth century funerals provide good evidence for this conclusion, as contemporaries often commented in their diaries on the length of horse drawn vehicle processions from the deceased's home to the cemetary. When people died, especially where several miles might need to be covered before the burial, funeral attendees counted the number of carriages in the procession.