The postcards about the ostrich farm were some of the first cards I collected. The images were just so interesting to me. I've seen short clips of people riding ostriches but hadn't seen any with them pulling a four-wheeled buggy like the one above. Visitors were allowed to rent the buggy and ride around Hot Springs towed by and ostrich.
This big bird was one of the prize racing ostriches. They usually weighed over 400 pounds. You can still see ostrich racing here in the states. The ostrich farm actually sent the racing birds to state and county fairs. They were pitted against horses and actually made great time whether ridden bareback or in harness. The birds could beat a horse in a short race, but the horses won in a longer race.
From the postcard, it looks like even tourists could ride an ostrich if they had the courage. Not me!
Back in the day, ostrich feathers were used for personal decoration and raising ostriches was probably a lucrative proposition. Birds could be purchased from the farm by catalog. I wonder if they just shipped eggs and chicks? Full-grown birds are usually over 250 pounds.
This is a beautiful bird.
The farm was run until the mid-1950s, over 15 years after its owner, Thomas Cockburn died.
To read more about the farm:
did he ever win any big races with money and stuff
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