Hell, forget motorbikes, even bicycles would make it hard to justify horse costs. And I bet they are superior for range and speed (average, at least, not so sure about max, and obviously it requires a rider in good enough shape, but I think you’ll get there if you ride regularly, assuming no disabilities).
Ok, so 15K miles/year isn’t uncommon, 3USD/gallon is close to average, 25 mpg is optimistic.
So currently the average american is paying 1,800 for 600 gallons a year. So roughly 5x, without considering cost of maintenance and depreciation.
But then you have bikes. A Honda Wave gets like 160 mpg.
Fuck, I forgot about bikes. You’re right, bikes are the real deal breaker for horses.
Hell, forget motorbikes, even bicycles would make it hard to justify horse costs. And I bet they are superior for range and speed (average, at least, not so sure about max, and obviously it requires a rider in good enough shape, but I think you’ll get there if you ride regularly, assuming no disabilities).
But they don’t nuzzle you happily when they see you.