Agency as Interspecies, Collective and Embedded Endeavour: Ponies and People in Northern England 1916–1950

Animals are increasingly acknowledged as historical agents. There calls for more critical approaches that explore how this agency—often shared with humans—is embedded within wider relations of power. This paper responds by employing Critical Theory, particularly the ideas Jurgen Habermas, to interspecies agency is shaped and constrained its broader socioeconomic context. Empirical illustrations drawn from experiences Dales ponies people in early twentieth century, who found themselves navigating growing commodification their lifeworld. The findings suggest outcome process “colonisation” was not inevitable. Rather, just demise seemed unstoppable, communicative re-emerged powerfully during harsh winter 1947. asks what means our understanding apparently irrevocable decline horsepower we might better understand horses’ own such events processes.