wheel-horse

wheel-horse (plural wheel-horses)

1. Alternative form of wheelhorse.
   • 1750 October, “A Description, with the Form, of the Four Wheel Carriage, which was Drawn at Newmarket, 19 Miles in 54 Minutes. […] Invented by Mr J. Wright in Long Acre.”, in Sylvanus Urban [pseudonym; Edward Cave], editor, The Gentleman’s Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, volume XX, London: Printed by Edw[ard] Cave, at St John's Gate, published January 1755, →OCLC, page 440:

     The off wheel-horſe a grey, named Single Peeper, ſold for 50 [guineas] […] The near wheel-horſe cheſnut, named Chance.

   • 1869, Velox [pseudonym], “The Velocipede of the Past; and The Art of Velocipede Management”, in Velocipedes, Bicycles, and Tricycles: How to Make and How to Use Them. With a Sketch of their History, Invention, and Progress, London: George Routledge and Sons, The Broadway, Ludgate; New York, 416, Broome Street, →OCLC, pages 39–40:

     In 1830 a bold and vigorous attempt was made to utilize the wheel-horse. A French post-office official, M. Dreuze by name, brought forward an improvement on the old two-wheel velocipede, which bid fair to be successful. […] A number of the country letter-carriers were mounted on the wheel-horse, and whilst the roads continued dry and hard M. Dreuze could congratulate himself on the success of his invention; but with wet weather came bad roads, and to the wet succeeded frost and snow. A little extra labour was all that was required to overcome the extra friction of the bad roads, but the wheels refused to progress on the slippy frozen surface.

• horsewheel