The Canadians of the French regime had a great passion for spirited horses. Every man and boy had his horse, maintained for racing and social occasions rather than for working on the land. Roads were few and unpaved, but the Canadians made use of the calΦche, an exceptionally well sprung carriage. They had a bad habit of racing them through the towns to the danger of pedestrians, despite strict traffic laws forbidding the practice. It was a point of honour with them not to allow another calΦche, or sleigh, to pass and road races resulted in frequent accidents. In short, it was the same then as it is today on the roads in Quebec.
