For your historical questions, you may like to read the article from the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia:

https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/horses/

An interesting side note is the history of horse drinking troughs in the city, which were provided by charitable organizations (often along with drinking fountains for people) and many of which still exist: https://whyy.org/articles/curbside-refreshment-for-man-and-beast/