thumb|1827 drawing of an ostler at Keston Cross
thumb|Ostler at [[Margam, 1818]]
A hostler ( or ) or ostler was traditionally a groom or stableman who was employed in a stable to take care of horses, usually at an inn, in the era of transportation by horse or horse-drawn carriage. In the twentieth century the word came to be used in the railroad industry for a type of train driver in rail yards with switcher locomotives A similar word, (innkeeper, the one that took care of a hostal), exists in Spanish.
Modern uses
According to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, an ostler in motor transportation is a type of truck driver who directs trucks or tractors at vehicle parking or docking areas to move, position, or park trucks or trailers. In the United States railroad industry a hostler is a train driver, a type of railroad engineer who moves locomotives in and out of service facilities.
See also
- Teamster
- Groom (profession)