Since a horse was the most important means of transportation before modern times, swift horses (shunme) were usually reserved for military or government use, and the daba used for transportation were poor quality horses that were unable to run fast while carrying a person.
近代以前において馬は最も重要な輸送手段であったから、優れた馬（駿馬）は軍事や行政用として用いられるのが常であり、輸送に用いられた駄馬は人を乗せて早く走らせることの出来ない質の良くない馬であった。