 This was a big event for them as well, and their numbers were probably greater than those of the trappers and supply trains who attended. They were horse-rich, so they probably had five horses per person, if not more. So you're talking 2,000 show up at the rendezvous and they've got 10,000 horses. You need a lot of grass. Early rendezvous were short. Over the years, the time extended to about a month. By the 1840s, the beaver worldwide had dwindled. Prices were too high for most to afford hats, and alternatives such as silk became the standard for top hats.