 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.