1. a person who takes care of horses at an inn or stable
Usage: archaic or historical

Examples

• The hostler at the inn brushed down the travelers' horses after their long journey.
• In colonial times, a hostler was an essential worker at every coaching inn.
• The hostler fed and watered the horses throughout the night.
• Young boys often apprenticed as hostlers to learn stable work.
• The innkeeper hired a new hostler to manage the growing number of guests' mounts.