Used to be common more then 100 years ago

Not the best composition in this picture....
On our way to a very little village in the north of Groningen, called Zuurdijk we passed Onderdendam with this statue of a woman, pulling a canalboat.
That used to be common at the end of the 19th century.
The yellow pole was used at turning point in a canal, to make the ship make it's turn more easy; it has a rollbar at the back of it.

We had it all today: sunshine, clouds, rain...

Here in LARGE...