Here they are once more in 11 archive photos showing them at their magnificent best.
There was Mona, Regal, and many more horses over the years and we have photos from the 1950s onwards.
Re-live the days when they were a regular sight on the streets of Wearside.
1. Fond farewell
John Doran, stable boy with Vaux, was pictured saying goodbye to the horses as he leaves them at their holiday home in 1988. Photo: se
2. Weighing in 65 years ago
Vaux horses being weighed on the public weigh bridge in Low Row in 1958. Photo: se
3. Competition time
A Vaux horse shoeing contest under way in 1987. Photo: se
4. A royal occasion in 1953
A rehearsal for the Coronation parade in Sunderland 70 years ago. Frank Nicholson, Vaux chairman, was driving the horses. Photo: se