It depended on the type of boat, but mules or horses usualy.
The Erie Canal was paid off by the tolls payed by the boats that were passing through the canal.
The Chemung Canal was very similar to the Erie Canal. It connected the Finger Lakes region of New York with the Susquehanna River. Both canals used barges or packet boats.
Yes the Erie Canal is still in business today. Much of it is now recreation but there is still commercial traffic such as barges of corn from Canada to be turned into ethanol.https://www.npr.org/2013/06/25/195426326/commercial-shipping-revived-along-erie-canal
Because canal boats were shallow-draft, flat-bottomed vessels, the original depth of the Erie Canal was about 4 feet. It was deepened over the years until in the early 20th Century it was dredged to a minimum depth of 12 feet to accommodate traffic which is primarily made up of pleasure boats.
According to the Erie Canal web site: " In many cases, the boats were also home for a family, as the father would captain the boat, the mother would be the cook, and the children would play or help out as needed."
3 types: passenger & cargo, packet, and freight boats. (derived from The Canal Society of Ohio (http://www.canalsocietyohio.org/)) Packets hauled passengers only.
Small boats and pleasure craft uses the Erie Canal today. It is also a cycling trail and used for fishing. But there still is some commercial traffic.
The Welland Canal.
Hoggee rode mules or horses who pulled packets (canal boats) on the Erie canal. Also they tended and cared for the animals pulling the boat.
Hoggees were men, women and children who used horses and mules to pull boats along the Erie Canal.
The Erie Canal
The Erie Canal was not cemented.