Health and welfare problems of pack donkeys and cart horses in and around Holeta town, Walmara district, Central Ethiopia
Authors: Chala Chaburte, Bojia Endabu, Feleke Getahun, A. Fanta, Zerihun Asefa, K. Aragaw
Journal: Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Health and Welfare in Working Equines—Lessons from Ethiopia Working donkeys and cart horses in central Ethiopia face distinct but overlapping health challenges that reflect poor management practices and limited veterinary oversight. A cross-sectional survey of 301 pack donkeys and 84 cart horses, conducted between October 2013 and May 2014, combined direct clinical examination with indirect assessments via focus group discussions to build a comprehensive picture of disease and welfare problems in the region. Pack donkeys showed significantly higher prevalence of back soreness (13.6% versus 1.2%), tail base sores (15.6% versus 0%) and abnormal behaviours (14.3% versus 0%), whilst cart horses suffered more from girth soreness (17.9% versus 2.7%), oral problems (16.7% versus 2.3%), and epizootic lymphangitis (10.7% versus 0%)—a serious infectious condition absent in the donkey population studied. Both species experienced alarmingly high rates of hoof overgrowth (62.5% and 35.7% respectively) and wounds (33% and 44%), with additional indirect evidence pointing to strangles, tetanus, anthrax, colic, parasites and sarcoids as significant welfare concerns. These findings underscore how species-specific saddlery and harness design interacts with inadequate nutrition, poor farrier and veterinary services, and owner knowledge gaps to create preventable suffering in working animals—a pattern likely applicable to similar settings across developing regions and worth considering when advising clients sourcing or using equines in resource-limited environments.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Pack donkeys and cart horses in this region require species-specific management: focus on back and tail sore prevention in donkeys through improved saddle fit and harness design, and girth sore management in cart horses through better equipment maintenance and hygiene
- •Hoof overgrowth is a critical welfare issue affecting both species (35-62% prevalence) — establish regular farriery services and owner education on hoof care as a priority intervention
- •Epizootic lymphangitis in cart horses (10.7% prevalence) requires targeted disease control and biosecurity measures, while systemic issues (feed, water, housing, training methods causing abnormal behavior) must be addressed through government support and capacity building for local animal health professionals
Key Findings
- •Back sore (13.6%), tail base sore (15.6%), and abnormal behavior (14.3%) were significantly more prevalent in pack donkeys than cart horses
- •Girth sore (17.9%) and oral problems (16.7%) were more common in cart horses, with cart horses showing 10.7% prevalence of epizootic lymphangitis versus 0% in donkeys
- •Hoof overgrowth was highly prevalent in pack donkeys (62.5%) and cart horses (35.7%), with wounds affecting 33% of donkeys and 44% of horses
- •Both species were similarly affected by lameness, strangles, tetanus, colic, parasites, and management deficiencies including inadequate feed, water, and housing