Horses, mules and donkeys throughout the world are worked in harnesses, bridles and/or pack saddles to pull and carry loads for their owners. In resource poor environments, harness related injuries are endemic, leading to poor welfare for the equine and poor productivity for the owner.
Taking extra physical strain and carrying heavy loads can casue injuries and skin surface wounds to equines if loads are not balanced and positioned properly on the body, with equipment designed for that purpose.
In this topic we cover many commonly used pieces of equipment for working equids and demonstrate common welfare problems and injuries when inappropriately used. We focus equipment construction and design in order for working equines to maximise their load-carrying efficiency by staying healthy, strong and injury-free.