Veterinary Epidemiology

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Browsing Veterinary Epidemiology by Author "Abel Legesse"

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    cart and harness characteristics of draught equids in the oromia region ; the contribution of local cart and harness design to the welfare of working equids
    (Addis Abeba University, 2022) Abel Legesse; Prof.Teshale Sori
    The study was conducted from November 2021 to May 2022 in three selected towns of Oromia region Bishoftu, Selale, and Shashemene to assess cart and harness characteristics and its contribution of local cart and harness design to the welfare of working equids . A total of 369 equines were examined during the study period, with 244 (66.12 %) horses, 122 (33.06 %) donkeys, and 3 (0.81 %) mules being examined for general attitude, gait, response to spinal contact, presence of shoes, lesions on various parts of the body, hoof and limb conditions, and body condition status. When the proportion of work types was compared to the study region, Bishoftu, Selale, and Shashemene differed. In Bishoftu, 72.88 % use taxis, 19.43 % use transit, and 7.68 % utilize water transportation. A taxi driver, like Bishoftu, was the most frequent type of work in Selale. It was 74.32 %, with goods transport accounting for 21.66 % and water transport accounting for 3.53 %. Cart taxi service is virtually non-existent in the Shashemene area. The bulk of carts were used to transport commodities and water, accounting for 82.84 % and 17.15 %, respectively, of all carts. The study found that 13.11 % of the 122 donkeys were "Very thin," 84.42 % were "Thin," and 2.45 % had "Ideal" physique scores. The condition "Thin" accounted for 53.68 % of the total horse population, followed by "Ideal" condition, which accounted for 23.36 % of the total horse population. The third and last segment was occupied by a very thin body score condition, which accounts for around 22.95 % of the total. From the total sample 75.60% of working equids were found with wound on different body parts in Bishoftu, 67.47% in Selale and 84.55% in Shashemene area because of improper fitting of harness materials. Girth wounds account for the majority of these three major wound results, accounting for 43.90 % of all wounds across the research region. Chest wound 23.30 % and saddle wound 22.49 % took second and third place, respectively. In the current study, we discovered that equines play a significant role as useful animals in both rural and urban communities. Cart and harness features such as unfitted, thinner saddles, use of unbreathable paddings, lameness, wound, overworking, overloading, injuries, and general abuse were common. Further research and appropriate interventions should be explored on the welfare restrictions impeding the optimal use of equines in this critical area.