Harness Development Project

Of the many problems faced by working horses, donkeys and mules in Luxor every day, wounds and sores caused by ill fitting or poorly designed harnesses and tack, or badly designed carts, are amongst the most common.  These types of injuries range from mild bruises and abrasions to severe wounds that involve the deeper tissues.  In many cases they lead to discomfort, pain, weight loss and eventually can result in the animal being unable to work and therefore being discarded.

Many of the owners of these animals simply cannot afford to rest their horse, donkey or mule due to the effects that not working has on their income and their families.  As a result these wounds do not get a chance to heal.

These types of injuries are not caused deliberately, but often through ignorance, or through poverty, which does not allow the correct materials to be used or may result in the re-use of ill-fitting tack.  Staff at ACE frequently encounter harnesses made from all sorts of inappropriate materials such as wire, or rope, which may have been collected from the rubbish.  Similarly carts are often constructed of the wrong materials or are too heavy and unbalanced.

Although ACE vets have been treating these types of injuries since ACE was founded, we are aware that the animals presenting to the clinic are only the tip of the iceberg.  ACE has long wanted to begin a sustainable education programme to improve the types and use of harnesses and carts used in the Luxor area and to train local harness makers to produce more appropriate tack made from local materials, to prevent these problems occurring in the first place.

ACE is delighted to announce the introduction of the Harness Development Project.  In collaboration with Professor Ramsay Hovell, Patrick Sells of the The World Association for Transport Animal Welfare and Studies (TAWS), and Terry Davis, and Sue Nickless of Harness-Aid.   All have recently visited ACE to take part in a harness and cart workshop with the ACE vets and local animal owners.

Benefits of the project

1. Reduction in harness and cart associated injuries in the working horses, donkeys and mules of Egypt.
2. Improved harness and cart design increases efficiency, allowing animals to work more effectively and increases their life expectancy (studies have shown that a healthy donkey can increases a the income of a family by 500% lifting local people out of poverty).
3. Increased income for local harness makers and farriers who make the harness from locally sourced materials.
4. Long term improved animal welfare for the hard working animals of Egypt.
5. Because ACE records details of the types of injuries in all the animals that present to our clinic, we hope to be able to record a reduction in these types of harness wounds following the project.  ACE shares this information with other welfare groups in the hope that our experience may help to improve animal welfare across the globe.

As ever a project of this size and potential requires some additional funds to set up and run.  If you are interested in supporting the Harness project please contact us, and we can help you in a number of ways in which you can help us.

You can also DONATE directly towards this project:

• either online, via our dedicated page by clicking here,
• or text: "HARN55" and the amount you wish to donate ie "HARN55 £10" to 70070
• or via cheque made payable to "Animal Care in Egypt" and posted to our UK address, just pop a note in that the funds are for the Harness Project, and don't forget to sign a Gift Aid donation form so we can claim extra money on your donation at no extra cost to you!
  THANK YOU.

In the coming weeks we will keep you updated on the website as this exciting project develops.

PLEASE help us help these donkeys to pull their load more comfortably.  Thank you.