Equine number and welfare within ATNESA countries
Country
Kenya
Equine numbers (estimates)
Horses
Donkeys Mules
600,000
-
Ethiopia
2.75
million
5.02
million
630,000
Uganda
-
36995
-
Tanzania
-
310,940
-
South
Africa1
180 000
1000000
2000
190000*
70 000*
Namibia
1
46209
1 500*
160000
5000
Equine use and welfare status
*=In work. In general most equines well
cared for but about 15% receive poor
management, have inadequate harness
and are poorly used in work, particularly
in the urban areas
Organizations working on
equine issues
KENDAT, KSPCA and Practical
Action covering about third of
needy animals
Brooke Ethiopia, Donkey
Sanctuary, Integrated Livestock
Development Project (ILDP),
SPANA, Donkeys for
Development,
Little or nothing is done on the
welfare of donkeys in Uganda.
Management of donkeys at farm
level is poor. Their body condition
is poor hence low work output.
There is little extension support
for donkeys. There are no
organizations working to improve
welfare of animals.
MAFC, TADAP, Sokoine
University of Agriculture (SUA),
Tanzania Animals Protection
Organization (TAPO), Animal
Disease Research Institute of
Dar-es-Salaam
SANAT, NSPCA, Donkey Power,
Cart Horse Protection
Association, High-veld Horse
Society, Onderstepoort Veterinary
Centre
Donkeys given very little attention on
issues related to management.
Mismanagement, poor harnessing, lack of
National Draft Animal Power
Programme with the Ministry of
Agriculture, Donkey Welfare
Poor welfare due to abuse, misuse and
mismanagement, yet donkeys are most
useful in rural transport.
Equine uses for transport of goods &
people, ploughing in some areas. They
are mismanaged (poor feeding, shelter
and inadequate medical services)
Donkeys use is mainly confined to
packing. There is some use for carting
and to a lesser extent for ploughing.
Donkeys are loaded directly without any
harnesses at farm level. As a result of no
or poor harnesses, the operating
efficiency is reduced. In addition there are
no donkey drawn equipment (carts, plows
and weeders).
Poor welfare due to improper care, poor
feeds, improper harness, used mainly as
pack animals but also pulling implements
such as ploughs and ox-cars with cattle
yokes!
I have assumed that the equine numbers include those by CHPA in Cape Town
Equine numbers 2007
Comments (include locations
where applicable)
Still about 350,000 suffering
donkeys not reached
Majority of the total population
are suffering due to lack of
good management and
disease.
Thee are only small project that
are caring for donkeys. There is
no comprehensive program
coverage to cater for the
donkey management and
welfare
All the organizations listed are
involved in addressing the mal
treatment of animals as well as
the preparation of legislation
regarding animal drawn
transport
Still more than 80,000 suffering
donkeys not reached
Zimbabwe
18,000
400,000
Not
known
but
negligible
Malawi
1,000
3,000
-
Swaziland
400
18,000
150
Lesotho
75,894
143,436
296
Equine numbers 2007
knowledge on basic health management
and animal husbandry, yet donkeys are
used mostly for rural transport and tillage
operations.
Donkeys widely used for draught
particularly in semi-arid regions. Generally
poor management and welfare although
farmers are increasingly aware of their
usefulness. Current research aims at
improving donkey welfare. Horses and
mules not commonly used.
Horses are used for sports because they
are very expensive for the farmers to
purchase and use on the farm.
Donkeys are used for carting mostly as
the country has few equipment for use by
donkeys. Farmers are now more
interested to keep donkeys than oxen
because of cattle theft Donkeys are not
eaten in Malawi.
Donkeys used for transport and draft
power in rural communities. Mules used
for draft power. Horses used for transport
and sports. Poor welfare status of
donkeys include poor harnessing, health
care and nutrition.
Problems with drought have left everyone
and their animals short of food, even the
animals earning income from tourism are
thin, others with no income from their
horses are even worse. Horses regularly
even in a good year show large seasonal
changes in live weight. Priority for cattle
feeding is first. Uses of horses:
 Paying lobola
 Means of transport (riding mainly
with some pack and carting)
 Racing
Namibia, and Veterinary
Directorate to some extend, very
few Vets.
Donkey Protection Trust, SPCA,
APNEZ (currently defunct)
70 % of Zimbabwe’s donkeys
are in the drier western regions
and interventions should target
these areas
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
security Departments of Animal
Health and Industry and also the
Department of Research
Services.
There is a big demand for
donkeys in the country.
University of Swaziland, dept. of
Animal production and health,
Dept of Mechanization and land
use. Teaching and research;
Ministry of Agr. Extension
services
ILPH have just started some
courses for to help improve skills
in farriery, saddlery in Lesotho
and for owners in nutrition and
management. The Vet Faculty at
Onderstepoort also visit there
from University of Pretoria
The is no formal project
addressing Donkey problems.
The university is developing a
proposal addressing training
program for rural donkey
farmers on donkey welfare
Basotho Pony Project was
engaged in both breeding and
pony trekking. The project
phased out and all the activities
expect for the trekking are no
more implemented. Even the
number of horses has gone
down, that individual farmers
have been grouped to assist in
trekking activities during time of
need.
Some organizations are
considering ordering more from
Tanzania and Mozambique to
boost up the numbers.
 Trekking by tourists
Donkeys and mules are mismanaged as
compared to horse and are used for
carrying extra heavy loads.
Zambia
< 500
Equine numbers 2007
< 5000
-
Horses used for sports by wealthy
individuals and for ceremonial events by
Ministry of Home Affairs. Initially imported
from Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe
– currently knowledge is available for
breeding locally. Donkeys are on the
increase mainly through imports from
Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique,
Namibia and Tanzania as an alternative
to oxen as draught animals – however
poor welfare is reported due to
inadequate knowledge, lack of experience
and appreciation.
Ministry of Agriculture involved in
training, extension as well as
veterinary inputs for donkeys.
Livestock Development Trust
(LDT) train donkeys and
periodically sells them for farm
operations. World Vision
International provides credit for
donkey acquisition to smallholder
farmers, whereas Kasisi
Agricultural Training Centre also
trains farmers on management
and utilization of donkeys and
provides credit.
There are four lodges (MolimoNthuse, Malealea, Ramabanta
and Semonkong) in the
highland areas of Lesotho that
have organized horse owners
(form associations) that provide
horses for trekking. They have
been provided with training on
management of horses.
There is big demand for
donkeys in areas prone to cattle
diseases in the Southern and
Central part of the country but
steady supply is still a
constraint.