Pack animal

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Horse packing with traditional Australian pack saddle Pack Horse 2.jpg
Horse packing with traditional Australian pack saddle

A pack animal, also known as a sumpter animal or beast of burden, is a working animal used to transport goods or materials by carrying them, usually on its back.

Contents

Domestic animals of many species are used in this way, among them alpacas, Bactrian camels, donkeys, dromedaries, gayal, goats, horses, llamas, mules, reindeer, water buffaloes and yaks.

Diversity

Traditional pack animals include ungulates such as camels, [1] the domestic yak, reindeer, goats, [2] water buffaloes, and llama, and domesticated members of the horse family including horses, donkeys, and mules. [3] Occasionally, dogs can be used to carry small loads.[ citation needed ]

Pack animals by region

Uses

Donkeys packed on the way to a mine in Alma, Colorado, late 1880s. Jack train on its way to a mine in front of the Sealey houses at Alma during the late 1800s - DPLA - b9ffcfa200b0b7b86830ca105fd10212.jpg
Donkeys packed on the way to a mine in Alma, Colorado, late 1880s.
Medieval pack horse and donkey in Hortus Deliciarum, Europe, 12th century, when packing was a major means of transport of goods Hortus Deliciarum 40-3m.jpg
Medieval pack horse and donkey in Hortus Deliciarum, Europe, 12th century, when packing was a major means of transport of goods
US Marines training in resupply with pack mules. Bridgeport, California, 2014 Marines train resupply techniques with pack animals 140831-M-ED261-010.jpg
US Marines training in resupply with pack mules. Bridgeport, California, 2014

Hauling of goods in wagons with horses and oxen gradually displaced the use of packhorses, which had been important until the Middle Ages, by the sixteenth century. [4]

Pack animals may be fitted with pack saddles and may also carry saddlebags. Alternatively, a pair of weighted materials (often placed symmetrically) are called panniers.[ citation needed ]

While traditional usage of pack animals by nomadic tribespeople is declining, a new market is growing in the tourist expeditions industry in regions such as the High Atlas mountains of Morocco, allowing visitors the comfort of backpacking with animals. [3] The use of pack animals "is considered a valid means of viewing and experiencing" some National Parks in America, subject to guidelines and closed areas. [5]

In the 21st century, special forces have received guidance on the use of horses, mules, llamas, camels, dogs, and elephants as pack animals. [6]

Load carrying capacity

The maximum load for a camel is roughly 300 kg (660 lb). [7]

Yaks are loaded differently according to region. In Sichuan, 75 kilograms (165 lb) is carried for 30 km (19 mi) in 6 hours. In Qinghai, at 4,100 m (13,500 ft) altitude, packs of up to 300 kilograms (660 lb) are routinely carried, while up to 390 kilograms (860 lb) is carried by the heaviest steers for short periods. [8]

Llamas can carry roughly a quarter of their body weight, so an adult male of 200 kilograms (440 lb) can carry some 50 kilograms (110 lb).[ citation needed ]

Loads for equids are disputed. The US Army specifies a maximum of 20 percent of body weight for mules walking up to 32 km (20 mi) a day in mountains, giving a load of up to about 91 kilograms (200 lb). However an 1867 text mentioned a load of up to 360 kilograms (800 lb). In India, the prevention of cruelty rules (1965) limit mules to 200 kilograms (440 lb) and ponies to 70 kilograms (150 lb). [9]

Reindeer can carry up to 40 kg (88 lb) for a prolonged period in mountains. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cart</span> Wheeled vehicle for animal drawn transport

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral</span> Wild-living but normally domestic animal or plant that has returned to the wild.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bactrian camel</span> Species of mammal of Asia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travois</span> Load-dragging structure

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military animal</span> Trained animal used for warfare or other military applications

Military animals are trained animals that are used in warfare and other combat related activities. As working animals, different military animals serve different functions. Horses, elephants, camels, and other animals have been used for both transportation and mounted attack. Pigeons were used for communication and photographic espionage. Many other animals have been reportedly used in various specialized military functions, including rats and pigs. Dogs have long been employed in a wide variety of military purposes, more recently focusing on guarding and bomb detection, and along with dolphins and sea lions are in active use today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Working animal</span> Domesticated animals for assisting people

A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks instead of being slaughtered to harvest animal products. Some are used for their physical strength or for transportation, while others are service animals trained to execute certain specialized tasks. They may also be used for milking or herding. Some, at the end of their working lives, may also be used for meat or leather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse-drawn vehicle</span> Vehicle pulled one or more horses

A horse-drawn vehicle is a piece of equipment pulled by one or more horses. These vehicles typically have two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have mostly been replaced by automobiles and other forms of self-propelled transport but are still in use today.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to transport:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pack saddle</span> Device which permits heavy loads to be placed on the back of working animals

A pack saddle is any device designed to be secured on the back of a horse, mule, or other working animal so it can carry heavy loads such as luggage, firewood, small cannons, or other things too heavy to be carried by humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packhorse</span> Horse, mule, donkey, or pony used to carry goods on its back

A packhorse, pack horse, or sumpter refers to a horse, mule, donkey, or pony used to carry goods on its back, usually in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. Use of packhorses dates from the Neolithic period to the present day. Today, westernized nations primarily use packhorses for recreational pursuits, but they are still an important part of everyday transportation of goods throughout much of the developing world and have some military uses in rugged regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llama hiking</span>

Llama hiking, also known as llama trekking or llama caravanning, is an activity where llamas accompany people on hiking and walking trips, including eco-tourism. Expeditions can last from as little as a few hours to several days. For longer trips the llamas often carry up to three days trekking supplies or cargo in purpose-built pack saddles so the people with them can carry as little as a day backpack. Treks are also offered, accompanied by the closely related alpaca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pleistocene rewilding</span> Ecological practice

Pleistocene rewilding is the advocacy of the reintroduction of extant Pleistocene megafauna, or the close ecological equivalents of extinct megafauna. It is an extension of the conservation practice of rewilding, which aims to restore functioning, self-sustaining ecosystems through practices that may include species reintroductions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pack goat</span> Beast of burden

A pack goat is a goat used as a beast of burden, for packing cargo. Generally, large wether goats are used for packing, though does may also be packed. While does are generally smaller and therefore able to carry somewhat less cargo, they may also provide fresh milk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pueblo Zoo</span> Zoo in Colorado, United States

Pueblo Zoo is a 25-acre (10.1 ha) zoo located in Pueblo, Colorado in the United States. The zoo is open year-round and is home to over 420 animals of more than 140 species. The Pueblo Zoological Society manages the zoo, which is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The original core of the zoo was built 1933–1940 by the Public Works Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps, and Works Progress Administration and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Pueblo City Park Zoo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Train (military)</span> Collection of military transport

In military contexts, a train is the logistical transport elements accompanying a military force. Often called a supply train or baggage train, it has the job of providing materiel for their associated combat forces when in the field. When focused on provision of field artillery and its ammunition, it may be termed an artillery train. For sieges, the addition of siege engines to an artillery train was called a siege train. These military terms predate, and do not imply a railway train, though railways are often employed for modern logistics, and can include armoured trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid camel</span> Hybrid between a Bactrian camel and dromedary

The hybrid camel is a domestic camelid hybrid between a Bactrian camel and dromedary. It is the offspring of a male Bactrian camel and a female dromedary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backpacking with animals</span>

Backpacking with animals is the use of pack animals, such as a horse, llama, goat, dog, or donkey to help carry the weight of a backpackers gear during an excursion. These animals need special considerations when accompanying backpackers on a trip. Some areas restrict the use of horses and other pack animals. For example, Great Basin National Park does not allow domestic animals at all in backcountry areas.

References

  1. "The Best Invention Since The Wheel". No Tech Magazine. 4 January 2012.
  2. "Pack Goats". No Tech Magazine. 13 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Pack-animal welfare checks introduced for the expeditions industry". The Donkey Sanctuary. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  4. Aston, T. H. (2 November 2006). Landlords, Peasants and Politics in Medieval England. Cambridge University Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN   978-0-521-03127-1.
  5. "Horse & Pack Animal Use". National Park Service. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  6. "FM 3-05.213 (FM 31-27) Special Forces Use of Pack Animals" (PDF). Headquarters, Department of the Army. June 2004. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  7. CSIRO (2006). Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals The Camel (Camelus dromedarius) (2nd ed.). CSIRO Publishing. p. 8.
  8. "Draught performance". Food and Agriculture Organization . Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  9. Bonner, Laurie (26 June 2008). "How Much Weight Can Your Horse Safely Carry?". Equus Magazine. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  10. Nickul, Karl (1997). The Lappish Nation. Psychology Press. p. 29. ISBN   978-0-7007-0922-9.