Horsetalk.co.nz The weight question: A consensus remains elusive for horses and donkeys
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Working donkeys involved in the transportation of agricultural load (lucerne and wheat straw) in central Punjab, Pakistan. Photo: Syed Saad Ul Hassan Bukhari https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051333
A consensus remains elusive over the weight-carrying abilities of horses and donkeys, according to the authors of a just-published review.
The overloading of equines has become an important issue among veterinarians, trainers, riders, and welfare advocates. Carrying too much weight can have a range of negative effects biomechanical, physiological, biochemical, and behavioral. It can cause gait imbalances and lameness.