Donkeys and horses carry the burden of heavy tourism
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Exhaustion, injuries, dehydration, heat stress, beatings and wounds – overworked animals suffering for tourism.
Horses and donkeys are used to taxi tourists across difficult and dangerous terrain to historical landmarks. The animals are often over-worked, under-watered and under-fed, and have the added burden of frequently carrying passengers who are too heavy for them. Haggling is common as credit crunch tourists negotiate rock bottom prices and quibble over the last pound. Owners, whose livelihoods are dependent on these earnings, are often left short changed and are tempted to overwork the animals in their desperation to bring in enough money to feed their family.
All tourists to take action against this anguish by following a simple code when using working horses and donkeys abroad. Key points include:
· Match your size with the size of the animal – if you are heavy or tall, think whether a small donkey can really take your weight
· Pay a fair price for a ride – bargaining means the animal will have to work harder and longer to bring in an income
· One person per animal when riding
· The number of people shouldn’t exceed the number of wheels when using a carriage horse
· Don’t be distracted by decorations – check for hidden sores, wounds or prominent bones
Every tourist has the power to reduce animal affliction – both by following these simple guidelines and also by flagging up concerns to local authorities and tour operators.
The Brooke’s lifesaving work helps ease animal suffering across the developing world while supporting the livelihoods of the owners who depend on their animals to bring in an income.
For more information or to see the code in full visit www.thebrooke.org/travel
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