Management practices and welfare of working equids in Mogalakwena local municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

This paper describes the management and welfare aspects of Working Equids (WEs) in Limpopo Province, South Africa by utilising a cross-sectional study design with data collected via a semi-structured questionnaire. All households with WEs were invited to participate in the study, and 111 volunteered to take part. Approximately half (50; 45%) of respondents did not have a regular feeding schedule for their WEs, while 92 (79%) did not provide supplementary feeding during times when pastures were poor. None of the equid owners (EOs) surveyed had their equids vaccinated while 88.29 and 53.15% failed to provide treatment for internal and external parasites, respectively. Most respondents (79.28%) treated sick animals themselves with 6.31% doing nothing when the animal was ill. A small proportion (5.41%) expressed the sentiment that equids, in particular donkeys, do not get sick. Most (77.48%), on a daily basis worked their equids for 3-6 h, while 2.7% worked them for 7-11 h. Over half (57.66%) indicated that per day their equids covered 0-4 km per day, with only 2.7% reporting that their equids travelled more than 10 km per day. Although 99.10% of respondents allowed their equids to rest during the day, loads remained on the animals during rest time. Within our study area WEs are exposed to the negative effects of inadequate management, and negative stereotypes towards equids, especially donkeys, persist among EOs. The welfare of WEs needs to be prioritised in order for their well-being to improve.