The role of working equines to livelihoods in current day campesino hill-slope communities in central Mexico

Abstract

Small-holder campesino agriculture is based on the diversified use of resources and off-farm work. Working equines have a multifunctional character and sustain the diversification of livelihoods having different values as assets or providing services. The objective was to identify the role of working equines in current diversification strategies in the livelihoods of campesino families in a hill-slope community in central Mexico within livelihoods analysis. Thirty-one variables related to ownership and use of working equines were analysed by cluster analysis and descriptive statistics contrasting the presence of equines in the diversification of livelihoods. Four groups were identified, determined mainly by age of farmer and number of family members who utilise equines. Results show these systems diversify in response to conditions of risk or to take advantage of opportunities, such that a balance is reached by resorting to off-farm activities without the total loss of components of the farming system. Two main situations were found in relation to working equines: the disappearance and change of functions of the large equines (mules), and the adaptation of small equines (donkeys) to the new conditions. It is concluded that there is a process of adaptation in hill-slope campesino farms such that large equines are less present in farms that have moved towards more diversification, but are kept in those farms less diversified. The use of equines for draught force in agricultural production and as pack animals continues, as is the presence of small livestock (sheep and poultry) irrespective of the context of the farm.

A Survey of Smallholder Farms Regarding Demographics, Health Care, and Management Factors of Donkeys in Northeastern China

“…In this study, the majority of owners who raised donkeys were males, similar to the farmers who used working equines in the campesino hill-slope communities of central Mexico (25). The mean age of the owners was 58.3 ± 9.5 years, which was 7 years younger than that of the owners of the Miranda donkey herds in Portugal (5).…”

Comparison of working equid welfare across three regions of Mexico

“…A gender differentiation has also been described, with donkeys more frequently used by women in their domestic activities, and men using larger equids such as mules for agricultural activities. 10 with urban animals more likely to be used to pull carts. 6 Links between welfare status and work type appear to be particularly strong with the transport of goods by pack one of the specific roles associated with an increased number of welfare problems across species, 6 as was found in this study.…”

“…13 Donkeys are still widely used due to their versatility, even as numbers of larger equids such as mules are declining. 10 Donkeys are particularly important in communities with high levels of male economic migration (leaving women working alone for extended periods of time) as they assist women in transport, carrying goods and domestic tasks. Working equids in Mexico face the same welfare challenges seen in LMIC's worldwide, including poor body condition, wounds, lameness, overloading, badly fitting or inappropriate harnesses and working equipment.…”

“…There is a heavy reliance on subsistence farming 11 and in the hills of central Mexico, 90% of households rely on draught animals for agricultural production 12 and over 50% of rural households keep a donkey 13 . Donkeys are still widely used due to their versatility, even as numbers of larger equids such as mules are declining 10 . Donkeys are particularly important in communities with high levels of male economic migration (leaving women working alone for extended periods of time) as they assist women in transport, carrying goods and domestic tasks.…”

Diversity and effective population size of four horse breeds from microsatellite DNA markers in South-Central Mexico

“…Mexico has one of the largest horse populations in the world (da Mota and Regitano, 2012) with a substantial number of mixed-breed horses used for agricultural, farming, transportation, tourism and patrolling (i.e. mounted police) purposes (Loroño-Pino et al, 2003;Velázquez-Beltrán et al, 2011;Cantú-Martínez et al, 2012;Sánchez-Casanova et al, 2014). However, a significant number of horses in Mexico are purebred, mainly promoted by four official horse breeding associations that manage the studbooks for breeds such as the Pura Raza Española, Lusitano, Azteca, Westphalian, Holsteiner, Dutch and Belgian warmbloods, Selle Français, Hanoverian, Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Arabian (CONARGEN, 2017;Domínguez-Viveros et al, 2014).…”