Fig. 5

Example drawings from participatory exercises of nine focus groups in a study investigating working equid equipment and practices in three Ethiopian locations - Bishoftu, Fiche and Shashamene in 2022. Participants (n = 87) were asked to draw an ideal work equipment hitched to a working equid. The drawings illustrate the theme of awareness and knowledge of equipment design and function. Drawings depict gaps in the understanding of efficient traction dynamics, as shown in drawing (c) where the breast-collar is attaching to the saddle without the use of traces, or in (d) where both a breast-collar and traces are absent. Poor cart balance is illustrated in drawing (d), where the shafts pass through the centre of gravity at an accentuated angle, as well as in (a) where in order for the shafts to be horizontal using a similar cart design the size scale between cart and animal is distorted. Additionally, with the exception of (b), two-wheeled carts are the predominant choice of design. Gaps in the understanding of hitching and fitting of different harness components are illustrated in the ambiguity between the function of certain components (such as unclarity between what is a breeching or crupper in (b) and (c), and complete absence of various components such as crupper (d), traces (c, d), breeching (a, d), breast-collar or girth (d)