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Table 1 Significant species differences identified in univariable logistic regression for the presence and characteristics of harness components in a cross-sectional study investigating work equipment and practices of working equids in three Ethiopian locations - Bishoftu, Fiche and Shashamene in 2022. The proportion as well as the frequency (inside brackets) of each species with a given harness component is presented. Only horses were compared to donkeys for inter-species comparisons

From: Putting the cart before the horse: mixed-methods participatory investigation of working equid harnessing practices in three selected towns of the Oromia national regional state in Ethiopia

Harness characteristics

Horses with component (n = 243)

Donkeys with component (n = 122)

Odds Ratio

95% CI

p-value

FDR adjusted p-value†

Blinkers

99.6% (242)

63.9% (78)

91.7

17.5–478.5

< 0.001

< 0.001

Girth

99.2% (241)

91.8% (112)

9.0

2.2–36.6

0.002

0.003

Belly band

23% (56)

5.7% (7)

4.9

2.2–11.2

< 0.001

< 0.001

Crupper

80.2% (195)

13.9% (17)

25.1

13.7–45.9

< 0.001

< 0.001

Back-band

32.9% (80)

3.3% (4)

13.0

4.9–34.6

< 0.001

< 0.001

Traces

98.8% (240)

2.5% (3)

2346

522–10,544

< 0.001

< 0.001

Neck strap

85.2% (207)

2.5% (3)

194

63.1–597

< 0.001

< 0.001

Swingle tree

59.7% (145)

2.5% (3)

58.7

18.1–190

< 0.001

< 0.001

Breeching

70.4% (171)

85.2% (104)

0.4

0.2–0.7

0.002

0.003

Appropriate positioning of saddle

60.1% (146)

79.5% (97)

0.4

0.2–0.6

< 0.001

< 0.001

Appropriate positioning of breast collar

18.5% (45)

8.2% (10)

2.5

1.2–5.2

0.012

0.016

Breathability of saddle padding materials

33.7% (82)

7.4% (9)

6.4

3.1–13.3

< 0.001

< 0.001

Breathability of collar materials

83.5% (203)

45.1% (55)

6.0

3.7–9.8

< 0.001

< 0.001

Breathability of girth materials

95.5% (232)

12.3% (15)

150.4

66.7–339

< 0.001

< 0.001

Breathability of crupper materials

46.5% (113)

3.3% (4)

22.9

8.6–61

< 0.001

< 0.001

Breathability of breeching materials

58.4% (142)

22.1% (27)

5.0

3.0–8.1

< 0.001

< 0.001

Presence of a functional swingle tree*1

28.4% (69)

1.6% (2)

19.2

5.3–69.4

< 0.001

< 0.001

Presence of a functional saddle*2

12.8% (31)

0% (0)

36.4

2.2–606.1

0.012

0.016

Presence of a functional traction system*3

7% (17)

0% (0)

18.8

1.1–319.5

0.042

0.048

Presence of functional breeching*4

22.6% (55)

3.3% (4)

7.8

2.9–20.9

< 0.001

< 0.001

  1. *1 Swingle tree is present and moves freely. Traces attach to swingle tree
  2. *2 Adequately positioned, wide pressure points, has gullet, has padding, secured tightly to the animal
  3. *3 Adequate position over the point of draught, freely moving traces that attach to a functional swingle tree
  4. *4 Presence of breeching and correctly assembled as either true or false breeching
  5. † False discovery rate correction (FDR) using the Benjamini-Hochberg method [37], adjusting for multiple comparisons
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BMC Veterinary Research

ISSN: 1746-6148

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