Work on animal power harness technology in Kenya.

Abstract

Possibilities for harnessing draught animals, developed by the Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Nairobi, Kenya, are described, including an alternative yoke for oxen and a collar harness adapted to the local oxen and donkeys. Because collars can only take horizontal forces lengthwise, a saddle for donkeys was developed to take the vertical forces a cart imposes on them; it comes with a breeching strap which enables the donkey to brake the cart when it is going too fast. Other work has been carried out on developing panniers for donkeys, including a canvas slurry pannier for transporting slurry from zero-grazing units to the fields where fodder is grown, and a steel frame saddle with hooks for attaching metal baskets or bundles of fodder grass