Working animal

A draft animal or working animal is livestock to execution of any withdrawing transport work. In Central Europe, mostly the horse was hooked. Poorer farmers scheduled for load transport but also oxen or cows, where this affected the milk yield of cows. For small traders and small loads for dogs were biased.

In other areas, the regional domestic animals such as donkeys, mules or mule to be used. However, to move loads are also cattle, water buffalo, yak, llama, camel or Dromedary, and moose and reindeer as a draft animal in question. Special Services bring elephants on a train and transport animal.

Is drawn by means of harnesses and jigs with ropes or chains, which is influenced by the species and their physique. Draft animals are used for arable use in agricultural equipment, such as the plow. The transport units can move rolling, cart, horse and ox carts. In the snow and the sled are timber transport for example grinding in use for logs, here we also speak of skidding animals. Draft animals were also for towing barges and boats eingesetzt.schwimmende vehicles when towing.

The pulling power of an animal exceeds its use as a pack animal by large factors. Dogs could be considered as the oldest draft animals, as they were widely domesticated, in front of other animal species. As the first large animal cattle probably came before the plow used. Territory manner and in the Middle Ages, especially by poorer farmers only the cow. Only late cattle were used as draft animals replaced by horses. Draft horses, which are suitable for use in front of a coach and have been bred for this are called Karossierpferde. In the early days of rail transport horses were often used for public transport as draft animals for horse railways in the 19th century. In many cities, existing horse bus lines were displaced by motorized buses. Draft animals are also used for moving a tour - goepel so for the operation of irrigation or milling plants.

In the western industrialized agriculture draft animals were replaced almost everywhere by the engine. All that remains are sports such as the driving sports, tourist vehicle operations, such as the horse-drawn carriage in Vienna and car-free resorts ( Herrenchiemsee, Hiddensee, Spiekerooger Island Railway ). Close to nature forestry forwarders horses are used for wooden back again increased.