Studies on the livestock of southern Darfur, Sudan VI. Notes on equines

Equines have been largely ignored in modern scientific literature on domestic animals, probably because they are not providers of meat and milk. Their contribution to the economy in the Sudan, however, is considerable and they are the principal means of transport both as baggage and as riding animals. They also play an important role in the supply of fuel and the distribution of domestic water in the larger villages and towns. Information on population structure is provided and descriptions, with particular reference to withers height and weight, are given of two types of donkey and of the horse. Growth curves have been derived, formulae for estimating weight from girth provided, and mean population weights, which can be expressed in terms of livestock units, have been calculated.