Ethiopian rigid frame pack saddle
Dealing with Wounds
If your donkey has, or develops, a wound it’s likely to be either on the dorsal process,
the spine, or under the bars of the packsaddle. If the saddle is well stuffed and maintained
then the cargo should not be touching the donkey’s spine, if it is then you need to re-stuff,
or look at the way your cargo is sitting. Obviously if something in the cargo is putting
enough downward pressure in this area then it is going to overcome the protection offered
by the straw. In this case you either need to change the way your actual cargo is packed, or
go to a rigid framed pack saddle such as a sawbuck. One alternative that hasn’t yet been
tested is to put 2 planks about 1cm thick cut to the same size as the bars inside the sack
prior to stuffing. This would give you a solid base each side of the spine to put the load
onto.
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