The beast of burden

Do people in your area keep donkeys? The donkey has since time immemorial been labelled as the beast of burden. In my area, its not uncommon to see rural residents moving around on carts towed by donkeys. This is a carry over from traditional society when mechanization was limited. The other issue is that they don't need much maintenance since they are hardy animals. The poignant issue is that donkeys remain the most oppressed and unsung animals. Its common to see them pulling heavily laden carts full of agricultural produce or stones. I come from an agricultural zone and these hapless animals can be seen panting heavily carrying huge loads of napier grass. They are mercilessly whipped and frequently suffer injuries from the beatings. They are rarely taken to the vet. Even feeding is not adequate since they are mostly fed on grass. I supposethere are better ways of treating these benefactors. I think humans are grossly capable of crossing the barrier of brutality. The onlooker is as guilty as the perpetrator.

I used to have a classmate who hails from the rural area. Her father has a carabao that they use to till the farm. But that beast of burden is not just a beast but a part of their family. In fact, the carabao has its own quarters beside the house which has a nipa roofing and also a light bulb. However, I agree that it is cruel for people to whip the beast of burden. But that's life for them because the animal will not move unless you whip it.

I was taught to ride a race horse when I was in grade school. When you want the horse to jack start, you have to give it the whip once or twice. And I could hear the impact of the whip on the skin of the horse.