A working animal is an animal that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide dogs, or semi-domesticated animals such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, or at the end of their lives for meat or other products such as leather. Labrador Retriever guide dogs resting. ... Dogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated. ... For other uses, see Leather (disambiguation). ...

The history of working animals may predate agriculture, with dogs used by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Around the world, millions of animals work in relationship with their owners. Domesticated species are often bred to be suitable for different uses and conditions, especially horses and working dogs. Working animals are usually raised on farms although some are still captured from the wild, such as dolphins and some Asian elephants. In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... A breed is a domesticated subspecies or infrasubspecies of an animal. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... For the comedy group, see Working Dog Productions. ...

A bullock team hauling wool in NSW, Australia

Animals used for their strength

A draught or draft animal is an animal used for its physical (i.e. muscular) power, as in transport and haulage, such as pulling carts or sleds, ploughing fields and hauling goods. Animals are also used for animal-powered transport, for movement of people and goods. People ride some animals directly as mounts, use them as pack animals to carry goods, or harness one or a team to pull vehicles. Such animals are sometimes known as beasts of burden. A cart is a vehicle or device, using two wheels and normally one horse, designed for transport. ... For the constellation known as The Plough see Ursa Major. ... (Non-human) animal-powered transport is a broad category of the human use of non-human animals (also known as beasts of burden) for the movement of people and goods. ... A pack animal is a beast of burden used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weigh bears on the animals back; the term may be applied to either an individual animal or a species so employed. ... The term harness has been used for many centuries for part of the collection of equipment known as horse tack, essential in the domestic, military, and agrarian use of horses. ... The Trikke is a Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Automobiles are among the most commonly used engine powered vehicles. ...

The Bactrian camel Camelus bactrianus can be used for transportation and haulage

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2240x1708, 1478 KB) Bactrian Camel Camelus bactrianus at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford, Oxfordshire, England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2240x1708, 1478 KB) Bactrian Camel Camelus bactrianus at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford, Oxfordshire, England. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Bactrian Camel range The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of eastern Asia. ... Binomial name Camelus bactrianus Linnaeus, 1758 The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large even_toed ungulate native to the steppes of eastern Asia. ...

Riding animals or mounts

They include equines such as horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules; elephants; ostriches^{[citation needed]}; and camels. Dromedaries (with one hump) live in arid areas of Australia, North Africa and the Middle East; the far rarer Bactrian camel inhabits central and East Asia; both are used for transportation and haulage. horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... A Shetland Pony A pony is any of several horse breeds with a specific conformation and temperament. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Mule (disambiguation). ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Distribution of Ostriches. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Bactrian Camel range The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of eastern Asia. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... This article is about the geographical region. ...

Some mythical creatures are believed to act as divine mounts, such as garuda in Hinduism and the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. A legendary creature is a mythical or fantastic creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... For other uses, see Pegasus (disambiguation). ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ...

Pack animals

These often belong to the same species as mounts or harness animals, though animals such as horses, mules, donkeys, or the Arabian camel may be of specialized breeding for packing. Other species are only used to carry loads, including llamas in the Andes, and the Bactrian camel in Central Asia. Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... For other uses, see Mule (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Camelus dromedarius Linnaeus, 1758 The Arabian Camel (Camelus dromedarius) is a large even-toed ungulate native to northern Africa and western Asia, and the best-known member of the camel family. ... For other uses, see Llama (disambiguation). ... See also architecture with non-sequential dynamic execution scheduling (ANDES). ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Bactrian Camel range The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of eastern Asia. ...

Bovines include water buffalo (as distinct from bison and the extremely dangerous African Cape buffalo both of which cannot be domesticated), oxen, bullocks, and yaks (the latter adapted to extreme conditions in the Himalayas). Other species include dogs, reindeer and goats. Tribes Bovini Boselaphini Strepsicerotini The biological subfamily Bovinae includes a diverse group of about 24 medium-sized to large ungulates, including domestic cattle, bison, the Water Buffalo, the Yak, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. ... For the controversy at the University of Pennsylvania, see Water buffalo incident. ... Species †B. antiquus B. bison B. bonasus †B. latifrons †B. occidentalis †B. priscus Bison in winter. ... Binomial name (Sparrman, 1779) Subspecies The African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a bovid from the family of the Bovidae. ... Dogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... A Bullock is a castrated bull. ... For other uses, see Yak (disambiguation). ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... Caribou redirects here. ... This article is about the domestic species. ...

Homing pigeons transports material, usually messages on small pieces of paper, by air. Homing pigeon The homing pigeon is a variety of domesticated Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) that has been selectively bred to be able to find its way home over extremely long distances. ...

Harness animals

Percheron draught horse

An intermediate use is to harness animals, singly or in teams, to pull (or haul) sleds or wheeled vehicles. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2341x1853, 978 KB) Percheron as presented on the german horsefair de:Equitana during the „Equitana Stallion Masters“ (Dressurkör der Klasse S für gekörte Hengste) 02. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2341x1853, 978 KB) Percheron as presented on the german horsefair de:Equitana during the „Equitana Stallion Masters“ (Dressurkör der Klasse S für gekörte Hengste) 02. ... A pair of typical dapple grey Percheron Horses Percheron draft horse at the Maryland State Fair The Percheron is a breed of powerful rugged draft horses that originated in the Perche region of France. ... The term harness has been used for many centuries for part of the collection of equipment known as horse tack, essential in the domestic, military, and agrarian use of horses. ... For the River in the North-East of England, see River Team. ... Scene from winter nearly anywhere snow may fall on a handy hill—Children at play sledding. ... The Trikke is a Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Automobiles are among the most commonly used engine powered vehicles. ...

• Draught or Draft horses are commonly used in harness, but pound for pound are often not as strong as draft mules for the heaviest pulling.
• Mules have been considered to be very tough and strong draught (UK) or draft (US) animals who require less feed than horses, but a separate breeding program must also be maintained because, being a hybrid animal, they are infertile
• Ponies and donkeys are often used to pull carts and small wagons, historically, ponies were commonly used in mining to pull ore carts.
• Several breeds of medium-weight horse, including the Standardbred and ancestors of the "warmblood" types of horses are used to pull lighter wheeled carts, carriages and buggies when a certain amount of speed or style is desirable. For example, the Amish make extensive use of buggy horses, and the Windsor Grey horses are an integral part of any pageantry involving the British Royal family. Other light and draught horses are seen pulling carriages for tourism purposes.
• Dogs are used in some countries for pulling light carts or, particularly, sleds. (e.g. sled dogs such as Huskies)
• Reindeer are used in the Arctic and sub-Arctic Nordic countries and Siberia.

A draft horse or draught horse is a large, strong horse breed for heavy work rather than speed. ... For other uses, see Mule (disambiguation). ... This article is about a biological term. ... A Shetland Pony A pony is any of several horse breeds with a specific conformation and temperament. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... This article is about mineral extractions. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Standardbred harness racing horses are so called because in the early years of the Trotting Registry, the standardbred stud book established in the United States in 1879 by the National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders, only horses who could race a mile in a standard time or better, or whose... Warmbloods are a group of sport horse breeds and the term simply distinguishes this type of horse from the cold bloods (draft horses) and the hot bloods (Thoroughbreds and Arabians). ... This article is about Old Order Amish, but also refers to other Amish sects. ... The term Windsor Grey is given to gray horses used by the Royalty of the United Kingdom to draw carriages and coaches in various ceremonial processions and, since 1986, when The Queen is Trooping the Colour They are stabled in the Royal Mews. ... Tourist redirects here. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... Sled dogs, known also as sleigh dogs, sledge dogs or sleddogs are a group of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines. ... Caribou redirects here. ... For the ships, see USS Arctic, SS Arctic, MV Arctic The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, sometimes used to define the Arctic region border Artificially coloured topographical map of the Arctic region The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic...

Other draught animals

Animal power is also used to drive machines and devices, and for ploughing, especially oxen. Water buffalo in tropical, or very wet subtropical, areas help in rice-growing. Elephants are still used for logging in South-east Asia. Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... For the controversy at the University of Pennsylvania, see Water buffalo incident. ... For other uses, see Elephant (disambiguation). ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

Animals used for their senses or instincts

Hunting

As predatory species are naturally equipped to catch prey, this is a further use for animals and birds. This can be done either for sustenance or sport, to reduce the population of undesired animals (pests) that are considered harmful to crops, livestock or the environment. Carpet beetle larvae damaging a specimen of Sceliphron destillatorius in an entomological collection A pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded as injurious or unwanted. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ...

• Hounds and other dogs are used to kill and fetch prey. Certain breeds have been bred for this task such as pointers and setters
• Mousers (Domestic cats used for hunting small rodents and birds) are one of the oldest working animals having protected food supplies from pests since the foundation of human agriculture.
• Ferrets prey on creatures living in burrows, such as rabbits and hares.
• In falconry, birds of prey are used as hunters in the air.
• Aquatic birds, such as cormorants in China, can be used to catch fish

Image:DianaHound. ... Pointers pointing stance The Pointer is a group of dog breeds; specifically, they are a type of gundog typically used in hunting birds. ... The Setter is a type of gundog used most often for hunting game such as quail, pheasant, and grouse. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Super Mario Bros. ... This article is about the mammal. ... Flying a Saker Falcon A Goshawk A Hobby Falconry or hawking is an art or sport which involves the use of trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game for humans. ... For other uses, see Cormorant (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ...

Searching for people

• Hounds, with their highly developed sense of smell, are used to catch human 'prey', such as escaped prisoners or people lost in remote areas.
• Dogs are used to find people who are trapped, such as in avalanches or collapsed buildings.
• Horses are used in remote areas to help human searchers cover large areas of rugged terrain. Their natural awareness of their surroundings will often alert human handlers to the presence of anything unusual, including lost hikers, hunters or other

Image:DianaHound. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ...

Assistance animals

• The best-known example is the guide dog or seeing eye dog for blind people. Miniature horses are also occasionally used for this purpose as well.
• Trained african monkeys or golden retrievers have been taught to provide other functions for impaired people, such as opening mail and minor household tasks of the same like.

A blind man is led by his guide dog in Brasília, Brazil. ... Miniature horses and foals Miniature horses are found all over the world and come in various colors and coat patterns. ...

Herding

A very close working relationship exists between a shepherd, his sheepdog, and the flock of sheep. Certain breeds of horses also have an innate "cow sense" that allows them to effectively carry a rider to the right place at the right time to round up a herd of cattle or other animals. A Sheep dog is a type of domestic dog whose original purpose was to herd or guard sheep. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ...

Gathering

• Dogs and pigs, with better smell sense than humans, can find valuable products, such as truffles (a very expensive subterranean mushroom). In France mainly pigs are used, in Italy mainly dogs. See Truffle hog.

Truffle describes a group of edible mycorrhizal (subterranean) mushrooms (genus Tuber, class Ascomycetes, division Mycota). ... The truffle hog or truffle pig is a working animal and the most popular and the classical method for extraction of truffles from temperate forests in Europe and North America. ...

Other uses

The defensive and offensive capabilities of animals (such as fangs and claws) can be used to protect or to attack humans.

• The guard dog barks or attacks, to warn of an intruder
• Battle elephants used as soldiers
• Military uses of horses have changed over the millennia but still continue, including for police work.
• Sniffer dogs and pigs can detect contraband, such as illegal drugs
• Dolphins carry markers to attach to mines
• On land, dogs can be trained to find landmines. Rats, which are lighter and less of a risk to set the mines off, have recently been used more frequently.

A guard dog, watch dog, or sentry dog is a dog employed to guard against, or watch for, unwanted or unexpected animals or people. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... A modern-day knight in late medieval style plate armor, demonstrating jousting at a Renaissance Fair. ... Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback. ... Belgian Malinois as K-9 unit A police dog is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and similar law-enforcement personnel with their work. ... For other uses, see Dolphin (disambiguation). ... Polish wz. ... U.S. Army soldier removes fuse from a Russian-made mine to clear a minefield outside of Fallujah, Iraq. ... This is an article about wild rats; for pet rats, see Fancy rat Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ...

See also

• Animals in sport
• Donkey rides
• Working dog
• Military animals
• Animals trained for entertainment, such as circus acts, dolphinarium or animal acting

Horse racing is a very popular sporting event involving animals. ... British seaside donkeys in Skegness, Yorkshire, used for donkey rides on the beach. ... For the comedy group, see Working Dog Productions. ... Military animals are creatures that have been employed by humankind for use in warfare. ... There are many appearances and depictions of animals on television, ranging from the use of working animals as actors to anthropomorphism. ...

References

• Falvey, John Lindsay (1985). Introduction to Working Animals. Melbourne, Australia: MPW Australia. ISBN 1-86252-992-2. 

Lindsay Falvey John Lindsay Falvey (born May 23, 1950) known as Lindsay Falvey, is a writer and author on topics concerning agricultural philosophy, religion and international development. ...