Rural Heritage June/July 2026

Veritable “beasts of burden,” most workhorses are too much neglected, and the harness is far from what is generally considered as correct.

mechanical carriers. Rickshaw vans are now the main transport vehicles due to their speed. A man can transport 500 to 1,500 kilograms (1,102 to 3,307 pounds) of goods up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) per day using a rickshaw van (M. A. Baqui, 2025). In the remote areas of the Chars, modern transportation is virtually absent. The rural people still use age-old methods. Traditionally, farm workers carry harvested crops to the threshing floor on their heads. Horse carts, Ghorar gari, are used for longer distances and heavier goods. These goods seed and fertilizer backs or riverbank sand to further raise the houses. Agricultural products, including timber, are transported from the villages to the riverbanks to be shipped to the mainland. These carts consist of a 1 to 1.3 meter wide bamboo platform and bamboo shafts fixed to a single steel axle with two air tires mounted on steel wheels. The total length of the horse carts is about 4.5 meters

with a load capacity of 400 to 500 kilograms (882 to 1,102 pounds). The travel distance depends on the river water level and can reach several kilometers at low water levels. A considerable effort for the small horses standing on average just 11 to 12 hh., with an average body weight of only 160 kilograms (353 pounds) (Rahman et al., 2023). The small horses are essential workhorses, as consumption of horse meat is prohibited in Bangladesh due to religious beliefs. As a result, after serving humans for 10 to 15 years, horses often face neglect and cruelty when they become unable to work and eventually perish without proper care or food (Deb et al., 2024). Despite the significant social and economic impact of the workhorses, there is little government attention to reveal and subsequently improve their potential. Research is also scanty, and their feeding, breeding and disease management are yet to be

Rural Heritage

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