What is a Beast of Burden?
A beast of burden is a domesticated animal which has been trained to carry people or goods. Beasts of burden tend to be on the large scale of domesticated animals, so that they can carry heavy loads, with the exception to this rule being the dog, an animal which has been widely used as a beast of burden in the arctic regions of the world. The use of domesticated animals to carry goods and people is ancient, with some researchers suggesting that it may actually pre-date agriculture, since dogs were domesticated by hunting and gathering societies. Different animals are used around the world as beasts of burden. Some common examples are: elephants, donkeys, horses, yaks, oxen, mules, yaks, buffaloes, camels, llamas, reindeer, and water buffalo. Most modern beasts of burden are bred on farms, and some are the result of centuries of breeding for strength and temperament, although some, like Asian elephants, are trapped in the wild and trained. In some cases, years of breeding has resulted i
