Over the past week and a half, Dr. Madhu and I have surveyed 81 elephants for saddle injuries. All elephants have the same work schedule and saddle composition. The elephants previously worked endlessly and carried up to 4 tourists to and from Amber Fort. Now they are only allowed a maximum of 2 people and a work day no longer than 4 hours. Dr. Madhu and Elephant Family/ Help in Suffering deserve tremendous praise for implementing these changes. When Dr. Madhu arrived in 2005, he said the saddle sores were horrendous.
It seems that the management changes have been responsible for minimizing the back lesions. The photo on the left is of an old back sore. Our observations revealed mainly chest wounds where the girth strap lies, tail ulcers and abscesses from the supporting rope. 
The saddle itself however has not changed since 
the kings were riding elephants centuries ago. It is made of iron ore and weighs 50 kg, the enormous straw bed that it sits on weighs 30 kg and the proceeding thick saddle pads weigh another 20 kg. A minimum of 2 people are required to don the saddle and it takes about 20 minutes. Thus as you can imagine, removing the saddle for rest during the day is not feasible as it is so labour intensive to manipulate.
the kings were riding elephants centuries ago. It is made of iron ore and weighs 50 kg, the enormous straw bed that it sits on weighs 30 kg and the proceeding thick saddle pads weigh another 20 kg. A minimum of 2 people are required to don the saddle and it takes about 20 minutes. Thus as you can imagine, removing the saddle for rest during the day is not feasible as it is so labour intensive to manipulate.
A different possibility?
The new saddle was designed by Mr. Charlie Gray and his team at African Lion Safari in Canada, the photos above are gratefully appreciated! When I first saw this saddle in February, I thought it was the perfect solution. Weighing no more than 15 kg, it is made of thin metal with rubber paint for coating. The entire purpose of the saddle is to provide a bar for tourists to grip onto while sitting directly on a pad resting on the elephant's back. The simplicity of this design is what makes it so aimable.
I have provided a photo of Dr. Madhu showing an elephant owner a photo of the saddle to the left, his expression is priceless. The photo below is of the 
engineers and metal smiths with Munna and Madhu explaining the design.
engineers and metal smiths with Munna and Madhu explaining the design. The majority of the community who sees the photos are sold on the design. Of course there will always be a couple bad apples in the bunch full of skepticism but one must look past them.
The most rewarding moment since I have been here, was when Mr. Abdul Aziz an elephant owner decided that after seeing the photo of the new saddle, he would personally finance building one himself! The amazing thing here is that change is difficult to implement, this man has not even seen the saddle in person, only understands that it is working in another country. Munna has also been extremely supportive in advocating the saddle to the elephant community. As a token of his appreciation, he invited Dr. Madhu, Mr. Aziz and I for lunch today in his home. It was a special time for me as I was feeling most welcomed and part of the team here in Jaipur.
The most rewarding moment since I have been here, was when Mr. Abdul Aziz an elephant owner decided that after seeing the photo of the new saddle, he would personally finance building one himself! The amazing thing here is that change is difficult to implement, this man has not even seen the saddle in person, only understands that it is working in another country. Munna has also been extremely supportive in advocating the saddle to the elephant community. As a token of his appreciation, he invited Dr. Madhu, Mr. Aziz and I for lunch today in his home. It was a special time for me as I was feeling most welcomed and part of the team here in Jaipur.
We started building the saddle on Monday. Our first model, Rangmala (above and to the left) was more than ready to stand pretty for measurements to get her new saddle. Each elephant is a different size and shape thus every saddle must be custom made. 
We then went to a local leather smith who was a bit surprised by our request to make 2 belts 290 and 310 cm long! He warned us that the straps would have to be adjoined to accommodate the length, we agreed and 2 days later the girths were ready.
The new saddle will be ready tomorrow, stay tuned...here is a preview (rough copy)!
Absolutely amazing work, Scarlett. Let me be the first to congratulate you on your efforts to improve the life of these elephants. This will be good for the tourists, elephants and owners.
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