elephant rides--I've heard it's better to ride at their neck

I read somewhere that it%26#39;s much better for the elephant if a person rides at their neck rather than on their back in one of those wooden set-ups. Does anyone know if this is the case? If so, can this be done in Chiang Mai? I don%26#39;t want to go somewhere where I have a good time but cause the animal pain or harm.

elephant rides--I've heard it's better to ride at their neck

There are a number of places in Chiang Mai where you can do a short one hour ride (if you didn%26#39;t want to over-do it). The mahut will/may invite you to climb down from the seat and onto the neck, while he hops down and walks beside you.

It is at this time you%26#39;ll realise why the seat is a better option.

I don%26#39;t see how you%26#39;d be hurting the elephant, by paying money which goes a long way towards his/her incredible feeding bill.

I paid 600 or 700 baht a few years ago, so it%26#39;s not ';cheap';, but it%26#39;s really good fun and makes a great photo.

elephant rides--I've heard it's better to ride at their neck

Hi,

yes you%26#39;re right. It%26#39;s natural for the elephant if you sit on his neck. Wooden set-ups can cause health problems with elephant%26#39;s back if they are not fixed with care - which is the problem in most camps near Chiangmai. Try to check TECC - www.changthai.com

They do mahout training programs, in this place, you can ride elephant sitting on his neck, you can visit their elephant hospital and bath with elephants

If the seats are fitted well then it is not a problem. The good mahout will be sure that there is plenty of padding and the fit is good. If an elephant is too thin (from malnutrition) this can be a problem too. The seats have been used for many, many years, and most of the time, they do not harm the elephants. Of course, there are cases where there has been serious injury, and you can see one such case at the Elephant Nature Park...but it is not the norm.

Unfortunately, many of the places that offer rides are not doing so in the best conditions. It is quite easy to see if the elephant is happy and healthy or if it is suffering...eyes should be clear and bright, ears should be moving, not pinned to the side of the head in anger or frustration or hanging limply, indicating poor health.

Near Chiang Mai, the Thai Elephant Conservation Center www.changthai.com offers mahout training programs for tourists, and you can drop in as well, have a look around, see the elephants bathe, watch a demonstration of the skills traditionally used for logging (though elephants are no longer legally allowed to work in logging, it was their traditional use up until the stricter logging laws were passed in 1988-1989). There is an elephant hospital there which you can visit. You can ride an elephant as well even on a drop in visit...you will sit in a seat and perhaps the mahout will offer you to sit on the neck. If you do a mahout training program, you will sit on the neck.

Virtually all of the elephants out there giving rides to tourists are doing so to support themselves and their mahouts. When logging became impossible, there was little else for mahouts to do with their elephants. The lucky are in places like the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, the Anantara and Four SEasons in the Golden Triangle www.helpingelephants.org is great reading, and the Elephant Nature Park. The alternatives are illegal logging (very dangerous and hard), walking the streets of Bangkok/Pattaya/Phuket and posing for photos and begging for bananas.

Nothing wrong with wanting to ride an elephant, just choose your venue carefully.