تم نشر كتابى عن البقارة فى السودان .. (الوصلة للكتاب)

Quote: Bulls saddle composes of three different parts: 1. El Tash: this is the innermost part of the saddles when placed on the ox back. Tash is solely made from Ceratonia siliqua tree (Kharoub). The barks of Kharoub tree are tapped and pounded with stones or ####ls until the hard external crust removed. The barks are ret in water for almost one to two weeks, sun-dried and used in saddling. Tash also used in building the Baggara domes and as bedsheet (absorbent) for newly delivered women. Usually Tash has a reddish color when tapped, and after retting in water turns into maroon to dark reddish in color. Because of it is color, Tash added to the front part of the dome to add a new variation in color from those of mats. 2. Gourat (pl. gourtat) it is the part that sit on the top of Tash. It mainly made of grasses as Hyparrhenia confinis (Um racho) and tibin (a type of reeds). These two grasses are well-known by Baggara across their ranges. The grass braided in three interweaved strands (loafs of grass) forming a long braid with dimensions as follow: ~ 6 inch (15 cm) in width, 4 inch (10 cm) in thickness and about 23 -32 ft (~ 7 - 10 m) in length. The braid is folded to form a rectangular shape. The rectangular folds sewed together with thin rope to form the Gourat. The Gourat folded to fit the ox, and it is purpose to form a deep cushion to distribute the load on the ox back. 3. Safiin is the third part of bull saddle. It is the top most part when laid on the ox back. It is made exactly the same way as Gourat with exactly same materials and same dimensions but attached to it a wooden part. The wooden part called Basour. The Basour is an inverted V-shaped wood, which obtained from a range of trees. It is affixed to Safiin by thin ropes. The Basour serves as an attaching pole and balancing center for load on side of ox.