Editing Mahout (section)

== Equipment ==
[[File:Racinet2.jpg|thumb|Fig. 6. Antique steel hook used by elephant riders of the Mughal Empire]]
[[File:Mahout washing his elephant. Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.jpg|thumb|left|Mahout washing his elephant. Temple in [[Kanchipuram]]]]
The most common tools used by mahouts are chains and the ''[[Elephant goad|aṅkuśa]]'' (goad, also ''ankus''<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Mahout |volume=17 |page=424}}</ref> or ''anlius'') – a sharp metal hook used as guide in the training and handling of the elephant.<ref>Fowler, Mikota, eds. [https://books.google.com/books?id=A3GFYySwY1cC&pg=PA54 ''Biology, Medicine and Surgery of Elephants.''] John Wiley & Sons, 2008, p. 54.</ref>

In [[India]], especially [[Kerala]], mahouts use three types of device to control elephants. The ''thotti'' (hook), which is 3.5 feet in length and about 1&nbsp;inch thick; the ''valiya kol'' (long pole), which is 10.5 feet in length and about 1&nbsp;inch in thickness; and the ''cheru kol'' (short pole).<ref>Ajitkumar, Anil, Alex, eds., [http://www.vetcos.com/vetnotes/captive_asian_elephant.pdf ''Healthcare Management of Captive Asian Elephants''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630055446/http://www.vetcos.com/vetnotes/captive_asian_elephant.pdf |date=2015-06-30 }} Kerala Agricultural University, 2009, p. 165</ref>