Horsing around with 'andongs' in Yogyakarta

By Ahmad Solikhan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Clip-clap-clip-clap. The sound of hoofs from a horse cart on the pavement. The four-wheel carriage, called an andong here, is a traditional means of transport still found in Yogyakarta. The design of the carriage is very simple, but it carries a lot of ornaments in an attempt to attract passengers.

In the past, the andong was an adequate and versatile means of transportation. But not today. More efficient, faster and cheaper modern public vehicles are replacing them. One can find andong at only at certain places now, such as the Tugu train station, Jl. Malioboro, star-rated hotels and traditional markets. Also places frequented by tourists like the Kraton (Sultan's Palace) and the Prambanan and Borobudur temples.

The streets in Yogyakarta are crowded by motorized public transportation vehicles such as minibuses, city buses and taxis. People prefer to take a minibus or a bus, as they pay only about Rp 500, if they take a horse carriage, they must pay at least Rp 1,000 for a short distance. Hence many coachmen have had to change profession, and those who keep the job must work harder.

Gito Siswoko, 53, a coachman who usually waits for passengers at Sleman market in Yogyakarta, saw the decline in the number of customers in the 1980s as there was an increase in other public transportation vehicles.

In order to get an adequate number of passengers, Siswoko takes his andong out very early in the morning before other vehicles crowd the streets. He usually transports vegetable vendors and their goods to the market or waits for train passengers arriving at Tugu station between 2 and 4 a.m.

Siswoko between Rp 10,000 and Rp 15,000 a day. On busy days, especially in the foreign tourist season, his daily income rises to between Rp 50,000 and Rp 75,000.

He has to save Rp 7,500 to buy the horse feed -- bekatul (bran) and rendeng (peanut leaves) -- for three meals a day. Other expenses include maintenance of the horseshoes, carriage and harness, amounting to between Rp 15,000 and Rp 20,000 a month.

"In total the income of a coachman is very small. It is just for subsistence. My friends experience the same," explained Siswoko, a father of four.

A significant amount of capital is needed to operate an andong. A two-year-old stallion costs at least Rp 4 million. A mare may cost Rp 6 million due to the possibility of breeding. Horses from Sumbawa and Australia cost Rp 7 million to Rp 9 million. They are more expensive because of their large size and great strength. The carriage and harness cost between Rp 5 million and Rp 9 million. So, if one wants to operate an andong one needs initial capital of about Rp 18 million. One cannot rent a horse cart as is the case with becak (three-wheel pedicabs) and other vehicles.

A carriage horse is able to run 30 to 60 kilometers a day. It can work for up to 40 years depending on its treatment and health. Old horses, which have less strength and are not fit anymore for work, can be sold to slaughterhouses for Rp 1.5 million, depending on their size.

Horse meat is usually blended to be mixed with abon (shredded meat). It is also made into sate. Many people believe that good horse meat can cure asthma and itchiness. Its liver is used to cure heart disease. Its penis and marrow can boost men's sexual strength, said Eko Tamtama, 32, owner of a horsemeat sate eatery on Jl. Jendral Sudirman, east of the four-star Santika Hotel, who sells 8 kilograms of horse meat a day.

The andong may soon be extinct. Many of Siswoko's colleagues have stopped operating. They prefer to work in the rice fields or do other work that can better meet the demands of their families. The younger generation is reluctant to continue the work of their parents because it offers no promise for the future.

Soepardjan, 55, a taxi driver, said he used to operate an andong in the early hours at Tugu station or around Malioboro. He abandoned his two horse-drawn carriages for Rp 15 million in 1990 as he was no longer able to compete with cheaper public transportation.

Along with the decline of horse carts, most andong workshops have also been swallowed by the times and are nearly non- existent. Thus Yogyakarta is gradually losing its traditional public transportation vehicles which could be a lucrative tourism asset.