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ENVIRONMENT
n the developing world today, working animals, which include millions of horses, donkeys and mules, provide 50% of the power for industry, agriculture and transport and are often the only source of income for millions of families. Their
life is harsh and unforgiving, working in the dust and heat with temperatures soaring up to 50°C at the height of summer. Mechanisation is not always a viable alternative because of scarce affordable fuel, unsuitable roads and lack of spare parts or service engineers. The poverty, the lack of social security benefits and the scarcity of education for many people who own or work with animals increases the pressure on both animal and owner.
WORKING
NIKI AUSTIN ALL HOURS
The international equine animal welfare charity, Brooke Hospital for Animals, aims to support the sustainable use of working animals, in communities that depend on them, by promoting good working practices and compassionate husbandry and care. The charity's 500 staff in the field, made up of vets, veterinary assistants, farriers, saddlers and education workers, help over 500,000 working horses, donkeys and mules across the developing world and also the millions of men, women and children who depend on these animals for their livelihood.
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demonstrates how animal welfare and human well-being are interdependent
Its dedicated teams provide free treatment, care, education and training in Egypt, India, Jordan and Pakistan. They do this mostly by means of mobile units, which go out regularly to the brick kilns, rubbish dumps, markets, carriage horse stands and other city places, to donkey and horse fairs in the countryside, or where pilgrims are carried up steep hillsides on the backs of mules. One such place is the ancient religious site of Gaurikund in India, where in the foothills of the Himalayas, hundreds of mules carry pilgrims to the Hindu shrine of Kedernath.
Every day during the pilgrimage season, a mule may have to ascend 14km up extremely steep paths to the shrine. Work can start at 4am and finish when there are no more pilgrims wishing to visit the shrine that day. This year, five Brooke vets and a team of farriers, saddlers and veterinary assistants established a Brooke mobile team and education point at 'base camp' and within two weeks had treated over 500 mules and ponies. In addition to the free veterinary care, local farriers were given training and hoof picks were distributed,
local saddlers were given workshops on repair and maintenance and grooming kits were given out to the local people. Members of the community were identified as candidates for training as 'community based animal health workers' - local people who are taught to carry out basic first aid and promote
good animal welfare when the Brooke mobile team is
elsewhere. One was Ranjeet Singh Panwar, a 28-yearold labourer based in Gaurikund. "We could see he had affection and love for the animals so we allowed him to help us out during our stay," explained one of the visiting Brooke vets, Dr. Alok. "Not only did he demonstrate to owners how to groom an animal and use hoof picks, he quickly picked up first aid
skills, such as wound dressing."
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Seventy years since the Brooke was established, its aim is not only to treat immediate injuries but also to improve, with proven and sustainable solutions, the health and welfare of millions of working horses and donkeys that suffer pain and distress throughout the world. Today, official statistics suggest that there may be 100 million working equine animals
photo courtesy of author
Jain Education International
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