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Our donkeys give us hope

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:27:10 +0100

It seems as if our Brooke/KENDAT vehicle cannot pause for a moment without someone approaching the vehicle saying “can you come and visit my community?”, “can you come and help me to worm my donkey?” It’s encouraging to see that the Brooke/KENDAT message is so clear. As I write this I am driving down one of the worst roads I have ever been on. It is so bumpy that almost every key I touch is the wrong one – but I am encouraged to keep trying by what I have just seen.

It can be a cruel, cruel summer

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:20:14 +0100

For some of us the summer is a much awaited part of the year, as temperatures rise and memories of a cold winter fade. For many working equines however it’s no holiday. In two of the Brooke Pakistan’s working districts, Sukkur and Jacobabad, midday temperatures typically hover between 46-48 degrees centigrade between May and August and can reach up to 52 degrees. No wonder it’s considered to be the one of the hottest places on earth.

Freya's Brighton Marathon Training Diary

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:47:54 +0100

I did it!

After 6 months of training, I completed the Brighton Marathon in 3hr 42 minutes and 3 seconds - including wasting time for a bathroom break at mile 10!

The whole weekend was wonderful - my mum and I went down to Brighton on Friday, ate far too much at a lovely Japanese restaurant (brown rice! Great for carb loading), went on the rides on the pier, explored the Lanes, found some delicious little vegan cafes, and then spent the night before watching The Voice and Britain’s Got Talent. Perfect pre-race prep!

On the hoof in Egypt

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:13:58 +0100

Good hoof balance affects all biomechanics in working horses, donkeys and mules but in many developing countries lame animals often have no option other than to carry on working. I am in Aswan training an international group of vets in hoof care. Dr Ala, Dr Hassib and Ahmed are from Egypt, Dr Vikash and Vaibhav from India, Dr Murad from Jordan, Dr Javaid from Pakistan and Dr Abdi is from Kenya, different people from different countries but all here to share and learn from each other.

Freya's Brighton Marathon Training Diary: Less than 3 weels to go

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:16:25 +0100

Hello again!
Well, I just survived my biggest week of training to date...and now I'm into the taper period! The marathon sure is coming up fast, with less than 3 weeks to go until the big day.

Freya's Brighton Marathon Training Diary

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:30:30 +0000

Hello! My name is Freya Gillott, and I am running the Brighton Marathon on April 15th for The Brooke. I have supported The Brooke ever since I got a membership pack for my 7th birthday...

Reaching Out in India

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:47:47 +0000

It’s festival time! “Holi”, the Indian festival of colours is celebrated especially keenly in this part of India. Powdered or wet dyes are liberally applied to the face, clothes, car, cow, you name it! I’m quite colourful as you can see.

I am in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, not far from the border with Nepal. I’m travelling with Saurabh Singh, the manager of veterinary services in Brooke India. We’re spending the day assessing healthcare provision by local Brooke trained members of the community, and we’re really excited to see how this practice is progressing...

Coming in from the cold

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:39:45 +0000

It’s a cold Wednesday in February and I am with the Brooke Peshawar mobile clinic driving along the Peshawar Rawalpindi road in northern Pakistan.

With me are Dr Said Ayub and Dr Zahid Nawaz who are heading for the town of Akora Khatak in Nowshera to run a programme advising owners how to protect horses and donkeys from the cold. We have timed it to coincide with the weekly fair which brings in animals and their owners in their hundreds.

Ethiopian extremes

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:22:21 +0000

A crash interrupts the noisy debate we have been engaging in. The monkeys outside our training room are trying to join us. This is my first training trip with the Brooke and it is certainly the first time I’ve ever had curious monkeys trying to join me in a workshop.

Saving sight in India's brick kilns

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:41:07 +0000

Dozens of chimneys rise in the flat countryside, belching out huge clouds of smoke. For what seems like miles all around acres of bricks lie drying in the sun

Saving sight in the slums of Delhi

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:48:41 +0000

I am in Gadhapuri, one of Delhi’s many suburbs and an endless crowded labyrinth of narrow streets, people and animals.

Many people here rely on horses and donkeys to navigate the confined streets which are too narrow to fit a car.

Feeding the Pyramid horses

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:07:16 +0000

Today was the end-result of three weeks organisation and preparation, the Brooke’s new feeding programme for horses and donkeys working around the Pyramids in Egypt.

I’m in Cairo, where the bulk of these horses are located learning for myself some of the issues they face. While there are tourists here, they are not arriving in the numbers they were before the revolution. This has affected the amount of money their owners receive and has, in many cases, resulted in poor body condition and other welfare issues for their animals.

Taking to the streets of Limuru

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:29:51 +0000

A sunny afternoon at last follows a foggy, soggy morning and full British breakfast, which also includes Weetabix. Today the training continues with theory in the morning and a practical seesion later in the afternoon.

World Equine Veterinary Congress

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:26:03 +0000

WEVA held its 12th Congress this November in Hyderabad in India, The Congress is held every 2 years in different countries and is traditionally aimed at performance horse/sports horse practitioners worldwide. This year however, it also included a 2 day stream on welfare and working horses.

The donkeys are in charge here

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:31:18 +0000

Kenya is in and out of the news for many reasons, such as the recent severe drought, but the Brooke is always here to help donkeys.

It is the rainy season in Kenya and, believe me, it chucks it down but that doesn’t stop the farmers and donkeys from working.

A fair to remember

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:14:27 +0000

Fairs in India remind me of colourful decor, attractively set shops, eateries, swings, shopping and lots of fun. So the idea of visiting Dewa equine fair in Barabanki District of Uttar Pradesh was irresistible. The Dewa Fair, which attracts pilgrims and visitors from all parts of the country to the mausoleum of the great Saint Haji Waris Ali Shah, comes into full swing in the month of October.

Equine deals on wheels

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:52:38 +0000

On my way to the Brooke clinic in Lahore to catch-up with an equine owner and one of Brooke vets, I saw a rather unusual sight by the road.

World Animal Day in Ethiopia

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:45:52 +0100

It is the eve of World Animal Week and Brooke Ethiopia’s Butajira district’s staff is busy making sure things are in order.

A night to remember

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:19:37 +0100

“Honour, indeed, we owed to those lost, neglected ones, those who toiled in our wagons, those who galloped our guns” wrote poet Will Ogilvie in 1934 after Dorothy Brooke began her campaign of helping former warhorses in Egypt.

Tales from the town at the "end of the road."

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:40:20 +0100

I’m trying something new. I want to try and capture a real sense of today in the field: so, I’m typing as we wind our way back along mountains roads....We’re heading back towards Pokhara, a town in the Himalayas in Nepal. Dusk is falling, and as we approach corners, or people on the road, the driver flashes his lights...