India

Helping working animals and the communities that rely on them for over 20 years – Brooke India continues to go from strength to strength.

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About

At a glance

India is a middle-income country with a population of 544,000 working horses, donkeys and mules (2019 census). Indian equine owners belong to the poorest and most marginalised of communities in India. Most of them rely on these animals for their livelihoods and survival. They face numerous economic challenges and struggle to make ends meet.

Brooke India is actively engaged in 36 equine welfare projects across 11 states and union territories. Through these projects, Brooke India is making a direct impact on approximately 220,000 working equines belonging to 92,000 equine owners. Additionally, Brooke India extends its reach indirectly to a broader population of equines, estimated to be over 460,000 equines belonging to 228,000 equine owners through equine trade fairs and advocacy initiatives.

Brooke India has achieved remarkable success in establishing over 2,300 self-help equine welfare groups that are are committed to enhancing the welfare of working equines. These groups play an active role in improving the living conditions of these animals while also creating alternative livelihood opportunities for their owners. A noteworthy aspect is that out of these equine welfare groups formed, approximately 1,500 are women groups, which specifically focus on empowering women and developing economic resilience among them.

Take a closer look

In India, the working equine is the primary source of livelihood and each horse/mule typically supports approximately a family of six. Equine owners encounter significant challenges in raising and caring for them, due to archaic care and management practices traditionally followed. Their work in the brick kilns industry, which is the largest employer of working equines, is strenuous and undertaken in tough working conditions in a harsh environment. This takes a huge toll on these sentient creatures, who often fall ill due to overwork, improper care, and inadequate access to proper nourishment and clean water. The outdated traditional veterinary and farriery practices followed by the equine-owning community also give rise to substantial animal welfare concerns.

Brooke India’s Journey

Since its establishment in India in 1992, Brooke India has undergone remarkable growth. Brooke India began as a mobile ambulance team providing free treatment to suffering animals and now has evolved into a collaborative effort with local communities, large organisations, and government entities. Brooke India strives to raise awareness about the plight of working horses, donkeys, and mules, and address the underlying issues through sustainable measures, bringing about lasting change to eliminate these challenges once and for all.

For over three decades, Brooke India has been dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules. Throughout its evolution, it has undergone several phases, each with specific objectives and strategies:

In the first phase, the focus was on providing veterinary services for working equines, which were directly managed and supervised by Brooke in the UK.
The second phase shifted the attention to equine welfare by offering free veterinary and support services to working equines at fixed locations.
The third phase aimed to achieve long-term and sustainable improvements in equine welfare by actively engaging equine owners in the process.
In the fourth phase, a holistic approach was adopted, emphasising the strengthening of the local service delivery system in addition to the aforementioned interventions.
The current and fifth phase employs a multi-pronged approach. It involves the formation and capacity building of women and men equine welfare groups and community-based organisations. Comprehensive equine health services are provided, and local health providers are trained to enhance their capacity. Moreover, linkages are established between the equine welfare groups and service providers trained by Brooke India. Additionally, special attention is given to brick kilns as these sites offer significant livelihood opportunities to equine owners for a considerable portion of the year.

Furthermore, Brooke India extends emergency treatment services to working equines in urgent need of medical intervention. These services adhere to the guidelines established in the Brooke service provision. Specifically, Brooke India ensures that dedicated equine fair extension interventions are in place to promptly address and attend to the critical healthcare needs of working horses, donkeys, and mules. By offering timely emergency treatment, Brooke India aims to alleviate suffering and provide vital care to these equines when they require immediate medical attention.

Throughout these phases, Brooke India has remained committed to its mission of improving the wellbeing of working equines and has implemented a range of interventions to address their needs effectively.

Brooke India’s priorities

Brooke India recognises the utmost importance of equine health and welfare. We acknowledge that addressing the needs of working equines can only be effective if the equine owners, who are responsible for their care, possess the financial capability, awareness, and training to adopt sound animal husbandry and welfare practices. With this objective in mind, Brooke India's programmatic intervention currently concentrates on two key aspects:

Improving the health and welfare of equines
Developing economic resilience of marginalised equine-owning communities

Find out more about our work in India

Tel: +91 120 2400404
[email protected]
Joy Tower, C-20/1-A/1, Sector 62, Noida - 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Our work

Creating lasting change in India

Brooke India is committed to creating lasting change in India by addressing the needs of working equids and their owners. The organisation recognises that improving equine health and welfare requires financial capability, sensitisation, and training among equine owners to adopt appropriate animal management and welfare practices. Brooke India's programmatic approach focuses on two key aspects: improving equine health and welfare, and developing the economic and social conditions of marginalised equine-owning communities.

Brooke India is actively implementing program activities in 11 states and union territories across India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. These activities are carried out through 36 equine welfare projects strategically located to address the specific challenges faced by equine-owning communities in those areas.

The current projects undertaken by Brooke India encompass various interventions to enhance equine welfare and improve the lives of equine-owning communities:

Current projects

Brick kilns

Brick kilns in India present challenging conditions for the animals that work there, including horses, donkeys and mules. These animals often face extreme temperatures, lack of shade, difficult terrain, and overloading, which can result in suffering, diseases and injuries.

To address these critical issues in brick kilns, Brooke India has developed a comprehensive strategy focusing on improving the welfare of the working equines. Brooke India works with brick kiln owners for ensuring availability of essential resources and services. This includes the availability of water, shelter, first aid kits and levelled roads at all brick kiln sites.

One important aspect of the strategy is increasing the availability of local health practitioners, farriers, hair clippers and cart repairers. By providing essential resources and facilitating access to services, the organisation works towards creating a more humane and sustainable environment for these animals.

Equine fairs

Equine fairs serve as dynamic platforms where equine owners and enthusiasts gather. Covering 68 equine fairs annually, our dedicated equine fairs team includes a veterinarian, along with master trainers in animal health, farriery and community engagement. Our primary focus is on promoting good management practices, sharing knowledge and expertise on various aspects of equine welfare.

Balanced feed

A large number of owners were unaware of the nutrient requirement for maintaining a healthy equine working in a harsh, demanding environment. Created by our veterinary experts and Indian research institutes balanced feed is a carefully measured mix of grains and other essential ingredients designed to provide working equines with the necessary nutrients for optimal health and performance. By incorporating balanced feed into their equines' diet, owners can ensure that their animals receive the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals they need to thrive.

Animal resource centres

Brooke India has established multiple animal resource centres in the villages where we work. These centres serve as a valuable resource hub, offering a convenient one-stop-shop for all equine-related items and services. What sets these centres apart is that they are run by trained community members.

harness and saddlery:

As part of our comprehensive animal welfare policy, we promote the use of halters and head collars that are of appropriate size and fit for the equines. This ensures not only the animals' comfort but also safeguards the wellbeing of the handlers and facilitates the provision of equine-related services in a smooth and efficient manner. Collaborating with local saddle makers, we work closely to develop soft and harm-free items that provide optimal comfort and support for the animals.

Brooke India facilitates the use of the right farriery tools by local farriers. We assist local farriers in procuring the appropriate tools and ensure they are trained in their proper use. This helps to enhance the quality of hoof care provided to working equines, promoting their overall wellbeing and reducing the risk of hoof-related issues.

Shining a spotlight on equine welfare

Horses, donkeys and mules hold a special place in the lives of many marginalised and underprivileged communities. However, due to their relatively low population compared to other domesticated animals, they often go unnoticed by policymakers. At Brooke India, we recognise this discrepancy and strive to address it head on. We actively engage with policymakers, advocating for the inclusion of equine welfare in national and state level policies, planning and research.

Equine driven plough

Around 70% of working equids owned by rural communities are engaged in the brick kiln industry. However, once the brick kiln season ends, these working equids are often left without employment or support.

To address this welfare issue and provide alternative employment opportunities for equine owners, our team has been actively promoting the utilisation of working equids in agricultural operations. We have collaborated with scientists from National Research Centre On Equines’s Bikaner campus to develop a step-by-step instructional video that showcases the use of an equine-driven plough in agricultural activities.

By diversifying the roles of working equids and promoting their involvement in agricultural operations, we not only contribute to their welfare but also support the livelihoods of equine owners. This initiative helps to provide a more sustainable and economically viable future for both the animals and the communities that rely on them.

Nourishing working animals with innovative solutions

In the challenging working conditions faced by equines, nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining their health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, limited resources and financial constraints often result in unmet dietary needs for these hardworking animals. Azolla and hydroponics fodder cultivation provides affordable and sustainable sources of nutrition for working animals, benefiting not only the animals themselves but also the families that depend on them.

Success stories

Saving animals. Overcoming deep-rooted beliefs

After trying everything at home to help her donkey, Greetaben was extremely worried about him when she called us. Dr Suthar’s examination of the donkey revealed that he was unable to drink and had a lumpiness around his neck.

It was clear to Dr Suthar that he was suffering from an esophageal choke, and he recommended Geetaben take him to the clinic at the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry in Anand.

Greetaben was unsure. She was worried the trip could prove to be expensive and take a long time. One of our field assistants offered to help her and explained that the clinic would have all the necessary tools and machines to better diagnose her donkey’s health problem. She also told her that the cost of the treatment would be small.

Greetaben agreed to take him to the clinic, and once there, Dr Prashant Dabi conducted an xray that showed the donkey was choking as a result of grains. A tube was inserted into his throat and within five minutes he was relieved of his suffering. Greetaben was then given transport home and the total cost for the treatment was INR 25 (about £0.29).

Following her visit, Greetaben is now confident about visiting the hospital by herself. What she believed to be a time-consuming and expensive before is now a simple way to make sure her donkey stays well.

Our team's effort in helping her was praised by the clinic staff. They said the team displayed the vigour to keep encouraging people to reach out to local service providers.

Challenges