An estimated 200 million working equids provide livelihoods in developing countries; their welfare is often poor due to overwork, inadequate veterinary care, and lack of knowledge about equine needs.
Working equids represent a largely invisible welfare crisis outside the developed world. They are economic assets whose welfare is directly linked to productivity, creating incentives for improvement but also for overworking. The most effective welfare interventions in these settings are those that link animal welfare improvement to owner livelihoods — showing that a healthier horse or donkey works more reliably, for longer, with fewer costly veterinary crises.