Millions of working horses, mules, and donkeys provide essential economic services in developing countries, often under conditions that cause significant preventable suffering.
Working equine welfare in developing country contexts requires approaches that differ fundamentally from companion animal welfare in wealthy countries. The welfare problems are largely driven by poverty — owners who lack resources for veterinary care, appropriate feed, and harness repair cannot provide adequate welfare even when they recognize the problem and are motivated to address it. Welfare improvement programs that build community capacity, provide affordable interventions, and align animal welfare with economic productivity outcomes achieve more sustained improvement than programs that simply provide external veterinary services. The Brooke Hospital for Animals, Donkey Sanctuary, and World Horse Welfare have developed community-based models that train local para-veterinary workers, establish revolving feed funds, and subsidize essential veterinary care — approaches that build lasting welfare improvement capacity rather than dependence on external provision.