Hundreds of millions of working horses, donkeys, and mules in low-income countries face welfare challenges including overwork, injury, and inadequate veterinary care.
Working equid welfare represents one of the largest-scale and most practically significant animal welfare challenges globally. These animals are fundamental to the livelihoods of millions of farming families in low-income countries — they pull plows, carry goods, and provide transportation in communities without mechanized alternatives. Their welfare failures — untreated wounds, overloaded carts, inappropriate harness causing skin lesions, and insufficient food and water — cause chronic suffering while also reducing the productivity that their owners depend on. The welfare-livelihood alignment is unusually strong in this context: healthy animals work more effectively and for longer, creating genuine economic incentive for welfare improvement. Community-based veterinary outreach programs that provide treatment and owner education deliver both welfare and livelihood benefits.