Approximately 112 million working horses, donkeys, and mules are crucial to livelihoods in developing countries, yet face welfare challenges that dramatically shorten their working lives.
Working equine welfare in developing countries represents the largest-scale equine welfare challenge globally. These 112 million animals are not pets or sport animals but working partners on whom families depend for their economic survival. Welfare improvements must be economically viable for farmers who cannot afford to stop using animals that are sick or injured. The most effective interventions are those that demonstrate how improved welfare (better nutrition, harness fitting, basic health care) also improves work capacity and longevity - making welfare and livelihoods mutually reinforcing rather than competing objectives. Community animal health worker programs that train local people to provide basic care reach the most remote and underserved working equine populations.