An estimated 200 million working horses, donkeys and mules provide critical livelihoods across the developing world. Their welfare is chronically compromised by poverty, lack of veterinary care and cultural norms.
Working equid welfare in the developing world is a welfare problem that is inseparable from poverty and livelihoods. The animals that carry crops, water and building materials across communities with no vehicle access are doing essential work, but often under conditions that cause chronic suffering: overgrown hooves, harness sores, parasite infestation and exhaustion. The welfare solution cannot be to remove working animals from communities that depend on them - it must be to improve the conditions of their work through accessible veterinary care, harness design, load limits and owner education. Organisations like the Brooke and SPANA do this work with remarkable cost-effectiveness, improving millions of animal lives in low-resource contexts.