Animal welfare Ethiopia: help more horses like Bola

The welfare of Bola was paramount for our vets When this cart horse was brought to our mobile clinic in Ethiopia she was limping heavily and in pain. Our team immediately noticed the thin pieces of rubber crudely nailed on as shoes. As a result of this bad farriery, her front hooves had been growing abnormally for some time. Bola’s reluctance to walk forward when encouraged was a clear sign of the pain caused by any movement. If left untreated and Bola was forced to work though her pain, the condition would only have got worse and could easily have lead to incurable damage.

To ease Bola’s discomfort, a local SPANA vet first removed the makeshift rubber shoes, then gently filed away the excessive growth from the outside wall of Bola’s hooves which would allow them to grow normally.

She was then fitted with an appropriate set of shoes which would protect her hooves from working on hard ground all day. After some expert farriery, Bola was a changed animal, able to walk normally and free from pain.

Hooves continue to grow throughout an animal’s life, so appropriate shoes and regular trimming are essential to prevent injuries and deformities. The importance of proper farriery was explained to Bola’s owner, who will now make sure she has regular check-ups.

We work to end suffering the welfare of the horse comes first

Please help us prevent and treat lameness

Lameness is a huge problem affecting countless donkeys, mules and horses around the world. We urgently need your support to treat and prevent the condition in more animals. Please give whatever you can today to help end the suffering of another working animal.

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