Starving horses in drought-ridden Nicaragua are being fed by equine welfare charity, The Brooke.
The first rain in 8 months in Nicaragua fell last week, but the charity said pastures will not recover in time to save the animals.
Over 7,500 bales of pressed hay are being distributed to 420 horses in a month-long relief programme.
The horse is the sole source of income for many poor families in deprived urban parts of the country.
Trinidad Garcia who lives near the city of Masaya uses her horse to plough the field, transport vegetable harvests, and carry water.
She said: “The drought is one of the worst I’ve seen – our animals are starving and I’m scared about what is going to happen.”
A Brooke vet working in Nicaragua said: “More and more owners started coming to us saying they couldn’t feed their horses, so we knew we had to take action.”
The Brooke works in 11 countries and this year celebrates 80 years helping to improve the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules.
For more information visit: www.thebrooke.org
