Global animal charity SPANA and travel company TUI are working together to help improve the welfare of horses used in tourist activities in Morocco.

Last year SPANA provided care and support to more than 22,000 working animals, including those in the tourism industry. The new partnership will help the charity continue its work in “transforming the lives” of the animals, and support local people who depend on the working animals to make a living.

A SPANA spokesman said funding from TUI will be used for the charity’s support programmes for calèche (carriage) horses and camels working in the tourist industry. The programmes provide care and treatment for the animals used for tours, rides, treks and other tourist activities.

The charity also works with Moroccan state authorities to provide twice-yearly examinations of the animals, and advise on their welfare, and report any cases of neglect. These exams form part of the “licence to work”, for which animals assessed as fit and healthy are given registration bands to confirm they have been examined.

“TUI’s contribution will ensure the audit and treatment of more than 500 working animals involved with calèche tours, which will in turn support local Moroccans who rely on working animals for their livelihoods, through their provision of these tours and other tourist experiences,” said a SPANA spokesman.

“TUI’s support for SPANA is part of its wider commitment to animal welfare. As part of this, TUI was a key contributor to the Travel Association’s global welfare guidance for animals in tourism. TUI experiences high demand among its customers for visits to animal attractions and wildlife-viewing opportunities while on holiday. TUI recognises that these activities have a socio-economic benefit and potential educational and biodiversity advantages and their aim is to help partners achieve best practice standards in animal welfare and protection.”

SPANA chief executive Linda Edwards said the support from TUI will make a “considerable difference” to the charity’s work in Morocco.

“Working animals, such as horses, camels, donkeys and mules, have an essential role supporting people in communities across Morocco – and in low-income communities throughout the world,” she said.

“SPANA’s work protecting and improving the welfare of these animals is critically important, but it is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters and organisations such as TUI. We are grateful for TUI’s support and this new partnership will enable us to bring about significant improvements to animal welfare – helping both animals and people in Morocco.”

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Equine charities have ramped up their fundraising efforts as Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions continue to take their toll.

As visitor centres remain closed to the public and many vital fundraisers have been cancelled, charities are continuing to look at alternative methods to raise money.

Brooke has urged its supporters to pick up their pens and paintbrushes for a new art competition, DonkaDoodle, with the winning entries featuring on gift cards to be sold in the charity’s online shop later in the year.

Budding artists have until 7 June to submit their work, which must include a horse, donkey or mule and be inspired by an element of Brooke’s work around the world. There are three age categories; under 12, 12-17 and over 18, and entries cost £5. The winners will also receive a £50 voucher for an online art shop, GreatArt, and a Brooke goody bag.

“As the Covid-19 pandemic reaches the countries Brooke works in, local communities are becoming more dependent than ever on their working animals to maintain their livelihoods and health, which is why donations have never been so important,” said a charity spokesman.

The Moorland Mousie Trust, which runs the Exmoor Pony Centre, has taken to the charity’s social media channels to hold virtual competitions, tours, a children’s club and an auction after coronavirus forced the centre to close.

“The income is not there from the centre, fundraising events have had to be cancelled and of course costs are hard to reduce when you’re caring for animals,” said a spokesman. “That said, the charity has worked extremely hard over the past six weeks to move its operations and public engagement online.”

The charity is encouraging its supporters to get in touch with fundraising ideas.

“The charity has seen some ingenious ways of championing their cause, from supporters from all over the world. Sponsorship challenges are a great way of getting involved in fundraising, a challenge can be anything from a sponsored silence to running a marathon in your back garden,” said the spokesman.

“One young boy took to the pavements with his hobby horse to ‘trot’ 2.6km during the 2.6 Challenge in response to the loss of the London Marathon. Four-year-old Jakson raised £470 and took social media by storm, giving many of those in lockdown a welcome distraction.”

In a fundraising effort for the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre, a therapeutic riding centre for children in London, supporter Richard Burke has raised £3,000 by completing a half-martathon.

Richard was inspired to help the charity, despite the fact he has never ridden a horse himself, as its income was “plummeting drastically” during lockdown.

“The funds will enable the transformational work at the centre to continue. To watch a child’s gradual development when motivated by the interaction with horses, with a beaming smile throughout a riding lesson, is life enhancing,” said a spokesman for the centre.

Liverpool-based Shy Lowen Horse and Pony Sanctuary, which helps horses, children and military veterans, has surpassed its £3,000 fundraising target thanks to an appeal from patron Kelly Marks and Intelligent Horseman magazine.

More than £4,700 has been raised for the sanctuary via a JustGiving page, with those who donated at least £5 being entered into a prize draw to win prizes including a course with Kelly Marks and her team, a day behind the scenes with Gillian Higgins of Horses Inside Out, and a rider confidence course with Daisy Smith.

There is still time to donate and enter the prize draw, which takes place on 31 May.

HorseWorld, Bristol, has launched an urgent appeal for funds to help refurbish part of its essential hospital facilities. The charity’s isolation unit, the first port of call for new rescues, needs new rubber matting.

“During the Covid-19 crisis we find donations have greatly reduced and we’ve lost all the income from our open days. We still however have our horses to care for and seek support to help us cover this essential element of their welfare costs,” said a spokesman.

“This flooring project is one of our most urgent and we need to raise £5,300 which will make a huge difference to newly admitted horses, ponies and donkeys at a time when their lives hang in the balance. Our hospital facilities mean the difference between life and death.”

Article continued below…

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International working animal charity SPANA has launched an emergency feeding programme in Marrakech, Morocco, to save the city’s carriage horses who are facing starvation during the pandemic. Working with local partners, the SPANA team is delivering lifesaving concentrated feed to almost 600 horses in Marrakech, and the neighbouring town, Aït Ourir.

“The devastating impact of the coronavirus is far-reaching and, as the economic situation worsens, the survival of countless working animals is now under severe threat,” said SPANA chief executive Geoffrey Dean.

“In developing countries, working animals – including those used for tourism – are a lifeline for their owners, providing a livelihood for people in many of the world’s poorest communities. In the absence of work however, it is proving impossible for owners to afford basic necessities for their animals. Owners are becoming increasingly desperate about the prospect of losing their animals and the terrible, long-term implications this will have.”

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Keep track of all your horsey appointments — and support a good cause — with one of these charity calendars for 2019.

1. World Horse Welfare

Featuring a striking selection of World Horse Welfare horses and ponies, this calendar is professionally printed in full colour with a wire bound top to hang on your wall.

Price: £4.95

Telephone: 01953 498682

Visit: shop.worldhorsewelfare.org

2. The Injured Jockeys Fund

This calendar features 12 of the greatest living National Hunt and Flat jockeys, who have chosen their most memorable race or horse and explain in their own words why it means so much to them.

Price: £12

Telephone: 08080 453453

Visit: shop.ijf.org.uk

3. Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Traditional calendar featuring images of the charity’s horses and donkeys from across the sanctuary.

Price: £6

Telephone: 01508 481000

Visit: redwings.org.uk

4. The Horse Trust

Featuring residents such as retired police horses Caesar, Rivington, Huntsman, Hadrian and military horse Captain Greatgun, and some of the other popular rescue residents and rural Shire horses.

Price: £8.99

Telephone: 01494 488464

Visit: helping-the-trust.horsetrust.org.uk

5. Countryside Alliance

This 2019 calendar features 12 evocative scenes capturing rural life. The rear of the calendar has a handy list of forthcoming events and festivals along with a useful table with the seasons for game and wildfowl.

Price: £9.99

Telephone: 0370 2709011

Visit: shop.countryside-alliance.org

6. The Moorland Mousie Trust

An A4 landscape month-to-view calendar which opens to A3 and features Exmoor ponies in the care of the Moorland Mousie Trust charity.

Price: £6

Telephone: 01398 323093

Visit: moorlandmousietrust.org.uk

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7. The Equine Grass Sickness Fund

Larger than their usual calendar, it features images by artist Madeleine Juniper with a different equine image on every page.

Price: £9

Telephone: 0131 445 6257

Visit: grasssickness.org.uk

8. Bransby Horses

Back by popular demand, this exclusive postcard calendar features residents at Bransby.

Price: £5.95

Telephone: 01427 788464

Visit: bransbyhorses.co.uk

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A century on from the end of the First World War, animals continue to be innocent victims of conflict around the world. As we respectfully reflect on the sacrifice of millions touched by war, international animal charity SPANA has called for us all to remember the ‘forgotten victims’ — the many millions of animals that lost their lives in The Great War and have continued to be killed in conflicts around the world in the one hundred years since.

Used by all sides in the First World War, around 16 million animals were put into service, including one million mules and horses employed by Britain alone. These animals faced horrendous conditions as they transported ammunition, messages, food and supplies. They hauled guns and pulled ambulances, while cavalry horses led the charge at terrible cost against devastating machine gun fire.

Even as military forces have increasingly mechanised, animals have continued to serve in great numbers. In the Second World War, Britain had 200,000 animals in service, while the German Army lost over 179,000 horses on the Eastern Front alone in just two months.

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Fast forward to conflicts today and, while front line animals are less common, they continue to suffer in many war zones, as insurgents attach explosives to donkeys and horses, which are then detonated in crowded areas or near convoys. Animals are also deliberately targeted as a tactic in modern warfare. During the Gulf War, more than 80% of livestock in Kuwait died, while in the late 1990s the cattle population in Kosovo halved to 200,000.

It is a sad reality that animals suffer appallingly during times of war. It is also a reality that many communities impacted by war are heavily reliant on working animals (such as in Afghanistan) and struggle with the loss of these animals in the aftermath of conflict as they rebuild infrastructure and lives.

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A campaign to remember the many millions of animals killed in conflicts has been launched to mark 100 years since the end of the World War I.

Former MP Ann Widdecombe today (8 November) launched charity SPANA’s campaign to remember the “forgotten victims” of today’s war zones.

“On this significant anniversary of the First World War, it’s so important that we first and foremost remember the people who lost their lives during this terrible conflict and then consider also those who returned disabled and disfigured and the civilians who died,” she said.

“They faced unimaginable horrors. Then, as we stop to remember all those who suffered and died a century ago, we must also not forget that animals continue to be innocent victims in brutal conflicts across the world today.”

Around 16 million animals were put into service during the war, including more than a million horses and mules used by Britain.

They faced terrible conditions while transporting ammunition, ambulances, messages, food rations and supplies.

Nine million horses, donkeys and other animals were killed.

Animals were also used in the World War II by forces on both sides. Britain had around 200,000 animals in service, the US military had 14,000 mules in Italy alone, while Germany lost more than 179,000 horses in two months on the Eastern Front.

SPANA continues to work in conflict areas to help animals in need, whether they are used in war or are injured as a result of fighting.

It provides free veterinary treatment to working animals in developing countries, including in conflict zones.

The charity set up a mobile veterinary clinic in Iraq in 2003 following a request for urgent help for equines and farm animals, providing care and 30 tonnes of feed.

SPANA also worked in Helmand province, Afghanistan, where local people are heavily reliant on working animals. In 2010, SPANA worked to rebuild shattered infrastructure, training animal health workers and equipping them with worming and vaccination kits.

“In recent years, SPANA has worked in war zones – from Kosovo and Iraq to Afghanistan – to provide urgent veterinary treatment to animals in severe distress,” said charity chief executive Geoffrey Dennis.

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“Our work eases suffering and also helps build the peace among communities who continue to rely on animals.

“As we commemorate Armistice Day, it is a sad reality that the appalling suffering of animals in conflict zones is not a distant memory, consigned to history.

“But while there are animals in desperate need, during times of war and peace, it is vital that help is on hand for them.”

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This week’s issue — out today (Thursday, 8 November) — is a World War I, featuring including horse hero Warrior, plus one diary reveals equine life during battle and more.

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Riders from up and down the country will be swapping boots and breeches for shorts and trainers as they tackle the London Marathon for horsey charities and good causes.

This year’s 26.2-mile challenge takes place on 22 April and more than 40,000 runners will be taking part.

Welfare charity Brooke has two runners taking part to raise funds in its name.

Sixty-year-old horse lover Mike Rowe from Hungerford is running his first marathon for Brooke to mark his recent landmark birthday.

Mike has supported Brooke for over 10 years and decided to sign up after a sightseeing trip to Buckingham Palace.

“It was the day before the London Marathon, with all the flags flying along The Mall I could really feel a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air… and that was it, that was when I decided ‘that’s what I want to do to celebrate turning 60’,” he said.

Top showjumper Scott Brash’s agent Joel Birks (pictured above) is also running for Brooke.

Fellow international equine charity SPANA will be supported by its trustee, Rob Gethen Smith (pictured above).

Rob visited Ethiopia earlier this month to see SPANA’s work in person, and did some training runs while he was there.

“I had the privilege to see first-hand the work that SPANA does and the impact it has,” he said. “I can really see how far our supporters’ money goes to directly improve the welfare of working animals through veterinary treatment but also through educating owners and children how to care for and respect their animals on which they ultimately rely.”

Horse & Hound’s 2017 charity of the year, World Horse Welfare, has several runners taking part in its honour.

Brett Backstrom, Kate Burn, Phil Newton (pictured below), Susan Skea, and Brian Warden are running for World Horse Welfare.

Becky Statham, World Horse Walfare’s senior communications officer, has also signed up.

“London Marathon has always been on my bucket list and this was the perfect opportunity to tick it off as well as raising funds for a cause close to my heart both personally and professionally,” said Becky.

Worldwide runners

Seven individuals, from as far afield as Bermuda, are raising funds for the Donkey Sanctuary.

Bermuda-based Claire de ste Croix will be teaming up with her brother James Tomkinson from Cornwall to take part in the event.

Claire was caught up in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and had just finished the race when the bombs were detonated.

The Donkey Sanctuary was the obvious choice for the pair. The charity is very close to their hearts as it came to their aid many years ago when two of their own rescued donkeys became unwell.

Kimmarie Smith, Lesley Walker, Stuart Hurcomb, Victoria Lack and George Paraschou will also be part of the Donkey Sanctuary team.

Amateur jockey Lucy Wheeler is no stranger to race days and will be taking part in London Marathon for Racing Welfare.

“This year I’m not race-riding so I’ve chosen to swap my saddle for my trainers!” she told H&H.

Emma Murray is running for the Willberry Wonder Pony Charity and will be joined by mascot “Raceberry”.

“Sadly, in 2014 my Dad died after a short battle with cancer,” the amateur eventer told H&H. “So I think any fundraising to help #kickcancersbutt. It is so worthwhile although I have never done any fundraising before.”

The Countryside Alliance Foundation has five runners this year, including eventers Katie Bleekman and Ella McEwen.

The foundation runs three main initiatives; Casting for Recovery — supporting women who have had, or have breast cancer — and Fishing for Schools and Falconry for Schools – helping children, who are often struggling, to re-engage with education and build their confidence and self-esteem.

Remarkable comebacks

Phillipa Lord (pictured above and below) had a serious riding accident in 2015 when she broke three vertebrae.

“I was originally told I wouldn’t walk again, but there was a spinal surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth hospital who thought he might be able to fix me, and he did!” she told H&H.

“I am now, just over two years later, running the London Marathon in aid of Spinal Research. I really want to help those who weren’t as lucky as me to get this second chance.”

Event rider and trainer Rae Gatland-Hanlon will also be running for Spinal Research.

“It all happened a bit by accident, one of my clients ran it for a young family member who had had a spinal stroke,” he said. “In November she messaged me to say she had another space and would I be willing to give it a go and seeing as spinal injuries are all to common for riders.

“I have had a few friends who have suffered spinal injuries so it seemed like I couldn’t say no!”

Trainer and dressage rider Justine Sole will be running the marathon for the Lymphoma Association.

Her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumour due to lymphoma three years ago, but has since recovered.

In May last year Justine broke her back in a fall.

“In October I was contacted by the Lymphoma Association to be told I had a place in the marathon,” she told H&H. “At this stage I could just about walk but decided to except the challenge.

“I knew it would be hard but also a really good goal to get me back in track. It has done exactly that and I know I would not be where I am today without this goal.”

Fellow dressage rider Olivia Oakeley is taking part in aid of the Meningitis Research Foundation.

“My grandad was an Olympic yachtsman and my ambition is to compete at the top level as a senior rider so he’s always been a huge inspiration in my life,” she told H&H.

“He passed away to septicaemia in December 2016 and my dad survived bacterial meningitis when he was young so it’s a charity I felt had helped my family.”

Horse and dog lover Justin White will be raising funds for the Greyhound Trust.

“The charity only got one place so I will be running solo for the trust,” he told H&H. “I have osteoporosis now so this is not just an ordinary challenge.”

A vital service

Rider and student Esther Anderson is tackling her first marathon for St John Ambulance

“Both on the equestrian and marathon running circuit St John’s are an integral volunteer-led team,” she said.

Louisa Stokes (pictured above) wanted to give something back to Meningitis Now.

“I have several friends who have lost family members or had their lives severely affected by this awful disease,” she said.

“I’m determined to do my bit to raise as much money as I can and raise awareness to help people that may be unfortunate enough to be affected by it in the future.

“ I’m very lucky to have had the fantastic support of the Berkeley Hunt in my fundraising and awareness campaign.”

Amateur eventer Jaide Hartridge has chosen to run for the Mental Health Foundation.

“In April last year a very close friend of mine took his life,” she said. “None of his close friends or his family were aware he was suffering any mental health issues so it was a total shock, but the Mental Health Foundation do some really great work in raising awareness of mental health and helping to reduce (and hopefully eventually eliminate completely) the stigma associated with mental health issues.”

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Rider and owner Alison Bailey will be taking part for Children with Cancer UK.

“It’s been very time-consuming trying to fit in marathon training, four horses, working and being mummy to my and boys,” she said. “Lots of very early starts and late nights to fit it all in but it will be worth it.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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Despite its devastating consequences, a charity has found that people in the UK are largely unaware of the dangers donkeys are facing from the trade of their skins.

New research from SPANA has revealed that only five percent of those surveyed believe that the species is at risk of severe population decline due to the demand for ejiao, a product used in beauty products derived from donkey hides.

The price of donkey hides has risen eight to 10-fold in some countries, making donkey ownership unaffordable for many and devastating communities.

In Kenya, the price of donkey skin parts rose from 100 Kenyan Shillings in 2016 to 1,000 in 2017.

But SPANA’s research shows only two percent of people in the UK realise the extent of the issue.

The charity warned that a donkey population “could disappear entirely” if the farming of their skins is not addressed.

Chief executive Geoffrey Dennis told H&H the rate of decline the charity is witnessing in the donkey populations of some African countries is “dramatic and unsustainable”.

“The demand in China is very significant, with one ejiao manufacturer alone stating that it currently processes in excess of one million donkey skins per year,” Mr Dennis said.

“With the supply of farmed donkeys in China unable to keep pace with demand, producers have now turned their attention to the donkeys of Africa and are targeting their skins on a massive scale.”

In Mali, SPANA’s country director is “extremely concerned” about this trade and the risk that the small grey donkeys of the Sahel region could disappear entirely.

Last year, he reported that 400 donkeys were being sold to the trade every week at each of the country’s seven major livestock markets.

“This rate simply cannot be sustained in the long term,” added Mr Dennis.

“Thankfully, bans and restrictions on the donkey skins trade have now been put in place by a number of governments across Africa.

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“However, this is a very complex issue and, in some cases, this has led to the emergence of a black market and an explosion in donkey thefts.”

SPANA is working with governments to put in place national bans on the export of donkey products.

“The trade has already been banned in many of the countries in which the charity works,” said a charity spokesman. “UK residents can help SPANA by raising awareness and by supporting their work directly.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Working animals might be a distant memory in Britain, but on International Working Animal Day today (15 June 2017), working animal charity SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) takes a look back at the role they played in British society — and the plight of working animals around the world today

In 1900 almost every vehicle on the streets of London was horse-drawn and pit ponies were still working underground in British coal mines in 1999 — yet new research by international animal charity SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) reveals that nearly 40 per cent of the nation doesn’t know what a working animal is, with 22 per cent of Brits confessing to have never heard the term ‘working animal’ before.

For centuries, working animals — such as horses and oxen — were the main source of power in the UK, driving agriculture, transport, mining and warfare. They helped build our towns and cities, farmed our land and were our main form of transport.

But in 2017, over 200 million working animals, such as horses, donkeys and camels, continue to be relied upon by one billion of the world’s poorest people.

These working animals often lead short, hard lives in tough working conditions, with inadequate nutrition and no access to veterinary treatment.

SPANA has been a charity for working animals of the world since 1923, providing free veterinary care to horses, donkeys, mules, elephants and camels in some of the world’s poorest countries. The charity improves the welfare of working animals in three ways: free veterinary treatment, education and community training, and emergency and outreach projects.

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Timeline of working animals in Britain

2500BC – The domestication of horses, and their use to pull vehicles, had begun in Britain.

1086 – Over 95% of draught animals on the land were oxen, according to The Domesday Book.

1100s – Horses were used for harrowing land for arable crops, and horses and carts increasingly transported farm goods.

1400s – Horse-drawn four-wheeled wagons introduced in Britain, means that heavier loads could be hauled by horse teams on poor quality roads. Pack horses were also used for transport.

1500s – Horse teams were beginning to replace ox teams in ploughing work, due to their greater speed, strength and agility.

1669 – Use of fast horse-drawn coaches (“Flying Coaches”) began.

1750 – First recorded use of ponies underground in Britain, at Durham coalfield.

1774 – There were just over 200,000 working oxen in England. For two thousand years, oxen were the main beasts of burden on British farms and roads, but by 1840 they had all but vanished, replaced by horses.

1784 – First regular mail coach service ran, between Bristol and London. Horse-drawn vehicles continued to carry the Royal Mail in Cornwall until 1919.

1878 – Over 200,000 pit ponies were estimated to be working in British mines.

1900– More than 300,000 horses were needed in London, pulling carriages, cabs, buses, trams and delivery vans. Almost every vehicle on London’s streets was horse-drawn.

1901 – An estimated 3.25m horses were working in Britain, with half used on farms.

1915 – Horse buses and trams had disappeared in London, and motor taxis outnumbered horse-drawn cabs.

1917 – Britain had over one million horses and mules in service in the First World War (over the course of the war Britain lost more than 484,000 horses).

1921 – London Fire Brigade said goodbye to its last horse-drawn fire engine.

1940 – Britain’s railways used 11,163 horses.

1942 – Horses still outnumbered tractors on British farms by 30 to 1. Tractor numbers overtook horses in the 1950s and working horses had virtually disappeared from agriculture by the 1970s.

1942 – The British Army still employed 6,500 horses, 10,000 mules and 1,700 camels in the Second World War.

1950s – House-to-house deliveries of milk and coal were still made by horse and cart throughout Britain, with refuse collections carried out by the ‘rag-and-bone man’.

1967 – The last British Railways horse was retired.

1978 – Only 12 ‘rag and bone men’ were still working in Manchester and Salford, using a horse and cart for collecting waste and trading. By 1965, only a few hundred remained in London.

1999 – The last two pit ponies working underground in British coal mines were retired in South Wales.

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If you thought steady hands were only useful in the saddle, think again.

International charity SPANA is calling for its supporters to get knitting to help raise funds through its “Big Knit for Vet Kit” appeal.

The charity’s initiative aims to support injured and ill working horses, donkeys and other animals.

Actress and animal lover Pam Ferris, who won the celebrity edition of The Great British Sewing Bee, is supporting the campaign.

“Knitting for SPANA means you can enjoy being creative while raising much-needed funds to help sick and injured working animals in developing countries throughout the world,” said Pam.

“Whether you’re an experienced knitter or a complete novice,

I’d encourage everyone to pick up their needles and have a go at making one of these adorable animals.”

SPANA is asking knitters to make Duncan the donkey, Hattie the horse or crochet Clarence the camel and get sponsored while they stitch.

Joining the other animals is a brand new pattern – Emma the elephant – who has been launched by SPANA in 2017.

Related articles:

• SPANA in Ethiopia: It’s a brutal life for horses, but education will help
• SPANA in Morocco: Buttons, dentistry and Lancelot the loan
• Equine vets run Marrakech marathon for SPANA

The funds raised from sponsorship and donations will help SPANA provide more free veterinary treatment to working animals in developing countries across the world.

The free Big Knit for Vet Kit patterns can be ordered from www.spana.org/knit or by calling 02078313999.

SPANA

SPANA works to improve the welfare of working animals in the world’s poorest communities through treatment, training and teaching.

The charity provides free veterinary care to suffering animals or when emergencies strike.

SPANA builds expertise among vets and promotes humane care by animal owners.

It teaches children to develop positive believes, respect and compassion towards animals.

The charity’s teams help almost 200,000 working animals every year.

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A rider from Birmingham is taking part in the toughest footrace on earth to raise funds for SPANA.

Rebecca Drackley, 37, begins the ultra-marathon on Friday (8 April) and over six days will cover 156 miles of the Sahara desert in temperatures up to 48C.

The rules of the race means she has to be self-sufficient, carrying everything needed to survive in a backpack.

Ms Drackley, pictured, is taking with her the ashes of her family horse Dorzac to scatter in the Sahara desert.

“Training for the race has been really tough, mentally and physically,” she said.

“I’ll be relying on some heat training in saunas and trying to keep myself fit and healthy before I set off.”

The combat medic technician and student paramedic chose to raise funds for SPANA “as they provide emergency care as well as education to areas of the world that need it most.”

“I have a very soft spot for horses and that extends to all working animals, they deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and care,” she said.

The charity’s chief executive Jeremy Hulme said: “We’re completely in awe of Rebecca for taking on this gruelling challenge to raise funds for SPANA.”

The money raised will enable the charity help more working animals in some of the world’s poorest countries.

“These animals – which do the job of trucks, tractors and taxis – are relied upon completely by the owners for their livelihoods, but without SPANA they would have no access to much-needed veterinary treatment,” said Mr Hulme.

Ms Drackley also ran the Brighton Marathon in 2014 in aid of the charity.

Related articles:

• SPANA in Ethiopia: dealing with fatal cases *Warning: graphic images*
• Charitable horse lovers taken on London Marathon
• Riders pay tribute to young girl with #BlueForBonnie campaign

SPANA was set up in 1923 to provide free veterinary care to working animals in need.

There are estimated 200m working animals worldwide working to support impoverished communities in developing countries.

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Show off your 'round-the-world' technique on social media to raise much needed funds for SPANA, Horse & Hound's charity of the year, and you might find your video featured on HorseandHound.co.uk too...

When did you last try going ’round the world’? If it was during your Pony Club days, then now is the time to get practising so you can impress your friends and take part in the #roundtheworld challenge.

Horse & Hound is launching this new campaign to raise funds of our charity of the year, the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA).

The idea is simple… Get a friend to video you doing as many “round the worlds” as you can in 30sec. Post the video on social media, tag it #roundtheworld so that everyone can admire your talent, and nominate three friends to try it too. Then, most importantly, text WORLD to 70300 to donate £3 to SPANA. Every penny of your £3 donation will go to SPANA to help working equines around the world.

H&H’s head of sports, Pippa Roome, has kicked off the campaign with help from her retired eventer Peanut (see video top). She managed three and half rotations in 30sec, so who can beat that? Saddles are optional, but we do recommend you get someone to hold your horse to reduce the likelihood of any involuntary dismounts.

The H&H team hopes #roundtheworld will become the next viral sensation and raise much needed funds for SPANA’s vital work improving the lives of working horses and donkeys living in some of the poorest countries in the world. So why not join in?

About SPANA’s work

SPANA runs long-term veterinary and education programmes in Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Mali, Mauritania, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, providing free treatment for sick and injured working animals.

The charity was chosen to be Horse & Hound’s first official charity of the year in April 2014. During the past year, Horse & Hound staff have seen first-hand the important work this charity undertakes in Morocco and Ethopia.

While the SPANA team has made huge strides in improving the lives of equines in Morocco, the challenges the charity’s teams face in other countries, such as Ethiopia, remains extreme. Ignorance about basic equine welfare requirements causes huge problems. Education plays a central role in the charity’s work to ensure the next generation of horse owners have the necessary knowledge to care for their animals.

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In April 2014, H&H readers chose SPANA as our charity of the year. As part of our partnership with the charity, I was invited to see the work it does with working equines first hand. Earlier this month I went to Ethiopia to spend three days with the country director Dr Nigatu Aklilu to see the charity's struggle to improve the welfare of the country's 2.5 million working horses.

On my final day in Ethiopia I saw some of the education work that SPANA undertakes. While the veterinary service that the charity provides is a vital lifeline, the situation faced by working horses in the country will only improve with education.

In September a new animal handling centre was opened at SPANA’s base in Debre Zeit to give children the opportunity to interact with animals. The new centre has a selection of rabbits and guinea pigs as well as horse and a donkey that children can touch and groom.

The pony, who is called Chocolate, is great with the children, but the donkey is a little bit more of a “work in progress”…

The idea is to teach children the importance of feeling compassion towards animals. For some of the youngsters in the group I saw this was the first time they had had direct contact with animals. It is easy to forget how ingrained into our society basic respect for animals is.

The charity also runs an after-school club at more than 50 schools to give thousands of children a better understanding of animals.

Community development

As well as helping to educate the younger generation, SPANA also runs several community development projects.

In the afternoon we watched the start of a five-day farrier training programme. All of the local farriers had been invited to try to improve their skills.

There is obviously no formal training or qualification procedure for farriers in the country and many have little or no training before they start shoeing horses.

On the first day they were being taught theory and watching basic practices. The lecture that I sat in on was going through foot structure and the importance on balance. It was quite a scary realisation that all of these men were practicing farriers, yet a majority of them had never seen the inside structure of a horses foot before.

The men were going to get another four days training in the field to improve their skills and practice new techniques.

Final thoughts

My time spent with SPANA in Ethiopia has been an interesting, but brutal experience. A lot of the horses I have encountered have been in a far worse condition than I could have imagined. Even with the help of pictures and videos, it is hard to convey the situation and do justice to the work that SPANA does in the country.

Ethiopia is not going to stop having working horses — nor should it. But the more that can done to help charities like SPANA, the more the basic conditions can be improved for these animals.

How you can help

Although SPANA is working to educate Ethiopian owners to help themselves, their work relies on British owners supporting working equines worldwide.

To donate to SPANA visit: www.spana.org/donate-now

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

In April 2014, H&H readers chose SPANA as our charity of the year. As part of our partnership with the charity, I was invited to see the work it does with working equines first hand. Earlier this month I went to Ethiopia to spend three days with the country director Dr Nigatu Aklilu to see the charity's struggle to improve the welfare of the country's 2.5 million working horses.

On our second morning — having been kicked out of our third hotel to make room for government officials — we headed to another SPANA mobile clinic in Modjo.

This clinic is slightly less in demand than Adama but there was still a large queue of horses waiting to be treated when we arrived.

One horse that immediately caught my eye had what looked like a traumatic wound up the entirety of one leg (see video). As much as the wound looked dramatic, it was the fact that it was almost green in colour that really unnerved me.

Dr Nigatu Aklilu spoke to the owner and explained that the horse (pictured below) was suffering from Epizootic Lymphangitis (EZL). This is one of the most common issues that the SPANA vets have to deal in Ethiopia. The

fungal disease is contagious and once

contracted spreads through the horse’s lymph system.

It is fatal if it is not diagnosed in its early stages.

Dr Nigatu also explained that the reason why the wounds looked green was because the owner had tried to treat it with sulphuric acid — which is what is commonly found in car batteries.

That an owner could be so ignorant of a horse’s welfare that they thought it was acceptable to pour acid over an open wound made me incredibly angry, but the owner explained he believed it would stop the disease spreading.

The SPANA vets spent 30 minutes using a razor blade to clear the area and clean it. They then burst the majority of the cysts, which had grown on the legs. The horse was sent home with medication and as the disease was only at its moderate stage, Dr Nigatu was hopeful that the horse might recover.

More EZL

In the afternoon we saw a group of horses that were suffering from EZL at varying

stages. Most of the cases were moderate, meaning that with the help of SPANA, they will hopefully make a full recovery.

Unfortunately one of the horses was in the latter stages of the disease. At this point it starts to attack the horse’s lungs and entire lymph system meaning that they struggle to breathe. If horses are not treated for EZL, they tend to eventually die from suffocation. It will normally take two to three months for them to succumb to the disease.

The vets recommended that the horse be put down, but the owner would not allow it. He also revealed that he was

still using the horse to pull a cart.

Through my time with SPANA both in Morocco and Ethiopia the topic of euthanasia has always been something I have found hard to deal with. It always has to be down to the owner if they decide euthanase or not and this tend to results in needless suffering.

How you can help

Although SPANA is working to educate Ethiopian owners to help themselves, their work relies on British owners supporting working equines worldwide.

➤ EZL can be treated for £20.

To donate to SPANA visit: www.spana.org/donate-now

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

In April we revealed SPANA had been chosen by readers to be H&H’s charity of the year. As part of our partnership with the charity, I was invited to see the work it does with working equines first hand. In July I travelled to Morocco and earlier this month I went to Ethiopia to spend three days with the country director Dr Nigatu Aklilu to see the charity's struggle to improve the welfare of the country's 2.5 million horses.

After a slightly exciting start to my first morning in Ethiopia — being kicked out of my hotel to make room for government officials — we headed to the market in Debre Zeit to see some of the horse and carts arriving.

The condition of the horses was horrendous and really shocked me. Nearly all of the horses were malnourished, suffering from cuts from badly fitting harnesses and the majority weren’t sound.

As well as their physical state, the way the horses were being handled was very upsetting. From whipping them one-second before gobbing them in the teeth to stop, to basic turning and backing skills — there was such a lack in basic understanding from their owners.

Travelling clinic

After spending time at the market we headed to the town of Adama, which is about 50km away from Debre Zeit. SPANA runs a mobile clinic here every week and by the time we arrived there were already more than 25 horses waiting to be seen by vets.

There was a real variety of what treatment horses were in need of from routine procedures — such as worming and teeth rasping — to serious malnutrition and severe cuts.

One of the most upsetting cases was a horse which was clearly starving (see picture below). When the owner was questioned as to why he was so thin, he explained that he hadn’t been feeding him because he hadn’t been working him. It later transpired that he had already lost another horse for the same reason.

The fact that horses are dying, slowly and painfully, purely because an owner does not understand the basic requirement for horses to be fed is enough to make you scream or cry.

After a long talk with Dr Nigatu, who explained that if the horse was properly fed he could be a good cart horse who could work for many more years, the owner agreed that he would feed the horse.

The complete lack of horse handling skills continued at the clinic. There just is no concept of treating horses slowly and patiently in order to get results.

I helped the vets hold some of the horses in order to try to keep them calm and get the treatments done. This very nearly resulted in me getting booted in the leg — it turns out Ethiopian horses are particularly adept at cow kicks!

Home visit

In the afternoon we visited one of the cart drivers at home to see where the animals where kept. He had four horses that were kept in stalls and were well fed (I expect they are some of the lucky ones).

One of the most interesting things about the home trip was that the owner bought malnourished or injured horses, used SPANA to help them recover, and then sold them on again. It was encouraging to see an owner understanding the importance of improving welfare.

End of day thoughts

Today has been a tough realisation of the massive battle SPANA faces to improve even the most basic conditions in Ethiopia. I usually consider myself fairly tough and even cold-hearted about these things (working in news tends to require this), but some of the cases I have seen today have really affected me.

Having been to Morocco with SPANA, I never expected horses to be in the same condition as they are in the UK. The role of working horse is of course very different from the sports horses which fill the pages in H&H! But the level of suffering that I saw was unacceptable and makes me even more impressed with the work SPANA does around the world.

How you can help

Although SPANA is working to educate Ethiopian owners to help themselves, their work relies on British owners supporting working equines worldwide.

➤ EZL can be treated for £20.

To donate to SPANA visit: www.spana.org/donate-now

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

There are more than two million working horses in Ethiopia. But with disease rife and basic equine understanding limited, H&H’s charity of the year, SPANA, faces a tough challenge to improve conditions. Sophia Heath investigates in Debre Zeit

While equine welfare in the UK is at the forefront of H&H readers’ minds, it is easy to forget the terrible suffering inflicted on horses across the globe. The conditions faced by the 2.6million working horses in Ethiopia serve as a reminder of the need to improve equine wellbeing worldwide.

The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) has been working in the country for more than a decade, but the state of many animals is poor. Wounds, malnourishment, mistreatment and disease are widespread.

“The cart horse owners rely on income from the horses, but the attention given to them is minimal,” explained Dr Nigatu Aklilu, director of SPANA Ethiopia.

“It is minimal from the owners themselves, and also the government. There is a lot of suffering and the horses receive very little support.”

As well as basic welfare issues, two diseases — African Horse Sickness (AHS) and Epizootic Lymphangitis (EZL) — also plague the country.

Tackling EZL

AHS is seasonal and tends to be most prevalent after the rainy season, but EZL is a constant issue for horse owners.

The highly contagious fungal disease, which infects the lymph nodes, is estimated to affect more than 300,000 horses in the country at any one time.

The disease is fatal if not treated in its early stages and SPANA is the only organisation to offer a major treatment programme in the country.

As well as tackling the disease, the SPANA team are also faced with the challenge of trying to educate owners about early detection and correct treatment.

One of the worst cases I came across during my time in Ethiopia was a horse called Keyo, whose owner had tried to cure the EZL lesions with battery acid. This treatment had caused the horse’s entire leg to become infected and turn green.

“I thought the acid would stop the disease spreading,” he said when questioned.

The SPANA vets sedated Keyo and worked to clear the infection as well as treating the EZL. If the owner follows the treatment prescribed then the horse should survive.

However, I also saw cases where the disease had gone beyond the treatable stage before the horse was brought to SPANA, at which point vets can only recommend euthanasia.

In its later stages, the disease can attack the respiratory system and many owners choose simply to abandon their horses on the roadside.

SPANA Ethiopia owns a vehicle, which it used specifically to put down and remove horses that have been left in this situation.

Changing attitudes

Traditional remedies are not the only example of a basic lack of equine understanding with which SPANA has to deal.

One horse that came to the mobile clinic in Adama was suffering from severe malnutrition. The owner explained that the horse had not been working, therefore he didn’t think it needed feeding. The owner’s other horse had already died due to starvation for the same reason.

This sort of ignorance regarding welfare is common across the country, and clearly visible in the condition of the horses.

As a result, a large part of SPANA’s work in Ethiopia is focused on education. The charity’s efforts

are split between community development projects for adults — such as farriery training and harness making — and a children’s programme.

In order to try to educate the next generation, the charity has set up after-school animal clubs in more than 50 locations. A new animal handling centre was also opened in Debre Zeit in September.

The centre — which has rabbits, guinea pigs, a horse and a donkey — will give thousands of children the opportunity to see and handle animals. Some of the children in the group that I met had never had direct contact with animals before.

“What we want is to create in them an understanding of animal welfare and empathy towards animals,” said Dr Nigatu.

“This is a big development with regards to animal welfare because the children are happy to interact with animals, and we want to create a positive attitude toward them.

“We don’t want a future without working equines, but we want the conditions to be improved.”

Although SPANA is working to educate Ethiopian owners to help themselves, their work relies on British owners supporting working equines worldwide.

➤ EZL can be treated for £20.

To donate to SPANA visit: www.spana.org/donate-now

Ref: H&H 18 December 2014

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The work of H&H’s charity of the year SPANA in Africa will feature in a new TV documentary later this month (10 December)

The programme, Living on the Edge — Blood in the Sand, follows filmmaker Chris Terrill as he travels to Mali, accompanied by SPANA chief executive Jeremy Hulme and the charity’s Malian vet, Dr Amadou Doumbia.

The group spent time living with the Tuareg people, who lead a nomadic existence, travelling long distances to find the pastures needed by their donkeys, camels and other animals.

SPANA vet Dr Amadou provides treatment to animals in need throughout the journey, offering essential assistance to owners who would otherwise have no access to veterinary care

Later in the programme, Chris and Jeremy also visit Mbera, a refugee camp in Mauritania that is home to 75,000 displaced Malians and an estimated 470,000 animals. The refugees have been fleeing to the camp since early 2012, when separatist and Jihadist groups fought to make northern Mali an independent state.

Jeremy, said: “Animals are part and parcel of pastoralists’ lives in Africa. Without their animals these communities have absolutely nothing, they become vulnerable, dependent on aid and have no future.

“SPANA’s veterinary work ensures that many sick and injured working animals receive the treatment they need, which is a lifeline for them and their owners.

“SPANA believes that – beyond our work – in times of conflict and drought, the UN, governments and aid agencies must take care of animals as well as people.”

Mali is one of seven countries in which SPANA runs permanent programs to offer free veterinary care and improve the lives of works animals.

H&H’s Sophia Heath will be traveling to Ethiopia this month with SPANA to witness the work they do first-hand. For the full investigation, don’t miss 18 December issue of H&H.

The documentary will be aired on Channel 5 at 7pm on 10 December

Related content from H&H:

SPANA tackles deadly diseases

Equine charity appeals for donations to support its new campaign

SPANA in Morocco: Car crash victims, helping disabled children and final thoughts

H&H's Sophia Heath visits our charity of the year to witness first-hand how SPANA help horses

SPANA in Morocco: Buttons, dentistry and Lancelot the loan

H&H's Sophia Heath visits our charity of the year to witness first-hand how SPANA help horses

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

H&H‘s charity of the year, Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA), has launched a new campaign to try to treat and prevent deadly diseases in working equines.

The charity estimates that thousands of horses and donkeys are dying needlessly every year due to a lack of simple vaccinations and veterinary care.

The appeal is focused around three main diseases — African horse sickness (AHS), tetanus and epizootic lymphangitis (EZL).

EZL is a painful and contagious fungal disease that is affecting up to 30% of Ethiopia’s cart-horse population. Last year SPANA vets treated nearly 800 cases.

Highly infectious AHS is spread by insect bites and, in its acute form, is fatal in around 90% of cases.

Working animals are also particularly vulnerable to tetanus as they are exposed to cuts and scratches. Although the disease is usually fatal for infected animals, it is preventable through vaccination with just two injections.

Jeremy Hulme, chief executive of SPANA, said: “With so many of the diseases threatening working animals, a simple injection really can be the difference between life and death.

“Working animals are vital to many of the world’s poorest people. Their owners often rely completely on these animals — which do the jobs of tractors, trucks and taxis — for their livelihoods, and sometimes survival. By supporting our appeal, you will be helping to protect these animals and the families that depend on them.”

A £9 donation will vaccinate three donkeys against tetanus, £20 will enable the treatment of a horse with EZL and £45 will allow SPANA vets to treat an animal with African Horse Sickness.

> H&H’s Sophia Heath will visit Ethiopia later this month to witness firsthand the work that SPANA vets undertake.

> To donate visit www.spana.org

This news story was first published in H&H magazine (13 November 2014).

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Equine charities have been forced to defend their donation methods after a documentary revealed questionable practices being used by third-party fundraising organisations.

Dispatches, which aired on Channel 4 earlier this month (11 August), showed reporters going undercover with NTT Fundraising and Pell & Bales. The documentary revealed practices of lying and deliberately targeting the vulnerable.

World Horse Welfare has worked with one of the companies that featured in the show but said that it had a “positive response” to the campaign, which finished earlier this year and was used to contact existing donors.

“We do not engage in calling people that have not previously donated to our work and our team closely monitors calls that are made on our behalf,” said the charity’s John Blake.

“Although we have never received a complaint from any of our limited telephone work, it is not enough to do nothing in light of the concerns programme. We intend to fully review how we work in this area to maintain the confidence of those who choose to support our work.”

H&H’s charity of the year, SPANA, has not worked with the companies mentioned in the show but does undertake some telephone appeals for donations to new and existing supporters.

“All of our fundraising is closely monitored and reviewed to ensure that the highest standards are maintained,” said Jason Cater of SPANA.

“We do not contact supporters over the age of 65 and take steps to avoid contacting anyone who is elderly or vulnerable, as well as those who tell us that they do not want to be contacted in this way.”

First published in H&H magazine on Thursday 28 August, 2014.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

In April we announced that SPANA had been chosen by readers to be H&H’s charity of the year. As part of our partnership with the charity, I was invited to go to Morocco to see the work they do first hand. I spent three days with the country director Professor Hassan Alyakine visiting three of SPANA's centres to see how they help improve the welfare of working equines in the country.

Final destination

Before travelling back to H&H towers, I visited my third SPANA centre on the outskirts of Casablanca.

I had thought that the contrast between the modern luxuries and working equines in Marrakech was severe, but Casablanca took it to a whole new level.

The centre is based just outside the city where the bright lights and designer shops quickly give way to poor districts. Many of the people that live in this area come from rural areas but move to be nearer to Casablanca for much of the year. Like many other Moroccans, their working equines are vitally important to them.

The centre is the largest of SPANA’s in the country and, as well as an education unit and a surgery, it also has a large sand arena.

Difficult cases

In Casablanca injuries caused from collisions with cars are common as the working animals share the road with lots of traffic.

A fairly gruesome example of this was at the centre when I visited. A grey horse had been hit in the eye causing the bone around it to shatter.

The horse had undergone surgery the day before to have free moving bone removed. When we visited the wound was being cleaned and examined (see video).

One of the other in patients was a horse suffering from chronic laminitis. The owner had kept the horse at home for a month treating him with drugs from the store before bringing him to SPANA. As a result the condition had become so severe that he could barely stand (see video below).

This was an incredibly distressing case to watch, mainly because it was completely unavoidable. The prognosis did not look good and a talk had been scheduled with the owner to discuss how much longer they were going to try to continue treatment.

Riding for the disabled

On a happier note, the Casablanca centre also offers the opportunity for disabled children to come and ride.

Unfortunately the programme only runs during the term times so I was not able to see it in action. However, I did get to meet the two horses, one pony and donkey that are used for the lessons.

It seems like the disabled riding, which was started in 2011, is a huge success and is yet another example of SPANA’s work making a huge difference in the community.

Flight home thoughts…

From my time spent with SPANA it is clear that the work the charity undertakes in the country is not only vitally important to the owners of these animals, but also serves a purpose to stop further suffering in the future.

The charity is above all else practical. It is not a shelter providing homes for unwanted animals, but a service and an education tool for a proportion of a society that needs help.

My trip has also made me realise how incredibly spoilt our own horses are at home and how lucky we are to be able to enjoy them as pampered pets!

Working equines still have a huge role to play in economies all across the world and as animal lovers it’s important we help charities like SPANA to operate.

I am delighted that H&H readers chose SPANA to be the charity of the year.

• Read Sophia’s first blog from Morocco
• Read Sophia’s second blog from Morocco

How you can help

For more information about SPANA’s work or to donate please visit the SPANA website or text STABLE to 70500 to donate £3 to help SPANA horses in need.

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In April we announced that SPANA had been chosen by readers to be H&H’s charity of the year. As part of our partnership with the charity, I was invited to go to Morocco to see the work they do first hand. I spent three days with the country director Professor Hassan Alyakine visiting three of SPANA's centres to see how they help improve the welfare of working equines in the country.

Rural life

On my second day in Morocco we travelled to the rural town on Chemaia where another SPANA centre is based. The centre is much smaller than in Marrakech and does not have the “luxury” of an operating theatre.

However, Dr Younesse El Ouasbi and his assistant Dr Kamal Lamhibi are not put off by the basic facilities and perform some impressive operations and achieve some amazing recoveries.

The centre did not have that many inpatients as it was due to be shut for August. Two of the patients — a horse and a donkey ­— were recovering from bite wounds from other horses. Dr Younesse explained how he has used buttons in both cases to help them heal. He uses the buttons to help to hold together stitches when there is dead skin (see pic).

The centre was also running its morning open clinic and had several dental cases in. Dr Younesse explained that is a big problem in the area because often owners do not understand that the animal is suffering. Both of the horses were rasped so that they could eat again in comfort (see video).

Practical solutions

A big character at the centre is Lancelot the donkey, who is part of the charity’s loaning scheme. The idea is that if an owner cannot live without his animal, while it recovers they can be lent Lancelot so that they can carry on with their work.

However, Lancelot was looking a little bit porky so maybe he was in need of a bit more work!

The centre also runs a very successful bit replacement scheme. This means that owners can exchange their bits — which are often either unnecessarily severe or sharp — for a simple loose ring straight snaffle.

Dr Younesse estimates that he exchanges around 30 bits a month saving the equines from mouth sores and lacerations. I looked through a box of some of the bits which had been handed in and they were horrific (see pic).

Moving through the country

After leaving Chemia we travelled the 250km north to Casablanca. What was startling about the journey — which passed through large rural areas of Morocco — was just how many working equines we passed.

It is slightly scary to think what happens to the animals which are not near a SPANA centre and made me realise why people are prepared to travel such long distances to use the service.

Read Sophia’s first blog from Morocco

How you can help

For more information about SPANA’s work or to donate please visit the SPANA website or text STABLE to 70500 to donate £3 to help SPANA horses in need.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

In April we announced that SPANA have been chosen by readers to be H&H’s charity of the year. As part of our partnership with the charity, I was invited to go to Morocco to see the work they do first hand. I spent three days with the country director Professor Hassan Alyakine visiting three of SPANA's centres to see how they help improve the welfare of working equines in the country.

A different sort of car park

On my first morning in Morocco I was taken approximately 40km outside of Marrakech to a souk (open-air market) in the town Ourika. The market happens every Monday bringing people, mostly men, from all the surrounding villages. SPANA’s mobile clinic attends every other week and provides veterinary, farriery and saddle making services to donkey owners that bring their animals.

The souk is the “real Morocco” and is a real contrast to the shiny hotels of Marrakech. The “donkey car park” is a pretty surreal sight with more than 60 animals being left tied in the dirt while their owners shop (see video below). It was a stark realisation of the very real role that equines play in working life in Morocco.

Pretty soon after arriving at the car park a man brought his 15-year-old donkey over to the SPANA vets. The most obvious sign of distress were bald bloody patches on the back of the animal’s legs. The patches had been caused by mange (see pic below). The donkey was also poorly shod with long toes and had a large lump under her stomach from her girth.

Sorry that I can only refer to this donkey as “donkey” but a majority of owners do not name their animals. It is another reminder that they are seen as machines rather than personalities.

The donkey was given a dose of worming medicine, her mange was treated and the she was re shod (see video above). The owner was also recommended to change the girth to stop the rubbing. Having undergone her “MOT” the donkey was back on her way about 20min later.

The vets and farriers at the car park were not short on work with many owners taking advantage of the free service. This is the only mobile clinic that the charity still runs as it now has such a strong reputation that it relies on people bringing their animals to its centres.

Marrakech centre

From the Souk we went on visit SPANA’s centre in Marrakech (see picture below). It is not the biggest of its six centres in the country, but is one of the busiest.

The centre — which normally has two full time vets working — runs an open clinic every morning where they expect to see more than 30 patients. The worse cases can be admitted into its hospital where they can keep horses for months if necessary to recover.

One of the first cases that I watched the vets deal with was a grey mare called Mabrouka (which means Fortunate). She had fallen because she was carrying to heavy a load, causing deep wounds to her fetlocks, knees and face (see video below).

Perhaps it was the similarity with the fall in Black Beauty (call me sentimental), but it was extremely sad to watch.

The vet and staff did a great job at cleaning the wounds and bandaging up the mare and she was sent home with strict instructions to be brought back within three working days to have her bandages changed.

After the mare had been sent on her way, the vets moved on to treating to youngsters that were both suffering from strangles (see picture below). The elder of the two’s condition had got to such an extent that the lymph nodes had ruptured.

Strangles is a real issue in the area because owners do not understand how easily it is spread.

Once open surgery had finished, the vet Dr Boukber El Mouhaine took the time to show me around the whole centre to meet the inpatients.

There was a complete range of cases, but common issues were lesions and infected wounds. One of the most extreme cases was a horse that lesions had got so big that he had been left with a gaping hole in his hind quarters where they had been drained (see pic). I am not a particularly squeamish, but the horse’s wounds were enough to make me feel physically sick.

First day thoughts…

The work that the vets undertake with limited facilities is impressive. It is clear from spending time in the centre and the mobile clinic what a vital lifeline SPANA provides to the community.

Although overall the condition of the animals on the street is not that bad, it is a world away from the way we pamper our ponies at home. The reality is that to most people in Morocco their horse, donkey or mule is a piece of machinery.

A majority of the mistreatment appeared to come from misunderstanding, rather than malice, but that didn’t make it any easier to see. I can understand why SPANA has its work cut out to make owners understand the importance of basic welfare.

How you can help

For more information about SPANA’s work or to donate please visit the SPANA website or text STABLE to 70500 to donate £3 to help SPANA horses in need.

For my full report from Morocco don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound — out Thursday 7 August

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Yearly visitor numbers to Morocco more than doubled between 2000 and 2010, and the government aims to double visitor numbers again by 2020. However, alongside the luxurious new spa hotels and nightclubs, there are an estimated 1,760,000 working equines helping poverty-stricken owners.

The value of good equine welfare and its benefits in turn for the animals’ owners was discussed at length at the International Colloquium of Working Equids last month. SPANA was heavily involved in the three-day event, hosted by World Horse Welfare, with directors from the seven core countries in which it operates at present.

SPANA was founded in London in 1923 and began its work in Morocco two years later, helping to improve the welfare of working animals. The charity now has six centres across the country. Its work has two main aims — treating sick and injured horses, mules and donkeys; and educating owners and future generations about the importance of welfare.

A stitch in time…

Last year, SPANA’s veterinary team — led by Moroccan-trained vets — provided over 65,000 treatments to animals. The work is varied, but malnutrition, colic and trauma wounds are common ailments. In the SPANA centre in Marrakech I saw vets treat a horse called Mabrouka, who had deep lacerations on his fetlocks, knees and face after falling on the road from carrying too heavy a load. 

Mabrouka had fallen in the morning and his young owner Khalid had brought him straight to the open clinic that is run each day.

“The people in my village told me to treat it with oil. But I wanted him treated with proper medicine so I brought him to SPANA,” he said.

Dr Boubker El Mouhaine, one of the vets working with SPANA in Marrakech, cleaned and bandaged the wounds. The horse was then sent home with strict instructions to be brought back every three days to have the wounds cleaned and bandaged (pictured below).

The treatment means that the horse will be able to go back to work within a number of weeks, protecting not only the income of his owner’s family but also the horse from a potentially fatal infection.

Difficult situations

Euthanasia is an unavoidable topic in the charity’s work. The primary problem that staff face is persuading owners that it might be the best option. One of the in-patients at the centre in Marrakech was suffering from azoturia, which had reached such an extreme state that it looked unlikely that the horse would recover. However, the vet was forced to wait for the owner to come back and visit the horse the next day before a decision could be taken.

“We have to wait for an owner’s permission,” said Dr El Mouhaine. “In extreme cases with colic or infections we can go ahead and show them pictures, or do a postmortem to prove to them it was necessary. The problem with this case is that I would not be able to explain it. So we have to wait.”

SPANA’s success is based upon mutual respect between the Moroccan vets and the people who use the charity’s services. However, the harsh reality is that sometimes these cases are unavoidable.

Educating owners

Through its work, SPANA also tries to educate owners on the importance of looking after their animals.

“Only half of what we do is veterinary work,” said Professor Hassan Alyakine, country director for SPANA Morocco. “Much of the rest is educating owners. I always encourage all the vets to talk to the owners as much as possible.”

The importance of education was highlighted by a case of severe laminitis at the Casablanca centre, which I also visited.

A bay horse had been treated for lameness at home for a month before his owner decided to bring him to SPANA (pictured below).

Vets quickly ascertained that he was suffering from laminitis, which was thought to be the result of being fed too much grain.

The horse had to be forced to stand due to the severity of the pain, and visibly shook from the effort of placing weight on his front feet.

The vets confirmed that both of his pedal bones had rotated and that he would be unlikely to recover. A discussion about the animal’s future was due to take place the next day.

“It’s a great shame because acute laminitis responds very well to treatment,” said Prof Alyakine.“There shouldn’t be a need to treat cases like this because they are avoidable.”

The future

As well as talking in detail to all of the owners who bring horses to the centres, the charity runs an education programme that reaches more than 20,000 children a year.

The scheme, which is run most afternoons across the country, is divided into two parts — basic care, and empathy for animals.

The care part of the workshops teaches children about animals’ five basic needs — food and water, safety, health, shelter and freedom.

The second part explains to children that animals are sentient beings and therefore need to be cared for and respected.

“It is easier to educate children than it is to change the mindset of older owners,” said Prof Alyakine. “There have already been improvements, but we need to change the place of equines in society and this takes time.”

SPANA in numbers

• 1,760,000 — the number of working equines in Morocco
• 1925 — the year the charity began work in Marrakech
• 1986 — the year the education programme was started
• 2011 — the year Casablanca established a riding for the disabled programme
• 16 — the number of vets in Morocco
• 65,324 — the number of treatments provided to animals in 2013

Veterinary Education

SPANA has also been behind the introduction of equines to the syllabus at the only veterinary school in the country, in Rabat. All students are now required to do a three-week placement at one of the charity’s centres during the course of their degree.

“It is very important because it gives the students a chance to get hands-on practice with animals,” said Prof Hassan Alyakine.

The charity also takes volunteer graduates from the UK to work in its centres in Morocco. The British graduates spend a minimum of a month at one of the centres, giving them the opportunity to share expertise and learn from the Moroccan vets.

➤ For more information about SPANA visit: www.spana.org

➤ For blogs and videos from the trip visit: www.horseandhound.co.uk/SPANA

First published in Horse & Hound magazine on 7 August 2014

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Mules have been perfecting their catwalk turns in the High Atlas mountains in Morocco for a beauty contest run by H&H’s charity of the year SPANA.

The annual “Best Kept Mule” competition was founded by the charity to reward good animal ownership in between the charity’s monthly mobile clinic visits. SPANA vets award points throughout the year for the mule’s maintenance and the winners are those who have accumulated the most.

Jeremy Hulme, SPANA’s chief executive, said: “In a region where mules provide the working backbone of the community these awards have given local people a new perspective on the importance of animal welfare.

“By promoting the awards we have captured the imagination of the community and provided an incentive for owners to treat their mules well throughout the year.

“From modest beginnings, these awards have grown more popular every year and fostered good-natured competition amongst owners to keep their animals in better condition. As a result the mules are receiving a much higher standard of life than we could have hoped for.”

Four villages now enter the competition and winning owners receive a small financial sum and a bag of barley to feed their animals.

H&H’s Sophia Heath will be heading to Morocco with H&H’s charity of the year SPANA to witness its work first-hand later this month.

Don’t miss her coverage online and report in August. 

For more on working equines don’t miss this week’s issue of H&H (10 July).

All pictures courtesy of Anne Heslop

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SPANA, the charity dedicated to helping working animals including horses and donkeys around the world, is H&H’s official charity of the year.

As part of our commitment to help SPANA help working horses, we have added a donation facility to our horses for sale online advert booking system. Every £1 donated by our readers when they advertise their horse for sale will be matched by H&H.

It’s quick and simple to add a donation when booking your advert online. Simply click on the H&H charity of the year donation option when you get to the ‘enhance your ad’ options (pictured below) and a £1 donation will be added to your basket.

Anyone who choses this option, will get the ‘Supporting SPANA’ icon (pictured above left) added to their horse for sale advert to illustrate your generosity.

Book a horse for sale advert

To find out more about SPANA’s work visit www.spana.org

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Why pose with a celebrity when you can have some fun with your best friend — your horse — and raise money for charity at the same time?

H&H has teamed up with our charity of the year Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) to help raise funds and spread some equine love with the launch of the “#stableselfie”.

It’s simple — take a selfie with your horse, post it on social media and text “stable” to 70500 to make a £3 donation to SPANA. 

SPANA’s director of veterinary programmes Dr Andy Stringer said: “We hope to see as many H&H readers as possible taking part in the stable selfie fun! 

“The money raised will help our vets provide vital treatment for sick and injured horses, donkeys and mules in some of the world’s poorest countries, as well as run community development programmes to help people better care for their animals.”

Don’t forget to nominate other friends to take part. Spread the word and use the hashtag #stableselfie. 

Updated: Here are just a few of the individuals who took part…

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This week charities have been celebrating all things donkey as part of International Donkey Week (7-12 May) — centered around International Donkey Day last week (8 May).

Today (Monday 12 May) is the final day of the week that promotes donkeys in the UK and highlights the plight of working donkeys globally. There are an estimated 50million donkeys and mules in the world.

And to celebrate H&H has made a gallery of donkey images

Devon-based charity The Donkey Santuary set up Donkey Week 32 years ago to lengthen the celebration of the International Day.

“More than 16,500 donkeys have been given a sanctuary for life in the UK, Ireland and Europe,” said David Cook of the charity.

“Millions of donkeys supporting some of the world’s poorest communities have been helped through free veterinary and education interventions, and donkey assisted therapy has enhanced the lives of thousands of children with additional needs.”

H&H’s charity of the year SPANA is also promoting the work of donkeys this week.

“It’s easy for many of us in the UK to forget there are millions of donkeys worldwide that are right now being used to do the jobs of trucks, tractors and taxis in the developing world. Without this vast and often overlooked workforce, life in many poor countries would simply grind to a halt,” said Jeremy Hulme, chief executive of H&H’s charity of the year SPANA.

“Donkeys may seem to most unglamorous, but they are hardworking, stoic and hugely intelligent animals — as they say in Morocco, ‘when a horse has a problem, he goes to a donkey for advice’.”

To find out more about the worldwide work of donkeys visit: www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk and www.spana.org

16 things you never knew about donkeys

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H&H’s charity of the year, SPANA, has launched a major fundraising appeal to train farriers in Africa.

The programme follows a study that showed that 99% of horses in Ethiopia have hoof abnormality.

In SPANA’s survey of 320 carthorses in 2 towns in Ethiopia, nearly all were suffering with problems caused by poor farriery. 

SPANA is aiming to raise £40,000 to fund the programmes to train farriers in Ethiopia, Morocco and Tunisia

“This study is just the tip of the iceberg. We urgently need to focus our efforts on the prevention of lameness, which causes untold misery every day,” said Dr Andrew Stringer, SPANA’s director of veterinary programmes.

“A simple and very treatable problem like overgrown hooves can lead to tendon damage and in some cases horrific trip injuries. We often see horseshoes crudely hammered on with masonry nails potentially penetrating the sensitive areas of the hoof, causing infections and excruciating pain.

“This suffering can go untreated for months and once chronic lameness occurs, it is notoriously difficult to manage. By the time our vets get to see the animal its condition is sometimes so advanced, it’s too late to help them and euthanasia is the only option. This is why prevention is the best solution.”

To donate visit: www.spana.org/lameness

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Working horses, ponies and donkeys around the world will be helped this year, thanks to the readers of Horse & Hound.

We invited readers to submit suggestions for our charity for our 130th birthday year and SPANA — which supports working animals abroad — was voted the winner.

“On behalf of all of the team and the hundreds of thousands of working animals we help every year, I’d like to say how honoured we are that SPANA has been chosen as charity of the year,” said the charity’s chief executive Jeremy Hulme.

“We’d like to thank everyone who voted for us. We’re especially looking forward to showing H&H some of our projects in Africa, where we’re helping to improve the lives of horses, donkeys and mules that work tirelessly for some of the world’s poorest people.

“The money raised from being selected as H&H’s charity of the year will go a long way in helping us provide free veterinary treatment for sick and injured animals.”

SPANA will receive a lump sum from H&H, as well as a number of opportunities to work with us during the next 12 months.

The lump sum will be raised by H&H readers through a new charity donation option on our online classified section, which the magazine will match.

H&H Editor Lucy Higginson said: “We have been proud to support charities like this that do so much for so many working equines around the world. We know better than most that these are challenging times for all charities and fundraising, so we are delighted to be helping SPANA through our special birthday year.”

About SPANA

SPANA (the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) was set up in 1923 by British mother and daughter Kate and Nina Hosali, who travelled to north Africa.

They were shocked by the mistreatment and poor welfare standards working horses, donkeys and mules endured, and campaigned tirelessly to set up SPANA on their return.

SPANA runs long-term veterinary and education programmes in Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Mali, Mauritania, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, providing free treatment for sick and injured working animals.

SPANA in numbers in 2013

222,000

treatments to working animals, including horses, donkeys and mules

35,835

wounds and sores treated

3,037

new bits distributed as part of its bit exchange scheme

62,267

children taught about animal welfare

474,250

animals fed and watered through its emergency and partnership programmes

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Animal lover and ex-MP Ann Widdecombe has toured the Giza pyramids area in Cairo to see the plight of horses facing starvation there amid the ongoing political unrest.

As Egypt’s visitor numbers have plummeted, hundreds of emaciated carriage horses that are usually used for tourist excursions are now suffering severe malnutrition.

Around 48 per cent fewer tourists visited the country in the last quarter of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012, leaving many of Cairo’s carriage drivers without an income and unable to afford feed.

Miss Widdecombe visited Giza with the British animal charity the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) to see their work helping malnourished horses, and travelled to an area on the outskirts of the city that has become a dumping ground for horse carcasses.

She said: “Tourists will stay away from Egypt until political stability returns and in the meantime horses will suffer.

“It has been truly shocking and heartbreaking to see the plight of horses here, especially the area that’s become a makeshift horse graveyard. I commend charities like SPANA for taking action to feed Giza’s horses, saving their lives and securing the future incomes of carriage drivers reliant on the tourist trade.”

SPANA is funding an emergency programme to provide basic rations for 200 horses per day.

Jeremy Hulme, SPANA’s chief executive, said: “Thousands of people rely on the tourism industry for their income in Egypt and can’t afford to feed their families at the moment, never mind their animals. This is why our emergency feeding programme is absolutely vital to help keep animals alive until tourism returns.

“Tragically, many horses and camels in the area have already died; they are truly the forgotten victims of this crisis.”

The feeding programme is being run in association with SPANA’s partner organisation the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends.

Warning: this video contains footage you may find distressing

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A group of five engine-revving equine vets set off on a 3,000 mile charity journey yesterday (Tuesday 22 August).

The “Vets with Horsepower” were waved off from the Royal Mews at Buckingam Palace as they began their journey on motorcycles across Europe and North Africa in support of SPANA.

During the two week challenge, they will be giving training lectures at eight veterinary schools in return for donations. They aim to raise £125,000 to help SPANA (the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad).

Money raised will pay for new diagnostic and surgical equipment for SPANA’s veterinary clinics in Mali and Mauritania.

Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes was on the start line to see them off, and praised the group for their endeavors, adding that the work of charities like SPANA is vital for supporting the livelihoods of families and communities.

Vets with Horsepower founder Professor Derek Knottenbelt said: “We are incredibly grateful to Her Majesty for allowing us to start our journey from the Royal Mews, home to horses that enjoy the very best standards of equine welfare.

“We want all working animals to be as well-cared for and we hope that people in the UK and at our veterinary talks abroad will donate generously to help working animals in Mali and Mauritania have a better future.”

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Horse Trust scholar Fernando Malalana, 31, is travelling to Ethiopia on 6 May to provide veterinary treatment to horses and donkeys.

The second-year vet student at Liverpool University is specialising in equine internal medicine, which covers various fields including cardiology, critical care, gastroenterology and ophthalmology.

Fernando will travel to Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, to spend three weeks doing voluntary work for animal charity SPANA.

Although he will be treating all types of veterinary cases, he will focus on horses and donkeys with eye and vision complaints.

The Horse Trust has also provided an indirect ophthalmoscope to enable Fernando and staff at the Ethiopian vet clinic to examine the donkeys and horses’ eyes.

Fernando said: “Vets on previous trips have noticed that many Ethiopian donkeys and horses have problems with their eyes and vision, sometimes causing extreme discomfort.

“By using specialist equipment, we will be able to diagnose problems more easily and earlier, so the animal can be treated before the problem gets worse.”

SPANA estimates that at least 40% of horses and donkeys in the area where it works have problems with their eyes — these range from relatively minor problems such as ulcers and small cataracts, to total blindness.

Fernando will also be helping train horse and donkey owners so they understand how to minimise the risk of eye injury and how to care for an animal that has vision problems.

Paul Jepson, chief executive and veterinary director of The Horse Trust said: “We are delighted that we are able to help horses and donkeys in Ethiopia, by providing this specialist equipment.

“Some of the horses and donkeys living at The Horse Trust’s sanctuary have eye problems, so we know first-hand how this can affect the animal’s quality of life, if it is not properly treated or managed.”

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British veterinary charity SPANA, Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad, has launched a new internet service to help bring their work to life.

Supporters of the charity will be able to watch the day-to-day work of the organisation as it happens though four webcams positioned at one of the charity’s busiest treatment centres in Marrakech.

The cameras, which are positioned to show SPANA’s veterinary work, will provide live streams 24 hours a day to document the activity in the centre.

The charity, which helps to improve the lives of animals and their owners abroad by providing routine care, veterinary treatment and educational programmes, will also post regular updates of what viewers can expect to see on its facebook and Twitter pages.

“Our supporters are very generous with their donations but the majority have only ever read about the work we do or seen photos — they have never actually been able to see what we do first hand,” said Jeremy Hulme, chief executive of SPANA.

“By launching the webcams we hope to give our supporters the chance to see what goes on in a typical day at one of our treatment centres, from everyday occurences to the unexpected.

“We want to show them exactly what it is we do and what the money they donate helps to fund.”

To view the webcams, visit www.spana.org/spana-in-action/marrakech-webcams

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