Network For Animals Logo
Network For Animals Logo
  • Home
  • Where we take action
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
Menu
  • Home
  • Where we take action
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
Donate now
  • Where we take action
    • Campaigns
      • Ukraine Crisis
      • Cats In Crisis
      • Disaster Relief
      • Dogs In Distress
      • Equine Care & Rescue
      • Seals
      • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
    • Testimonials
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
  • Donate
Menu
  • Where we take action
    • Campaigns
      • Ukraine Crisis
      • Cats In Crisis
      • Disaster Relief
      • Dogs In Distress
      • Equine Care & Rescue
      • Seals
      • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
    • Testimonials
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
  • Donate

Free Horse Clinic

  • April 5, 2017
  • Organized Horse Fighting
  • Philippines

NFA provided several free veterinary clinics this week in the Valencia area of Mindanao, an island in the south of the Philippines. Dr. David Turoff, an equine dentistry specialist from California who had volunteered his time, trained our local vet and students on the principles involved in caring for horses’ teeth.

Horses Require Dentistry Too
Equine dentistry, much as it is unheard of in the Philippines, has become prolific in western countries because of its fundamental importance to equine welfare and longevity. Due to the fact that horses’ dental structures are similar to those of rodents, in that they are constantly growing and being worn down, there is huge potential for problems that can lead to death, brought on essentially by an inability to eat. Dental procedures on equines are fairly simple and the basics can be taught in day or two, so Dr. Turoff gave a lecture at the Central Mindanao University and provided hands on training for select students. The first clinic is took place in the hamlet of Quezon, about an hour’s drive over extremely rough, dirt roads from Valencia. The only way to get to the town is by four wheel drive vehicle or on horseback. We set up the equipment next to a mill where people from remote mountainous regions bring horses loaded with maize to be milled. After the milling process, they load their horses with the maize meal and return to the villages deep in the interior.

Overloading
There was a steady stream of horses labouring under their loads and we got to work dispensing tetanus and vitamin B shots, de-worming the horses and providing their owners with a bag of concentrates to boost nutrition. Dr. Turoff also checked their teeth and advised horse owners on the appropriate weights for the loads of maize meal. The horses in this part of the world tend to be small and under nourished and are often over loaded. On the positive side, the harnesses and saddles are well padded and there is next to no evidence of abrasion sores, something that can be widespread amongst working animals. The horse handlers cover the gamut from 10 year old boys through to 70 year old women. One little boy was so small, the only way he could mount his horse was to hook his foot onto the chest strap of the harness and then use the horses mane to clamber up onto it’s back.

A Hard Life
Ferrying maize meal to and from this mill is a hard life for handlers and horses alike and is striking in its contrast with the developed world where networks of trucks and trains would do the job. A day in the life of these horses and their handlers involves back breaking labour up and down winding mud paths that connect villages in the mountainous interior with the mill. All in 30 degrees of incredibly humid heat or more. For each journey of a few hours, the handler will receive the equivalent of approximately 50 pence. With wages like this, veterinary care is simply not a reality, which is why the free veterinary care and advice we provide in this region is so essential.

By supporting our work, you are reaching out with caring hands to stop animal abuse

Please donate now
Stay up to date

Stay up to date

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp

WATCH: Eva’s Happily-ever-after! From A Terrifying Township To A Fabulous Fur-ever Home

Little Eva was just 7 weeks old when she was rescued from the South African township of Philippi by our partner TEARS. We didn’t know

16 May 2022

Good News Update: The Animals Of APA El Refugio Get New Kennels – And A New Home!

Back in February, we told you about our partner, the APA El Refugio shelter in Uruguay, which had been destroyed by a terrible fire soon

9 May 2022

Celebrate World Donkey Day With Network for Animals

World Donkey Day honors the resilience of this humble animal. Gentle donkeys often face unspeakable brutality and it is imperative that we raise the awareness

8 May 2022

Your Donations In ACTION: April 2022

It has been more than two months since conflict broke out in Ukraine and in all this time, we have been working without rest to

1 May 2022

Help us fight cruelty to animals around the world

Click here to donate

Network for Animals

Network for Animals is a non-government, international animal welfare organization crusading for animals around the world.

© Network for Animals
Privacy policy

Campaigns

Cats In Crisis Disaster Relief Dogs In Distress Equine Care & Rescue Seals Ukraine Crisis Worldwide Donkey Crisis

Stay up to date

Receive our regular emails about our campaigns for animals around the world.

Sign up

Sign up to our newsletter

Contact us

UK: +44 (0)20 8471 7666
USA: +1 727 599 8148
South Africa: + 27 21 794 9149
+ 264 81 653186

info@networkforanimals.org

Facebook-f Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin
Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter

This website uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo