Working Equids’ Influence on Human Health, Livelihood

Researchers recently confirmed that in poor and rural communities, equid health is intrinsically linked to human health.
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The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that there are at least 112 million working horses, donkeys, and mules in the world today. And not coincidentally, you can find most of these equids living and working in areas where people live on less than $2 a day.

Working equids have a significant impact on human welfare and survival in poor and rural communities. And researchers have recently confirmed that in these areas, equid health is intrinsically linked to human health. Jennifer Lane, DVM, MPH, Leland International Hunger Fellow at the Congressional Hunger Center, based with Land O’Lakes International Development in Malawi, explored this link during a presentation at the 2015 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas.

“Many families in disadvantaged, marginalized communities are heavily dependent on the income provided by the power and work of their working equids,” Lane said, quoting the African proverb, “A woman who has no donkey is a donkey.”

Indeed, working equids are particularly important for reducing the burden of work on women and children

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Alexandra Beckstett, a native of Houston, Texas, is a lifelong horse owner who has shown successfully on the national hunter/jumper circuit and dabbled in hunter breeding. After graduating from Duke University, she joined Blood-Horse Publications as assistant editor of its book division, Eclipse Press, before joining The Horse. She was the managing editor of The Horse for nearly 14 years and is now editorial director of EquiManagement and My New Horse, sister publications of The Horse.

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