Lesotho is a tiny, landlocked country entirely surrounded by South Africa. Made up mostly of highlands, many villages in the Kingdom of Lesotho can only be reached on horseback, on foot or by light aircraft.
Extremely tough demands are placed upon the 87,000 horses and 146,000 donkeys working in these unforgiving environments.
Subsistence farmers rely heavily on them to earn a living, so these animals are used extensively as a means of transport between villages, pulling carts and working the land.
Since the beginning of our programme in 2007, our courses have been fully subscribed. Having completed our fifth year, it is clear that the students are committed to improving horse welfare.
To date, we have trained 51 saddlers and 42 farriers, with many now embarking on new ventures.
With maximum efforts made to combat the extreme drought, our nutritionists have developed a programme to increase food security for the malnourished working horses. We took full advantage of the much-needed rainfall in September 2007, planting 28 acres of feed crops in Malealea and Matsieng.
In July 2008, the team gave practical demonstrations to local farmers and owners on harvesting, storage methods and crop management. The crop yield from the trial site was distributed and gratefully received by those living in the rural communities.