Every horse remembered
To remember war horses in all their glory, Brooke Action for Working Horses and Donkeys has launched its Every Horse Remembered campaign. “Every Horse Remembered marks 100 years since the end of the First World War, when surviving war horses began the next and, for most, the last painful chapter in their lives,” says Brooke’s media and content manager Jamie Whear. “When our founder Dorothy Brooke went searching for these forgotten heroes, she found walking skeletons working as beasts of burden, their hard labour keeping people in Cairo out of poverty. Supported by the generosity of the public, she established the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital, where Brooke’s story began (see box, p24).” Working horses are sadly not a thing of the past. Nowadays over 100 million equines are working worldwide in punishing environments, such as the scorching heat of brick kilns and coalmines, and treacherous icy rivers and mountains. They assist around 600 million people in the developing world to work their way out of poverty. “By highlighting the struggle of working horses past and present, Every Horse Remembered will help to build a better life for horses in the future,” continues Jamie. “Brooke is calling for everyone who ever loved a horse, donkey or mule, whether as a child or as a rider now, to help prevent suffering of animals working today. “Brooke’s target for the year is to mark millions of lives lost and the millions we still need to save by raising £1 million. This will help us reach more vulnerable working horses, donkeys and mules.” Every Horse Remembered ambassadors include Harry Meade, Alice Oppenheimer, Laura Renwick, Hannah Russell and Little Alf the Shetland (see p170).