The meeting explored the plight of the working horse, mule and donkey around the world and the importance of building collaboration between organisations. It examined the benefits of long term and sustainable educational programmes, the role of vets, the potential for constructive research opportunities and the need for funding.

The AAEP’s Equitarian Outreach programme and its partnership with a number of international equine welfare and veterinary associations, was cited as a successful welfare model. Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare, emphasised the need for such levels of collaboration not only with equine welfare organisations but also with humanitarian agencies who need to understand clearly the important role that working horses, mules and donkeys play. He said: “There are around 100 million working equids in the world and the equine quarter need to speak with one voice to get through to humanitarian NGOs. The key element is trust; sharing information leads to ideas and ideas lead to trust.”

The role of the veterinary profession in helping to raise the profile of the working equine was addressed with Chris House pointing out that “in the UK the veterinary profession are looked upon as arbiters of common sense and the focus of the common good and we need to guide the rest of the equine community.”

Alex Thiemann, representing the Gambia Horse and Donkey Sanctuary, suggested how the development of an e-learning network could improve the training of overseas vets and increase their chances of gaining employment. It was agreed that sustainability was the long term goal and that the development of a community’s capabilities should lead to independence.

Gina Pinchbeck, lecturer in Equine Epidemiology at the University of Liverpool, discussed important opportunities for collaborative research on trans-boundary diseases but pointed out that funding is a big issue, as was the need for clear aims and objectives that address local needs and thus secure local participation. Professor Josh Slater, President of the Federation of Equine Veterinary Associations, concluded that “local research should be sold as a preventative on a global level and that donating organisations should be made aware that research in the developing world has a global impact.”

A follow up meeting will be held in Baltimore at the American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention in December 2010. Attending NGOs will be correlating information on current and intended welfare projects to identify how joint initiatives can be taken forward and how funding can be generated.

For further information visit www.beva.org.uk