Brooke Ambassador helps push into new India brick kilns

The Brooke is expanding its work into more than 117 new brick kilns in India to benefit more working donkeys, horses and mules.

“It really struck home what a tough environment it is here in the brick kilns for the animals and their owners, a stark contrast to the lives horses in the UK enjoy,” says Brooke Ambassador Major Richard Waygood MBE.

“The people however, have a huge amount of pride in their animals – this can clearly be seen by the way they have welcomed the Brooke into their communities and are embracing the advice given.”

The Brooke is offering emergency vet treatment and vaccinations, as well as advice on disease prevention. It is also creating equine welfare groups, encouraging owners to contribute to a joint savings account for use in emergencies and ensures they have access to first aid kits.

To bring about lasting change, the Brooke’s approach involves working closely with local service providers too, such as farriers, saddlers and cart makers, which are often difficult for poor communities to access.

Harsh conditions

Richard visited some of the new kilns earlier this year to help to raise awareness of the austere conditions facing many of the animals who work tirelessly in the kilns to help their owners earn a living. 

India is the second largest brick producer in the world, with an output of 140 billion bricks annually. The process is largely manual and there is little or no technology involved.

Extreme temperatures, lack of shade, difficult terrain and overloading can cause suffering for horses, donkeys and mules. Disease and injuries are common.

Demand for veterinary services is high

“Working conditions in the brick kilns are severe,” said Dorcas Pratt, Brooke’s Director of International Development. "There are currently 50,000 brick kilns in India with more than 5,000 found in Uttar Pradesh alone, so demand for the Brooke’s services is high. To meet that demand we’ve expanded our programme to reach more animals."

You can help to raise funds for the Brooke by taking part in our horse riding challenge to Rajasthan in February 2012, where you can visit the brick kilns and see first -hand how your donations are helping.

Read an interview with kiln vet Dr Sanjay Sharma
Read 28-year old buggy driver Kallu's story