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Article - June 2002
In
The Shadow of Equus RACETRACK RESCUE | ||
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The call to the post heralds not just the start of a race but the start of the racing season around the world. The Grand National has already been run at Aintree, England and The Derby has been celebrated at Kentucky. Canadian racetracks are well into their racing schedules and, in Pakistan, racing is on track and horses are running again. But last year it almost didn't happen. In the extraordinary tragic events of 2001, the Karachi racecourse in Pakistan had more than its share of crisis. The track was home to some 600 racehorses. In July last year a dispute over the payment of fees led to the termination of all racing at the track. With no money coming in from racing and no one training, exercising or grooming, owners were faced with a severe loss of income. The wealthier owners moved their horses to other racetracks. But many found themselves suddenly penniless with no means to feed their families, much less their horses. They were forced to abandon their animals at the track to find work elsewhere while others struggled to stay with their animals and do the best they could in a quickly escalating crisis. About 250 horses were left at the track without food or water. Temperatures soared close to 50 degrees C. There was no electricity or water and the paddocks were bare of food. Horses began to die. But help was already on the way. The Brooke Hospital for Animals is a non-profit organization headquartered in London, England, that provides free veterinary care for working horses in Egypt, Jordan, India and Pakistan, with imminent plans to set up veterinary clinics in Afghanistan. Founded in 1934, the organization has been helping working horses and their owners in some of the poorest regions on Earth, providing not only veterinary help but sharing practical information on horse management and preventative care with their owners. The Brooke Hospital began working in Pakistan in 1991 when a mobile veterinary unit was set up at Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province. A permanent clinic was soon built and more mobile vet units established. Their work spread to Lahore, Multan, Mardan and Gujranwala where a research unit studies surra, a debilitating disease caused by a blood parasite. "Our operation in Pakistan alerted us to the (racetrack) situation," explained Rick Butson, Overseas Development Director. "We recognized the need for immediate action. We were delighted when the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) approached us with a solution. With the (approx.) $10,000 provided by the ILPH for feed and veterinary medicines and using the Brooke's knowledge and contacts in Pakistan, we were able to have a team at the racecourse in a matter of days."
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Brooke Hospital's Chief Veterinary Officer, Colonel Anwar ul-Haq arrived at the Karachi racetrack on July 9, 2001 to find that seventy horses had died and another sixty were severely malnourished. He immediately purchased fodder, sourced water, and provided veterinary treatments. But to save the horses, they had to save the racetrack. The parties had stubbornly squared off and it took the initiatives of Lt. Gen. Shah Rafi Alam, Director of Brooke Hospital's Pakistan office, to bring the parties together in a final agreement that allowed racing to resume by the end of July. "The arrival of the veterinary team was nothing short of a miracle," commented an owner/trainer from the Punjab. "I have six horses and I could not provide for even one of them. The medicines and the rations supplied by ILPH and the care administered by the Brooke saved them all." "They saved Flag of Pakistan!" added Sharrif Khan emotionally. "He was practically dead on his feet when the help came. Thanks to ILPH money and Brooke negotiating the recommencement of racing, the future livelihood of all the grooms and the workers in the stables is assured." The work of the Brooke Hospital for Animals over the decades has been nothing short of amazing and their services are more in demand than ever. Since March last year they have treated thousands of sick, injured, exhausted and starving horses and donkeys owned by refugees fleeing Afghanistan to the camps along the Pakistan border, often working around the clock to treat 300 animals a day. In a gesture of financial help, Sir Peter O'Sullevan, Aintree's veteran race commentator, donated over $50,000, money raised from a charity lunch. The much-needed donation came at a time when the Brooke had been stretched to its limit to meet the needs of so many animals in places where there is so much upheaval. "I've been accumulating debt to the horse for some 80 years and the Brooke is the most marvellous means of helping me to discharge it," commented Sir Peter. "It's an incomparable hands-on organization..." The owners, trainers, grooms and jockeys at the Karachi racetrack couldn't agree more. Running at a recent race was Raysham, a bay mare that almost died from dehydration and starvation. When she finished first over five furlongs, she won more than her race. She won the hearts, minds and hopes of everyone who has ever loved a horse. For more information visit: www.brooke-hospital.org.uk
Read Margaret Evans' column "In The Shadow Of Equus" each month in The Pacific & Prairie Horse Journal |
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