lizh
Well-Known Member
OK, let me explain the situation:
I am going back out to India in a month or so to stay with an indian friend who I met a couple of years ago. He owns a horse farm and breeds Marwari horses (the ones with ears that join at the top).
So, well, India is India... and rural, remote India is well, very rural and very remote. The nearest Vet is a 15 hour drive with a horse truck, there are no real farriers within a similar radius, never mind physios etc.
Now Ajeet loves his horses and does take the very best care of them that he can. He also sits on a sort of breeders forum for the Marwari horses and does share his knowledge with others to improve the breed and the welfare of the horses, he is keen to share any learnings he gleans with fellow horse owners.
They do very occasionally get information from farriers etc but nothing consistent and they fall into no-mans-land as far as charity help goes - as I said, he cares for his horses pretty well - far too well to qualify for help from any of the main charities - but he acutely conscious that he would like to do better.
Conversations I have had where he has asked what to do, I've been 'uh, well I'd call the vet', of course not an option for him. He does though, with India being India, have access to drugs and can perform farriery and basic veterinary tasks.
Medical texts in English are too hard for his excellent verbal skills but limited written English skills- and me carrying out a ton of vet supplies etc isn't realistic either - so what I wanted to do was compile a ton of DVDs on different topics that would provide an in depth library. There is intermittent internet access but not at the bandwidths required to watch video - and there is intermittent electricity - but not enough for creating ice in the desert (many horses suffer some degree of tendon strain living in the deep sand of the desert).
So, resources on:
Farrierry (shod and unshod)
Foaling - he's very au fait with normal foaling, it's when things go wrong that he needs specific help.
Foaling - abnormalities with youngstock -recognising and treating - ie he contacted me about a foal on it's fetlocks - easy, I was able to help and it's now healthy, but that kind of thing.
Advanced Saddle fitting
Veterinary care - pretty much everything from colic to hoof abceseses
Physio - particularly rehabbing tendons but also recognising and treating sore points.
Fittening -horses are used mainly like top level endurance horses -fast work over long distances in desert conditions.
And anything else at all that would be useful. I have been scouring the internet - but I know that H&HOers will find stuff I have not! Oh, and if there are any horse pros in the above professions who would like an awesome busmans holiday, I can certainly put you in touch
(And here is Ajeet (from about 1 min in): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q88-f...layer_embedded)
I am going back out to India in a month or so to stay with an indian friend who I met a couple of years ago. He owns a horse farm and breeds Marwari horses (the ones with ears that join at the top).
So, well, India is India... and rural, remote India is well, very rural and very remote. The nearest Vet is a 15 hour drive with a horse truck, there are no real farriers within a similar radius, never mind physios etc.
Now Ajeet loves his horses and does take the very best care of them that he can. He also sits on a sort of breeders forum for the Marwari horses and does share his knowledge with others to improve the breed and the welfare of the horses, he is keen to share any learnings he gleans with fellow horse owners.
They do very occasionally get information from farriers etc but nothing consistent and they fall into no-mans-land as far as charity help goes - as I said, he cares for his horses pretty well - far too well to qualify for help from any of the main charities - but he acutely conscious that he would like to do better.
Conversations I have had where he has asked what to do, I've been 'uh, well I'd call the vet', of course not an option for him. He does though, with India being India, have access to drugs and can perform farriery and basic veterinary tasks.
Medical texts in English are too hard for his excellent verbal skills but limited written English skills- and me carrying out a ton of vet supplies etc isn't realistic either - so what I wanted to do was compile a ton of DVDs on different topics that would provide an in depth library. There is intermittent internet access but not at the bandwidths required to watch video - and there is intermittent electricity - but not enough for creating ice in the desert (many horses suffer some degree of tendon strain living in the deep sand of the desert).
So, resources on:
Farrierry (shod and unshod)
Foaling - he's very au fait with normal foaling, it's when things go wrong that he needs specific help.
Foaling - abnormalities with youngstock -recognising and treating - ie he contacted me about a foal on it's fetlocks - easy, I was able to help and it's now healthy, but that kind of thing.
Advanced Saddle fitting
Veterinary care - pretty much everything from colic to hoof abceseses
Physio - particularly rehabbing tendons but also recognising and treating sore points.
Fittening -horses are used mainly like top level endurance horses -fast work over long distances in desert conditions.
And anything else at all that would be useful. I have been scouring the internet - but I know that H&HOers will find stuff I have not! Oh, and if there are any horse pros in the above professions who would like an awesome busmans holiday, I can certainly put you in touch
(And here is Ajeet (from about 1 min in): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q88-f...layer_embedded)