By Josep Subirana (Veterinary Training Advisor)
22 Nov 2011

Donkeys and cars share the same bumpy roads and indeed one of the logos written on the back of the veterinary ambulances asks drivers to be considerate with donkeys and share the road with them.

Compared to other countries where the Brooke works, in Kenya there are very few working horses.

Donkeys are in charge here, working long hours transporting water, goods and animal feed. These animals are essential for the economy of many poor farmers working at a subsistence level. 

This week, I am running a very important training on equine dentistry. In many countries, veterinary surgery has been seen as a tough profession, appropriate mostly for men.

But fortunately times are changing and here in Kenya one of the participants in the dentistry training is a young and very bright lady named Mary. 

I ask her to champion one of the topics “Welfare in equine handling and examination”. This is part of the training: To prepare vets to be good trainers and an example for non Brooke vets and for the whole community. It is a gift for me to facilitate training for such a group of enthusiast vets.

Few things are more important than good trainings. The Brooke’s approach to trainings empowers vets to improve veterinary services but also, and perhaps more importantly, to train other vets using the best teaching methods available. This means we all work to achieve our goal of improving animal welfare in a sustainable way.