Mexico

Veracruz Project

Located in North America, Mexico has a population of 109 million people and more than five million horses, donkeys and mules. As is so common in many of our training locations, these working horses are heavily relied upon by their owners - particularly in rural areas.

 

World Horse Welfare's training teams have been committed to improving horse welfare in Mexico for more than 20 years. They have operated in many states across the country, reaching thousands of working animals.

 

Training initiative

Our current training programme is taking place in the coastal state of Veracruz, which is considered to be the poorest in Mexico. With 444,341 horses, donkeys and mules, Veracruz has the largest population of working animals in the country. The region is also mountainous, so many are used as pack animals and for agricultural purposes.

A benefit of our collaboration with The Donkey Sanctuary and the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM) is the ability to combine our training programmes with the mobile veterinary clinics. The teams often identify injuries and wounds sustained from ill-fitting and poorly made pack saddles on field trips. Fortunately, our vets provide emergency first aid to treat the wounds, while our trained saddlers are able to make and fit remedial felt pads to sit under the pack saddles, alleviating the pressure and pain from the wound sites.

To find out where World Horse Welfare operates, please visit Countries.