Annual Seminar/AGM
The October Seminar had to be reprogrammed to 24^th April 2003.  As a result and in a break with tradition, the AGM was held separately in Chertsey on the evening of 4^th November.

During the business meeting, the AGM re-elected the officers and Board.  Thereafter about 60 members and friends heard a presentation by the two TAWS Travel Scholars.  The 4^th year veterinary students, Rebecca Cannon and John Perrott had visited Egypt in the summer and refined a welfare scoring system for working equines in a district of Cairo.  They described their method and gave a summary of the results obtained.  Afterwards, Ramsay Hovell introduced the video describing his work on donkey carts in Sudan (see below).  A most enjoyable buffet rounded off a very successful evening.

The Annual Seminar in April will take place at Silsoe Institute, under the title “The challenge of improving transport animal welfare in the world: ways forward”. 

Proceedings of previous seminars are available through the TAWS office and can be downloaded from our web site.  Part of the cost of the 2001 publication was met by commercial advertising.

El Salvador
The project, directed towards the improvement of the health, management, nutrition and welfare of draught and pack animals, which began in El Salvador in 1999, was continued through the year.  A milestone was passed when on 17^th September the agreement for technical cooperation was signed in San Salvador between ourselves, the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) and the ILPH.  Our activities are at last on a firm legal footing.

Three members of TAWS visited El Salvador in February.  During the visit a three day course of formal instruction was given for 20 state and private veterinary surgeons.  The topics covered were the epidemiological surveillance of equine disease, clinical aspects of bacterial diseases and the principles of equine helminthology.  In parallel there were hands-on practical sessions on laboratory investigative methods in helminthology and in soundness, lameness and diagnostic laboratory tests for infectious disease.  As judged from the lively discussions at all sessions, the course was well received by the participants and by MAG.  Three participants have since taken up specialist equine practice.

The next training course will take place from 21-27 January 2003 and two Spanish-speaking members of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Practitioners have been invited to join the TAWS instructors.  The topics will be wound management and minor surgery, dentistry, ageing, euthanasia and purchase, virology and helminthology.  In support, the Association of Horse Owners in El Salvador has been asked to fund the provision of dental equipment to the value of £4000.

Helminth Investigation
A preliminary investigation last year provided evidence of significant parasitism in the working horse population.  However, the biology of the parasites under the semi-arid conditions of El Salvador, in particular the role of hypobiosis, can only be guessed at.  During the visit in February an attempt was made to launch a small investigation designed to put advice for control on a sound basis.  While there was little progress during 2002 we are more hopeful for this year.

ILPH
In the course of the year ILPH made three visits to the country and continued its very successful training courses for blacksmiths, saddlers and agronomists.

Sudan
Farriery
A grant arranged through TAWS enabled a Sudanese veterinary surgeon from the Veterinary Faculty in Khartoum to attend the School of Farriery in Herefordshire for 5 weeks.  He also gained practical experience with farriers in other parts of the UK.  In particular, training was given in foot trimming and balancing and in remedial shoeing.  In addition two weeks were sponsored by the Donkey Sanctuary at their centre in Devon.  There are plans to repeat this training for a second veterinary surgeon from the Faculty.

Arising from this project, it is planned that a British apprentice farrier should visit Sudan for a few weeks.  Then early in 2003 it is hoped that an instructor in farriery will spend a month in Khartoum teaching Sudanese farriers.  Until the 1950s the British Army provided instruction but there has been no training for local farriers since then and the need is very great.

Publication
Unexpected publicity in the form of an article on donkey cart studies, appeared in the flight magazine of Sudan Airways (Jan-Mar 2002).  Under the title “A Street Cart Named el Garro” the article included a description of the project initiated by TAWS on donkey carts and harness.

An educational video (20 minutes) “Donkeys and horses – a more efficient work force, with reference to draught animals in northern Sudan”, edited at Oxford Brookes University and now complete, describes this work.  It shows how simple modifications to traditional carts can greatly increase the working efficiency of the animals while at the same time much improving their welfare.  The English version was shown at the 4^th International Colloquium on working Equines in Syria and an Arabic version is in preparation.

A second video filmed in Sudan in 2001, is more wide ranging (42 minutes) and intended for TV viewing.  So far this one has only an Arabic commentary.  It gained a silver award at the Cairo TV and Radio Festival in July in the documentary film section.

Education
An introduction to draught animal technology was taught by Ramsay Hovell to veterinary students in 3 colleges in Sudan in the winter of 2002.  Although a new topic, this 2 week course was voted informative, interesting and useful and rated very highly by the students.

Nepal
Continuing political instability has prevented further progress in the development of and trials for an improved design of mule saddle.  The project, started in 1999 and continued in 2000, should resume when local conditions are more stable.

Travel Scholarships
In collaboration with the BVA Overseas Association and with the very generous sponsorship of Mr and Mrs Mike Stamp (who gave £1000 towards the cost of their travel), two veterinary students were given the opportunity to work overseas.  Becky Cannon and John Perrott travelled to Egypt in conjunction with the Brooke Hospital, to study working equines. It is hoped that further scholarships can be offered in the future. Click here for further information

Contact Information

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