The Equitarian Initiative is a non-profit group created by veterinarians to help the working donkeys, mules, and horses in South Dakota, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Morocco. Their mission is to “to deliver health care and education to improve the health, nutrition, productivity, and welfare of horses, donkeys and mules, and to empower their care providers for sustainable change.”
Judy Batker is the President of the Equitarian Initiative Board and she says that the reason that this group is so important is that the 100 million working equids in the world that make up 99% of the worlds horse population. Unfortunately they only receive 1% of the worlds vet care for equids. What the Equitarian Initiative provides for the equids and their communities is; Triage (farriery, saddle and tack fitting, dentistry, internal medicine, and surgery) education for the people caring for the animals on a daily basis, and a small economic impact by preforming as much business as possible within the local communities.
COVID has presented many set backs to the work that this group can preform during this time. No travel will take place through the end of 2020. They are working very hard to keep the education constant in the communities they working in by using platforms of virtual learning. They are doing this with money that has been donated this year to distribute the best resources as possible. They are also sending supplies to each location when possible.
To learn more, get involved with or donate money or supplies to the Equitarian Initiative visit https://equitarianinitiative.org/.
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