egypt equine aid

Travel can significantly and unexpectedly change lives. That's just what happened to Australia's  Jill and Warren Barton during their visit to Egypt in 2013. They were so shocked to see the plight of the horses around the pyramids in Giza that they sold their family home to fund this project and returned to live in Egypt within a year to start EEA.

What they have done in just a decade is inspiring and so desperately needed. They filled a gap that was missing and began to educate Egyptians to understand that work animals feel both physical and emotional pain, and need to be cared for in order to stay healthy. 

 Starting with a roofless farm, EEA has grown to a staff of more than 25, including six full time vets, 4 vet assistants, and two farriers who work in the field and the pyramid area to provide free care for the horses and donkeys and educate to their owners. They have set high standards where there were none, started the country's first vet training program in equine care, and are now well equipped with important gear. Every year they help more than 1,000 inpatients and 3,000 outpatients and are working hard to expose and eradicate animal abuse in all its forms. 

EEA also runs the only farrier apprenticeship program and have the first donkey specific hospital in Egypt. Some of their rescued horses have gone on to become the first resident equine therapy horses in the Middle East and they maintain a lovely herd of free ranging rescued horses and donkeys on another property. Their farriers even care for the animal’s feet at the Giza Zoo. 

I include a donation to EEA in the cost of every trip I take to Egypt.

Please consider supporting this important program and use your tourism clout to choose not to ride horses or donkeys when you visit the historic sites. There are other travel options and your stand lets the tourism board know that you care about the health of the animals.