The Brooke -

Kajal, a horse working in the Uttar Pradesh region of India, was brought to Brooke vet Dr Cyril Roy suffering extreme pain.

She had a horrific pus-filled wound between shoulders in the region known as the withers. The condition, is an extremely painful one and is known as fistulous withers. It can be caused by a variety of factors.

Overloaded and in terrible pain

Ranveer, the horse's owner, explaining that he worked his horse at a brick kiln where she transported heavy loads of bricks in the burning heat.

Kajal in a very sorry condition © Brooke

Ranveer owed the money he had borrowed to buy Kajal and was also trying to support two sick family members. So, paid by the weight of the bricks he transported, he was forced to overload Kajal.

Fistulous withers causes a very painful abscess to develop - the image is blurred because it is very distressing

When she developed a swelling on the base of her neck, Ranveer had no choice but to continue working her. Eventually, the swelling developed into a raw wound causing the animal immense pain. This photo of the wound is blurred because it is very distressing.

Following local custom, Ranveer took Kajal to a local healer. Despite the potions prescribed (or perhaps because of them), Kajal’s condition deteriorated.

Portrait of Dr Cyril Roy, who treated Kajal

Fortunately, Ranveer's friends told him about the Brooke and he took Kajal to a nearby brick kiln, where Brooke vet Dr Cyril runs a clinic.

Dr Cyril diagnosed fistulous withers and promptly treated the animal, sedating her and draining the pus from the wound before other team members dressed it.


	Kajals withers had been crushed by the ill-fitting iron ‘Kati’ section of the harness and had become infected. The resulting pain was even more exhausting than the work and she was losing weight quickly. We treated her wound systematically and she recovered in a few weeks. Dr Cyril Roy, Brooke Veterinary Officer.

But our animal health teams don’t just treat animals. We work to create positive, long term change in the care of working horses and donkeys by training owners and local communities in animal welfare.

So Dr Cyril spent time talking to Ranveer, explaining why Kajal had developed the condition. he told Ranveer that, if he wanted his horse to survive, he needed to provide her with decent care and frequent rest.

Ranveer listened, and within a few weeks, Kajal’s wound had healed. He also continued to care well for her once they returned to work.

If a horse could cry - Kajal's story