8.00am After checking the equipment and medicines, my team and I set off from our base to our fist stop 25 miles away. En route we give follow-up treatments to four existing patients, before visiting the daily vegetable market and a tonga stand.
9.30am Owners are already queuing at the treatment point. Poor practices cause many equine problems here, especially lameness, resulting from overloading, overworking and negligence - often we find the animals’ conditions pitiable. As we treat their animals we explain the causes of problems and how to prevent them.
Among today’s patients is a pony with a damaged eye; its condition is
heartbreaking. Advised by a quack, its owner Sonu, had poured a caustic agent in the eye to “treat” a tumour. Result - it had destroyed the eye, causing great pain. Sonu heard about the Brooke only after making his terrible mistake, and prays we can save his pony. Of course we can’t save her eye, but we are able to bring her relief from pain, and give medicine which will enable her to work again, telling Sonu to bring her back for follow-up treatments.
1.30pm A much-needed stop for water and food, it is very hot today, but we were in a hurry to get to our second treatment point at Abdullapur.
2.00pm There are already owners and their animals waiting for us. We treat ten cases, including lameness, respiratory problems and skin disease and spend time talking to the owners explaining what they can do to help their animal.
4.00pm We return to base, glad to have made a difference. But I can’t forget Sonu’s pony…we have so much more to do to prevent such suffering. | 
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