Brooke upskills farriers in Senegal
Omar Fane, 51, from the market town of Sokone, Senegal became a farrier at 14 when his father taught him the traditional methods of farriery.
Brooke has been working with Omar for two years, training him on safer and more welfare-friendly trimming techniques.
In the past I would often cut the animal. This never happens anymore.
“With training I have seen the importance of paying attention to balance when shoeing because this can have a detrimental effect on the legs and tendons, as well as the overall welfare of the horse. I can now see if an animal is balanced or not and know what to do about it,” said Omar.
Brooke trains farriers like Omar to ensure that quality services are available to animals in Sokone. By upskilling existing farriers, as well as providing business training, Brooke is safeguarding a sustainable future for farriery services in the area. By combining this with community engagement amongst animal owners, Brooke is ensuring that the demand is also there.
Omar using a toeing knife and mallet to take away the dead tissue of the frog, Sokone town, Senegal
Here you can see the overgrown foot. The hoof wall is uneven and the heels are folding over
Sole and frog are now clean. The hoof wall has been trimmed to an equal thickness and level plane. Importantly, the heels are now supporting the foot at the widest part of the frog
Omar has observed an increase in interest and demand in his services since his training with Brooke: “There has been an increase in interest with regard to hoof care. Many, many more owners are bringing their animals to me. Not only this but I am seeing people clean their horse’s hooves out regularly now, and whilst it used to be the man of the house who would do that, it has now become a family affair.”
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To reach more horses, donkeys and mules, and provide better support for owners to create lasting change.
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Brooke has worked in Senegal since 2010 to improve conditions for the country's working horses and donkeys.