A better life for 1000 horses

30 January 2006

Most of Romania's estimated one million horses are working animals. They fulfill essential roles in local communities - working on farm land, in the forestry sector or transporting goods - but few receive proper health care.

Dr Cornelia Virgolici, a veterinary surgeon at Intervet, was determined to improve the health and welfare of working horses in Romania by helping poor families with the cost of equine medicines and educating owners about the needs of their animals. Along with two other Intervet veterinarians, and accompanied by local vets, a Professor and third-year students from the Veterinary Faculty of Timisoara, she visited villages in areas with high unemployment rates where farming is undertaken largely at subsistence level.

Most people in these villages were previously employed in steel mills or mines that have now been closed down. They are largely self-sufficient, but their 'farms' often consist of no more than two or three cows, one or two horses and a few chickens or pigs, all raised on a 'backyard' basis. As a result, they have little money to spend on the health of their livestock.

Commenting on her time spent helping these people and their animals, Dr Virgolici said: "Providing necessary medical attention for these horses, and educating their owners about the importance of keeping them in good shape, will have a positive impact on up to 5000 people living in areas of high unemployment. The operation was conducted not only in association with local vets, but also with veterinary students and staff from the Veterinary Faculty at Timisoara, which made it a real team effort. For all of us, it was a really rewarding project, which made us very happy and proud of our company."