Absorbine® is celebrating our 125^th Anniversary by sponsoring Brooke, helping  alleviate suffering of working equines in developing countries. In this final segment we learn about Brooke USA’s ‘Horse Heroes’ campaign, which remembers the one million American equines who died in World War I by supporting those working equines who are suffering today.

In honor of our 125^th Anniversary, we giving back by sponsoring Brooke, the world’s largest international equine welfare organization, helping to alleviate the suffering of working equines in developing countries. In the last segment of our five part blog series following Brooke, we learned about Brooke USA’s current campaign to “Free the Donkeys” in Ethiopia. Brooke plans to build life-saving shade shelters in marketplaces so that donkeys have a place to rest in the shade and get food and water. Brooke USA is already half way to their fundraising goal! Help them get the rest of the way by donating directly, as well as by buying our 125^th Anniversary Veterinary Liniment products!

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Brooke USA’s newest campaign, Horse Heroes, honors the celebration of the United States World War I Centennial, which marks the 100^th anniversary of U.S. entry into the war. Horses were an integral part of how World War I was fought and eventually won, be it carrying soldiers into battle, transporting the wounded, or hauling food, water, medical supplies, and ammunition to the front lines, all over difficult terrain and under horrendous, violent conditions. It is estimated that a total of eight million horses died during ‘The Great War’, many of which originally came from the United States. Of the one million equines shipped from the U.S. to support the Allied forces throughout the years of the war, only 200 returned home. Those horses that did survive were usually abandoned where the fighting had ended, or sold into hard labor or for slaughter. We honor them by remembering their sacrifice and how they helped save the lives of troops. 

 

These equines, innocent flight animals, were terrified by the violent conditions of war, yet they still fought on while sick, wounded, and hungry. Those horses that did not have their lives ended by gunfire or poison gas died from exposure, disease, and exhaustion. As retired Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, Chairman of Brooke International, said, "Their contributions were enormous and so was their suffering; the terror that these animals must have experienced is incomprehensible. But without their loyalty and sacrifices on a massive scale, the war's outcome - and now the world - would be very different."

  In order to thank the U.S. World War I war horses for their brave service, as well as to pay homage to Dorothy Brooke and the start of the Brooke legacy, Brooke USA is collecting one dollar for every American horse that fought, with the goal of raising one million dollars to support the future efforts of international working equine welfare organizations like Brooke. Partnered with The United States World War One Centennial Commission, Brooke USA is committed to “honoring yesterday’s American war horses by helping today’s working equines”.

To support the incredible work of Brooke, visit www.brookeusa.org to donate today! (Source: www.brookeusa.org)