Ethiopia · Shashemene · Shebedino · Negele Arsi · Halaba
Working Lives
A portrait of working equines in Ethiopia
For millions of households they are how water reaches the home, how grain and fuel are carried, and how crops get to market. Take the animals away and the harvest stays in the field, the water stays at the well, and the day's income is at risk.
Equines in action
Ethiopia has one of the largest working equine populations in the world. It is the transport that supports entire livelihoods, and is vital to the supply chain.
The journey
One week, four communities
I travelled with Brooke's local teams to see the work where it happens: in markets and on roadsides, at clinics and shelters, and alongside the owners who depend on their animals every day.
What I witnessed there, beyond the heartbreakingly high number of working equines everywhere, many in desperate need of care, was the unbelievable work that the Brooke teams do in the communities they serve. It is awe-inspiring on a level I did not expect.Adam Blackmore-Heal
I
Equines in action
For millions of households they are how water reaches the home, how grain and fuel are carried, and how crops get to market. It is the transport that supports entire livelihoods.
II
Equines in need
The work is hard, and the care and welfare often not prioritised. Loads are frequently too heavy, and the harness cannot take them. Shelter is often lacking and water can be short. Owners do their best, but the knowledge, and the services, are not always there.
III
Brooke in action
Brooke has worked in Ethiopia since 2006. It trains owners and handlers in daily care, trains local vets, farriers, cart-makers and saddlers, and builds what is missing: nine shelters, sixteen water projects and twenty-seven animal health centres across Oromia, Amhara and the Southern regional state.
The exhibition · 13 stands · 39 photographs
The work
The exhibition is hung in threes: one large print and two smaller companions per stand, each with its own story. Select any photograph to see it larger and to order it as a print.
Prints
Buy a print
Every photograph is printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm, available unmounted, foam mounted or framed. Part of the sale of every print is donated to Brooke: the amounts are shown in the price table below.
Prints can be ordered online by UK residents only. Prices include free tracked UK delivery. If you live outside the UK, please get in touch and I'll arrange a postage quote for you.
Overseas enquirySizes & prices
| Finish | 16 × 12″ | 20 × 15″ | 24 × 18″ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print onlyUnmounted fine art print | £110£42 to Brooke | £130£47 to Brooke | £150£53 to Brooke |
| Foam mountedMounted on 5mm foam board | £150£58 to Brooke | £185£68 to Brooke | £215£76 to Brooke |
| Framed · SanctuarySatin black frame, 2″ white mount | £245£57 to Brooke | £285£66 to Brooke | £340£77 to Brooke |
| Framed · RenaissanceAntique black/bronze frame, 2″ white mount | £245£57 to Brooke | £285£66 to Brooke | £340£77 to Brooke |
The amount shown under each price will be donated to The Brooke Hospital for Animals (company number 04119581 and registered charity number 1085760) from the sale of each print. See the full donation statements.
About the photographer
Up close with Brooke
Horses have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I spent fourteen years in the Household Cavalry, working alongside the regiment's horses and seeing, at close quarters, the bond between a working animal and the person who depends on it. It was there that I began to photograph professionally. That bond has stayed with me. Above all, I remain a passionate animal lover, and strive to make a difference in the lives of the animals I photograph.
'Working Lives' is that impulse taken to Ethiopia.
Hands-on animal care, education and support for owners, local outreach, welfare facilities, veterinary and farrier support, all underpinned by their relentless desire for long-term change, and by their genuine passion and care.
About Brooke action for working horses and donkeys
WHO THEY ARE
Brooke is an international animal welfare charity that protects and improves the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules, helping people work their way out of poverty.
WHY THEY'RE NEEDED
100 millionworking horses, donkeys and mules support an estimated 600 million people in some of the poorest places in the world.
GLOBAL IMPACT
1.8 millionequines directly benefit from Brooke's international programmes across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
This photo isn't available for purchase.
It is part of the exhibition, shown here so the story is complete. Most of the other photographs can be ordered as prints.
See prints for saleBuying from outside the UK?
Online print orders are for UK addresses only, because postage abroad needs a quote. Tell me which print you would like, the size and finish, and where it is going, and I will come back to you with a price including delivery.
