We are a group of horse lovers in Trinidad, Cuba, who have created this project, in memory of our dear filly Diana who died in an accident, to help horses and educate their owners.

"Making the world a better place for horses"

Spanish

Many thanks to all those people who, through their generous contributions, have made this project possible, especially Terry for his great help and whose project Spanky to help dogs and cats, was our inspiration.

Luna de Miel and me, Julio Muñoz

Problems commonly found in our city

· Sick or injured horses are often killed if treatment is a bit complicated or the owners don’t have the means to cure them.

· There are many ‘home remedies’ which don’t bring any benefit and in many cases aggravate the horse’s condition.

· Methods of training horses are very painful and even dangerous for the horse.

· The types of bits used at the start of training are aggressive and painful, without first investigating whether the horse responds to a more gentle model.

· In Cuba there are no shops for horse equipment. Protective gear, such as boots, is unknown.

· There are no shoeing tools for farriers; they use carpenters’ or mechanics’ tools which are often not appropriate for the job. For example the knife for paring hooves is unknown and instead they use a sharp machete which is dangerous to use and incapable of a precise cut. Correction shoes are practically unknown.

· Sports involving horses are not widespread and are based on strength and speed rather than in extended training of the horse.

· Trinidad is a city blessed by nature: valleys, green mountains, rivers and waterfalls make it an ideal place for horse riding excursions. There are people who provide this service without the appropriate licence using poor horses that could be a danger to both rider and animal.

Our campaigns

Antiparasitics

With donations of wormers we have been able to carry out several campaigns against internal parasites.

Collaboration: Wormers

Veterinary First Aid

In spite of being a large and powerful animal, the horse is very delicate and can get sick or wounded very easily. First Aid kits are therefore very important for veterinarians. Horse owners need information on prevention and understanding of possibly fatal illnesses such as colic and laminitis.

Photo: Horse left to die because of a broken front leg.

We are trying to build a multiple-use frame which could lift the horse when there are problems with its legs (fractures, laminitis), to immobilize it in the case of stitching wounds etc. According to the design drawn by my daughter it would look something like this:

It would be collapsible for transport by vehicle and the side bar could be removed for easy access by the veterinarian. It could also have wheels for moving the horse.

Collaboration: Books, DVDs, first aid kits, stomach pump (to evacuate gas in cases of colic), harness for lifting the horse, a pulley system strong enough to lift a horse.

Introducing natural methods of training

The traditional method of breaking in a horse causes pain and damage. We are studying and applying the methods of Monty Roberts and Chico Ramirez and obtaining excellent results with our horses. We show other horse owners that it is possible to train a horse without causing pain and achieve surprising results in a very short time.

Collaboration: Books, DVDs

Introducing the snaffle bit

Very aggressive bits are often used which cause wounds to the horse. The snaffle has a more gentle action but is practically unknown.

Collaboration: Snaffle bits

Create a library

We are collecting material for a library of varied information on horses which will be available for anyone interested in knowing more about this marvellous animal.

Collaboration: Books, DVDs

Shoes

Putting shoes on a horse can be an adventure as farriers do not have the correct tools and do not have sufficient knowledge of trimming and balancing the hoof. Proper nails are difficult to obtain. We are trying to get suitable tools and equipment and teach modern shoeing techniques.

Collaboration: Books, DVDs, nails, farrier’s tools

How to organize an excursion on horseback

Those visitors who are interested in enjoying the natural wonders of our beautiful Trinidad on horseback are recommended to hire the services of Flora y Fauna. They have suitable horses and qualified guides who can offer a safe and memorable excursion. There are also good horses at Rancho el Cubano.

Photos

This project is in its initial stages and any collaboration is much appreciated. Donations of books, CDs, DVDs with any information on training, care and health issues are welcome. Wormers, protective boots, farrier’s tools, nails, grooming kits and hoof picks are of great help.Details of how you can help with each of our campaigns are below.
You can help via our web address or via the Spanky project.