I’m used to seeing horses with a fleshy rump and muscular thighs so I was surprised to see very skinny ones in Egypt. They use horse and carriage in the smaller towns, mostly for tourists. I became used to seeing boney hips and pokey ribs after a while but there was this one particular horse that I couldn’t forget. It’s not pictured, I couldn’t stand the thought of taking a photograph because it would only break my heart when seeing it again.
The town was Luxor and I had made a local friend called Salih. Salih is like many Egyptians, intuitive and intense. His limited English was a little poetic and he had the most remarkable eyes. It was his eyes that stopped me so I could take a photograph. He offered to show me around the town and I accepted. I met his family and strolled the streets of Luxor, drank cold sugar cane juice and spoke with him for hours about Egyptian life in a local shisha cafe. It still perplexes me how these people survive in this heat.
I was walking past this horse and it looked at me with sunken, pleading eyes. When an animal looks into your eyes, I mean it really sees YOU it shifts your soul into a different gear. It was the skinniest horse I’d ever seen with twiggy legs and tied to a tree in 45 degree heat with no water or food in sight. I had an apple in my bag and gave it to her, which she ate. The owner came up and said he had no money which is why the horse was starving. I made him promise to Allah that he would buy some food for it and gave him 100 Egyptian pounds. I just felt so helpless. Had it been my home I’d know what to do and where to go. I walked away to meet my tour group for lunch and ate a salad and drinking my water whilst deep in thought.
I just couldn’t stand the thought of this horse thirsty and starving and helpless. So I formulated a plan. It was the best I could do under the circumstances. I finished my lunch and met up with Salih and told him we needed to buy a bucket for the horse so it could at least have water to drink. We went and bought one from a local and came back to the horse. The owner was nowhere in sight but his cousin was.
He didn’t seem too phased that the horse was thirsty, I don’t think he thought she WAS thirsty but I insisted on having that water bucket filled in that moment. I needed to see this horse drink. The little boy who filled the bucket came back and as expected the horse drank. We all watched, especially the child. She finished the bucket in one long gulp. The penny dropped for the men standing around and we all walked to the tap to fill up the bucket again. The horse drank it down in the same manner and one more bucket after that. She was a restless girl, understandably she was neglected but with a little bit of love and care she had some spirit back.
I asked about the owner and if he was getting food for her and the cousin said that’s what he was doing in that moment… Still not believing I suggested we take the horse to a grassy patch not far to see if she was hungry. He suggested I go do it, so I took the horse by its lead and led her to the patch. I think they just wanted to see if I would.
Keep in mind I was a female tourist, with no equal rights on the streets of Egypt. I was in a strange place with different customs and I was insisting in a kind way that this horse would be looked after. I was asking for a lot in this situation because it was obvious they couldn’t care less. She is one of many animals in third world countries at the fate of their owners. After coming home I did a little research it turns out there is an animal hospital called The Brooke Animal Hospital and they help caring for camels, donkeys and horses in many third world countries. I don’t understand why they didn’t just take her there to be fed or looked after? Who knows. The only hope I have is that the little boy who watched me insist that animals be treated well may grow up and consider another creatures wellbeing.
The horse I wrote about is MUCH skinnier than this. Wishing her all the love and attention she deserves.
Since few tourists are travelling to Egypt there is less work for the horses, which means they have less to eat.
Love