I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a lecture about the Lampang Native Pony Preservation Project given by Dr. Siraya Chunekamrai DVM, PhD from Thailand (and Cornell) and Dr. Carla L. Carleton from Michigan State University.
Ever since I attended the lecture Equitarian aid in third world countries my first quarter of veterinary school, I have been inspired to do something about the world's horses that are still used for the livelihood of many societies. These women and many others who have participated in their research and education implementation in foreign countries are so very inspiring for me to keep pursuing my dream of becoming a vet.
The presentation focused on the research completed on the ponies heritage and knowledge of diseases they had been exposed to. The population of ponies near Lampang is unique in that over 200 ponies had not been vaccinated for anything (except two ponies for tetanus toxin), however disease prevalence was very low.
Most of the difficulty Lampang and other third world countries are facing is the lack of balanced nutritional and veterinary prevention programs for their horses/ponies. Dr. Chunekamrai mentioned that many of the horses diet's were low in Calcium which can lead to many health problems and orthopedic injuries resulting from weak bones.
The reason for incorrect feeding practices is not because the people of Lampang are cruel, it is because they are uneducated on basic horse care. The Lampang Pony Welfare organization seeks to provide people with education on proper horse care and management. They want to produce good farriers that can provide these beasts of burden with proper hoof care, they want to teach people that the horses now need a Calcium supplement since they are no longer able to graze on local pasture (and absorb vitamin D) since the city has grown and expanded. I think their most important mission is to teach the children of the community how to properly care for their animals to ensure them, a long, healthy life so that the pony can continue to provide for it's family by working.
On Lampang's Pony Welfare Organization website, I found the following synopsis on their DNA project: "Initial interest was raised by our team members because of the unique appearance of many of the northern Thai ponies appeared similar to other ancient horse breeds. From 2003-2007 hair and blood samples were collected for study. The results of a subset of the samples from the ponies of northern Thailand and a small number from Cambodian village ponies were presented in February 2009 in Bangkok. Thai native ponies share many characteristics of domestic horses, the mean number of alleles present per locus was found to be substantially different from domestic horse breeds. The diversity of their genotype exceeds that of all other domestic breeds thus far studied by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory responsible for this analysis is the most technologically advanced and carries the largest equine genetic database in the world."
This bit of information shows that in fact, Lampang ponies represent an ancient horse heritage that has been mostly preserved from many modern horse breeds. They are sturdy, sure-footed, even-tempered, and are hardy enough to handle extreme temperatures and work environments. If only we can teach the people of Lampang that they have something precious that they need to preserve.
Tourism in the area of Lampang has pushed the people to want larger ponies, however, their ponies are perfectly suitable to their jobs and economy. When tourists see little ponies pulling such large carts, they are more hesitant to want to ride on them, which is a detriment to many Lampang's citizen's income. People may view it as cruel, but these little ponies are just right for the job. It is sad that tourists are putting so much pressure on the people to cross their ponies with Arabians and Thoroughbreds that turn out to be less than ideal for pulling carts that are not properly fitted for them in extreme weather conditions. Crossing these hearty ponies also weakens their heritage as much as their function.
I am again awed at the wonderful work this organization has done and continues to do. I also learned that there is a World Equine Veterinary Association which is of great interest to me. I am glad that the world can come together on such issues such as veterinary care of the horse. Sharing knowledge and education is the way of our future.
Ever since I attended the lecture Equitarian aid in third world countries my first quarter of veterinary school, I have been inspired to do something about the world's horses that are still used for the livelihood of many societies. These women and many others who have participated in their research and education implementation in foreign countries are so very inspiring for me to keep pursuing my dream of becoming a vet.
The presentation focused on the research completed on the ponies heritage and knowledge of diseases they had been exposed to. The population of ponies near Lampang is unique in that over 200 ponies had not been vaccinated for anything (except two ponies for tetanus toxin), however disease prevalence was very low.
Most of the difficulty Lampang and other third world countries are facing is the lack of balanced nutritional and veterinary prevention programs for their horses/ponies. Dr. Chunekamrai mentioned that many of the horses diet's were low in Calcium which can lead to many health problems and orthopedic injuries resulting from weak bones.
The reason for incorrect feeding practices is not because the people of Lampang are cruel, it is because they are uneducated on basic horse care. The Lampang Pony Welfare organization seeks to provide people with education on proper horse care and management. They want to produce good farriers that can provide these beasts of burden with proper hoof care, they want to teach people that the horses now need a Calcium supplement since they are no longer able to graze on local pasture (and absorb vitamin D) since the city has grown and expanded. I think their most important mission is to teach the children of the community how to properly care for their animals to ensure them, a long, healthy life so that the pony can continue to provide for it's family by working.
On Lampang's Pony Welfare Organization website, I found the following synopsis on their DNA project: "Initial interest was raised by our team members because of the unique appearance of many of the northern Thai ponies appeared similar to other ancient horse breeds. From 2003-2007 hair and blood samples were collected for study. The results of a subset of the samples from the ponies of northern Thailand and a small number from Cambodian village ponies were presented in February 2009 in Bangkok. Thai native ponies share many characteristics of domestic horses, the mean number of alleles present per locus was found to be substantially different from domestic horse breeds. The diversity of their genotype exceeds that of all other domestic breeds thus far studied by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory responsible for this analysis is the most technologically advanced and carries the largest equine genetic database in the world."
This bit of information shows that in fact, Lampang ponies represent an ancient horse heritage that has been mostly preserved from many modern horse breeds. They are sturdy, sure-footed, even-tempered, and are hardy enough to handle extreme temperatures and work environments. If only we can teach the people of Lampang that they have something precious that they need to preserve.
Tourism in the area of Lampang has pushed the people to want larger ponies, however, their ponies are perfectly suitable to their jobs and economy. When tourists see little ponies pulling such large carts, they are more hesitant to want to ride on them, which is a detriment to many Lampang's citizen's income. People may view it as cruel, but these little ponies are just right for the job. It is sad that tourists are putting so much pressure on the people to cross their ponies with Arabians and Thoroughbreds that turn out to be less than ideal for pulling carts that are not properly fitted for them in extreme weather conditions. Crossing these hearty ponies also weakens their heritage as much as their function.
I am again awed at the wonderful work this organization has done and continues to do. I also learned that there is a World Equine Veterinary Association which is of great interest to me. I am glad that the world can come together on such issues such as veterinary care of the horse. Sharing knowledge and education is the way of our future.
To learn more, and see how you can help, please follow these links:
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