The upper apartment we use, right inside the village next to the wall, is also situated in the main area of the stables. Hundreds and hundreds of unregulated animals are housed there. One of the most distressing sights we witnessed is when horses in particular are brought back from the plateau in the evening. They will have spent a day with severe dehydration adding to malnutrition. Often too exhaused to even eat when food may be found for them... unresponsive to the ever-ready whips or swish sticks... sometimes left saddled long after they have completed their work........and they either lay down and die or simply drop down dead ! 

One evening from our balcony we spotted a horse in a clearly weakened state out on the road & yard beyond the driveway we used. A gang of local children were tormenting it with kick or blows from sticks.

We shouted at them in disgust and quickly went down the stairs to intervene. They were not too bothered to stop and we shouted at them to obey the Quran and stop !! We learned from someone nearby, the horse belonged to someone who rode it earlier from the other side of Cairo. The horse had collapsed exhausted and the man had simply abandoned it there. Aparrently the free horse ambulance had been summoned, but no one knew when they may arrive... and no one seemed bothered to stop the children. 

We went immediately to fetch our local Don, who was a neighbour. When we explained and begged his influence, he too agreed it was wrong and was against the teachings. He came and spoke with the Stable Owner. He remonstrated with him severely for not taking control of the situation.

The children had to line up and receive a stern lesson from him, and the ambulance which was summoned properly, arrived in less than half an hour to rescue the horse.  Sadly in so many other cases we witnessed, the horse just fell dead ! It was possible to pick out horses you just knew were not going to be alive much longer purely for the cruelty and neglect alone, but any-one of them could be the next one !

Look closer and you will see the sores,the wounds,  the spare ribs, the whip-lash and swish-stick marks

Unsuspecting tourists are riding these animals until they are ready to drop dead !

Camels also endure horrendous abuse wounds and hidden saddle sores. They too suffer exhaustion !

THE TRAINING STARTS YOUNG !!!

BUT THE RESULTS ARE THE SAME !!

YOU HAVE TO LOOK EVERY TIME BEYOND THE ROSY TINT OF THE TOURIST GLASSES.... LOOK AND SEE WHAT MAY BE UNDER THE SADDLE !

IN CASE ANYONE SHOULD FORGET - WE DID NOT HAVE TO GO LOOKING FOR POOR ANIMALS IN SUCH TERRIBLE CONDITION.

THEY MADE UP THE BULK OF THE STOCK ON THE PLATEAU AND WERE ALL AROUND US TO PHOTOGRAPH AFTER THE TOURISTS HAD GONE AWAY !

THEN EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT CARRYING PASSENGERS THEY WAIT IN THE HEAT, USUALLY TRUSSED THE WHOLE DAY READY FOR WORK

                                  TRYING TO GRAB SOME REST....                                                                       OR JUST OUT OF SHADE AND FOOD....

                                                                                                   HALTERED AND GOING NO WHERE...

                            LAST HOURS BEFORE THE KNIFE...                                                                         OR LAST STOP BEFORE THE SALE....

NO SHADE, NO WATER PROVIDED ON THE PLATEAU !   AND THIS WATER TUB ONLY SAVED FROM COLONIAL TIMES BY A KIND VILLAGER

SEVERAL TIMES WE SAW AS OWNERS WITH THEIR HORSES... EVEN LEADING TOURISTS ON OTHERS.. GOING CRAZY AS THEIR ANIMALS TRIED TO VEER TO THE TROUGH TO GRAB A DESPARATE DRINK. BUT THE OWNERS BEAT THEM WITH THEIR DAMNED STICKS TO KEEP GOING ANYWAY.

THE ONES WHO WERE ALLOWED TO STOP FOR A DRINK WERE THE LUCKY ONES!

                   WE WERE TOLD THIS ONE HAD STOMACH ACHE...                                            THIS ONE FELL DOWN AND DIED NEXT DAY...             

FOALS JUST HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR MOTHER WHEREVER IT IS TAKEN -

EVEN IF THAT IS ON THE PLATEAU FOR A FULL DAY WITHOUT FOOD, SHADE OR WATER.

AND JUST IN CASE WE NEED TO BE REMINDED WHAT AN ANIMAL IN GOOD CONDITION LOOKS LIKE ....

So now that we have touched on a tiny few examples of what is happening in Cairo and the Plateau even as you

are reading this, it is time now to take stock and assess the general situation and what can or must be done. 

Our Appeal

(There is an update to this story: Index - News Link)

Return Now To the  INDEX  to read our Assessment