Cape Town - Cape Flats cart horse owners and drivers who depend on their horses to make a living, have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
In a study by the World Horse Welfare, with assistance from the Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA), it was found that globally many carties experienced significant challenges as a result of the pandemic.
Online fund-raiser and spokesperson for CHPA, Marike Kotze, said 43 cart horse owners and drivers from the Cape Flats were interviewed for the study, with each of them supporting an average of six family members, while suffering from decreased incomes and increased expenses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Cart horse owners were heavily impacted, especially during the hard lockdown when they were completely forbidden to go out and work. They mostly live from hand to mouth, and the majority of them rely solely on the work they do with their horses to generate an income.
“They had nothing saved up with which to survive while they couldn’t work. Although CHPA and World Horse Welfare were able to step in and help feed the horses, many of them were unable to feed their families,” she said.
Kotze said now that the hard lockdown was over, people were still careful to come out of their houses and deal with the carties as they would have before the pandemic, making them less likely to get work.
Kotze said that while some owners had to sell their horses to other owners to put food on the table, not being able to work had somewhat of a positive effect on the horses themselves. Since they were given a break from being work horses, they were able to improve their body condition during the forced rest.
Horse owner Theo Tofiq said that while their team struggled, they were able to feed their horses with the assistance from CHPA. However, many of them were unable to provide for themselves and their families.
“I had to sell two of our horses during the initial hard lockdown to be able to feed my family. I applied for government grants available at the time, but was unsuccessful, despite numerous efforts,” said Tofiq.
Horse owners Mogamat Igshaan and Nasrodien Ockards said that they battled to ensure their horses were fed during the initial lockdown, as it became difficult to move about to get the permits needed for the animal welfare groups that were helping with feed.
“The carting community is a resilient one, and with their masks on, they are back out there, looking for work,” said Kotze.