Horse course gives trainer a leg up

Chloe Phillips-Harris has taken her equine distance learning on an epic journey to foreign shores.

The Bay Of Islands horsewoman has recently completed her National Certificate in Equine and Stable Procedures Level 3 course extramurally through Wanganui-based provider Training For You.

She is one of 23 nationwide to complete the course, although few will have employed skills learned in the same way as Chloe.

From March to April this year Chloe joined The Kiwi Care Team that travelled to Egypt to help sick and injured horses and donkeys suffering through ill-treatment and neglect.

The Kiwi Care Team was set up by Auckland veterinarian Michelle Horan after she had surfed the net and discovered a photo gallery of horses and donkeys that would bring tears to the eyes.

"There were animals with oozing abscesses, rotting skin, broken bones, burns, festering wounds and rotting hooves - it was outrageous," Chloe said.

Michelle gathered together a group with skill sets capable of carrying out temporary remedies and training Egyptian owners how to better care for their animals. The team included equine vets, dentists, farriers and horse enthusiasts like Chloe.

"We went to Cairo and what we saw there was absolutely horrific. Many of the owners weren't necessarily bad people, they were just ignorant about how to care for their animals," Chloe said.

For the best part of three weeks, the team left their hotel early in the morning to man a makeshift clinic where owners and their animals lined up for treatment.

"We insisted every horse, donkey or camel had to be watered or they would not be treated. We handed out halters and bits, but quickly ran out and that triggered a mini riot. There was another riot at one of our feeding stations and the vets and their staff had to barricade themselves in. Severe dehydration, wither abscesses, teeth ground down to the gums and horrific ligament and tendon injuries were commonplace," Chloe recalled.

Chloe has always been around horses, but decided to complete the Training For You courses to improve her knowledge.

The event rider owns or trains up to 17 horses at home in the Bay Of Islands and runs school holiday camps. She also breaks in and pre-trains wild Kaimanawa stallions for prospective owners.