Across Indonesia and beyond, carriage horses endure harsh conditions due to tourism demand—neglect, malnutrition, inadequate living environments, and gruelling overwork are often the norm for these animals. But one dedicated team in West Java, Indonesia, are working tirelessly to improve the lives of Jakarta city’s ex-carriage horses.
Photojournalist Resha Juhari visited Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) in the Indonesian city of Bogor to document their efforts to help these horses and other animals. Founded in 2008 by Karin Franken, Femke den Haas, and Natalie Stewart, JAAN is a grassroots non-profit working to improve the welfare of animals throughout Indonesia.
Photographer: Resha Juhari
Jakarta's Carriage Horses
Jakarta’s horse-drawn carriages, or “delmans,” operate from morning until evening and sometimes into the night, providing rides to local and international tourists looking to visit the city’s National Monument. The cost for one ride is around 50,000 IDR ($4.2 CAD).
Often found tethered under bridges or in cramped spaces without proper grazing or opportunity to rest, these horses are worked to exhaustion by handlers unfamiliar with proper care. Workers reportedly violate rules such as not providing horses with at least one day off per week.
Sources suggest that some handlers also use unorthodox methods to treat medical conditions, such as applying mercury from batteries to wounds, feeding pepper-water to cure colds, or puncturing their horse’s muscles with bamboo sticks to pass a rope through and “clean” the animal’s blood.
To address these ongoing animal welfare issues and concerns of mistreatment, JAAN provides free veterinary services and educates handlers on essential care practices.
Rescue and Rehabilitation at JAAN
For ten former carriage horses, JAAN provides a permanent sanctuary. These animals receive daily care and the opportunity to live out their lives free from labour. Annually, the sanctuary treats around 400 working horses, offering medical treatment, food, and rehabilitation.
“One horse in particular caught my attention. Vincent is a former carriage horse; his whole life was work. He was abandoned after becoming sick and developing a tumour, and was on the brink of being slaughtered. But with the care and compassion of JAAN, Vincent was rescued and his condition improved. Sadly, I was shocked to hear Vincent passed away after intensive care. He died at the shelter peacefully, not at the slaughterhouse.” — Resha Juhari, Animal Photojournalist
One of JAAN’s central missions is rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming abandoned, neglected, and abused animals. Their shelter currently houses 125 dogs, 35 cats and 10 horses, offering these individuals a second chance at life. The NGO also does street sterilization, wildlife protection, government lobbying, and raising awareness through presentations in schools and community outreach.
Not all horses can be rescued, however. Issues such as socio-economic and socio-cultural backgrounds remain big challenges in JAAN’s work.
Challenges and Progress
Rescuing animals and improving their welfare is a lot of work, and there’s still so much work to do, but we’re highly motivated to keep fighting. No action is small, all our actions have a big and real impact; and there is real progress for better animal welfare. — Karin Franken, JAAN Co-founder
JAAN welcomes your support. Learn more about how you can help with their important work on behalf of animals.
We’re attracted to horse-drawn carriages for the horses, creatures we admire and revere. Yet, would we still pay for a ride if we truly understood what it cost them—a life of exploitation and pain for an animal that, by their very nature, longs not to pull but to flee?
Explore and download more visuals from Resha Juhari’s documentation of JAAN’s efforts to help ex-carriage horses and other animals.
Data sources: Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN)
Photographer: Resha Juhari
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