Join the Voice to make things happen!

Whether you are a horse owner, riding instructor, farrier, vet, physiotherapist, or horse trainer - I know the equine flu has affected you. JOIN THE VOICE TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN EVERYONE!! For those owners that are having to pay vet bills due to their horse contracting EI (with no financial support from the government) or someone who was earning their only income from the Horse industry and who at the DPI's request "stopped working unless it was an emergency visit" or similar, who tried to do the right thing by the industry and by the system - the system clearly isn't interested in helping us all out. Although some grants have been offered by the government to help those who were working in the industry, if you are like myself and have applied for those grants, I will be impressed if you can survive on these until the proposed time frame they are all giving us to when the lockdown is over - February 2008 at least! I run trail rides, riding lessons, horse training, and breaking in - but I am only small time - and even those grants (which I am yet to see a cent of) will be lucky to support me, my business and my horses until Christmas time. The government must be kidding itself if it really thinks this is a generous offer and the best they can do. The racing industry will very likely bounce back from this EI epidemic - given the fact that the media is saying "poor racing industry - looks like they will lose millions and millions of dollars due to EI - HOW ABOUT ALL THE BILLIONS THEY HAVE MADE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS!!! Surely they can support themselves through simply a few hard months????? Yet again, I stress that I know there are many small time people out there in the racing industry who will do it very tough, and I know some of these people myself, but what I don't understand is how the Australian Government can give millions of dollars away every year to overseas aide and disaster help, yet hesitate to help their own taxpayers out when we clearly need it. The grants aren't good enough guys, the lack of support is not good enough, and the lack of acknowledgment for all the little guys is certainly not good enough. Those out there saying "don't rock the boat, it won't work" WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO LOSE?? Please email and phone as many of your friends and collegues in the horse industry that are affected. Email me directly and we will start stirring up the pot that clearly needs stirring. Email Anna Bligh, your local, state and federal parliament members, email the EFA, DPI and the AHIC - start putting pressure on the people who can start making a difference. If you want to join the cause - SPREAD THE WORD - we don't pay our taxes for nothing guys. We didn't make the stuff up - the government did - and now we are paying for it??

Hayley Chambers