Money Talks
It's interesting that attention has been directed to the financial cost of EI and not to equine welfare per se. I doubt that the general public will feel too sorry for the wealthy breeders in The Hunter Valley who's foals may catch the flu. they would likely assume that any losses are built into their business plan and can be written off, or are covered by insurance premiums.
To an extent this same sentiment would apply to so-called recreational horse owners and breeders & trainers. The hay 'handouts' to a few individuals unlucky to be quarantined around NSW & Qld is paltry when compared to the revenue collected though GST and other taxes, even more disparity exists between the dollars collected from gambling and other taxes associated with the racing industries. So breeders, trainers, dealers and Olympic aspirants (Olympians often involved also in the three former groups) get the majority of the general and equine media coverage surrounding EI.
What should be concerning everyone in the community is the likely short term quick-fix solutions which may be taken with regards EI. This could have massive implications for the future costs not only within equine husbandry but other health implications should another exotic disease arrive which is not as species-specific, bird-flu for example.
While the issue of the states applying separate standards and measures to disease control is a worry, the scrabble to protect self-interests is equally of concern. We've heard members of the racing industry refer to any animal not of a certain pedigree dismissed as 'recreational' we've heard International jumping trainers refer to national level competitors as 'pleasure riders'.
For Pete's sake.. "a horse is a horse of course of course" and his welfare and that of the human population of Australia is what I care about - not the incomes of a select few.
Anonymous.
To an extent this same sentiment would apply to so-called recreational horse owners and breeders & trainers. The hay 'handouts' to a few individuals unlucky to be quarantined around NSW & Qld is paltry when compared to the revenue collected though GST and other taxes, even more disparity exists between the dollars collected from gambling and other taxes associated with the racing industries. So breeders, trainers, dealers and Olympic aspirants (Olympians often involved also in the three former groups) get the majority of the general and equine media coverage surrounding EI.
What should be concerning everyone in the community is the likely short term quick-fix solutions which may be taken with regards EI. This could have massive implications for the future costs not only within equine husbandry but other health implications should another exotic disease arrive which is not as species-specific, bird-flu for example.
While the issue of the states applying separate standards and measures to disease control is a worry, the scrabble to protect self-interests is equally of concern. We've heard members of the racing industry refer to any animal not of a certain pedigree dismissed as 'recreational' we've heard International jumping trainers refer to national level competitors as 'pleasure riders'.
For Pete's sake.. "a horse is a horse of course of course" and his welfare and that of the human population of Australia is what I care about - not the incomes of a select few.
Anonymous.
posted by Horse Deals at
1:03 pm
2 Comments:
I'm not sure I have read your email correctly but it sounds like you have little sympathy for the financial loss taking place particularly the Hunter Valley. Most of those breading rely on this time of year for their bulk income, appart from providing salaries to hundreds of employees a shut down like this can send a business broke within a month particularly in the "pleasure industry" which works on very small margins. I know if EI comes to our area 4 staff will loose their job, hundreds of children will no longer learn to ride and we will be bankrupt within two months without any income. One doesn't build into their business plan the entire years seamen sales, or two months of total loss of income and the difficulty of rebuilding a business after such an occurance. You have obviously not tried to make a living from horses.
Why would I? There's no money in it.
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