Trouble in Paradise.

Today we called Alishya Hill, our excellent roving reporter and groom for Heath Ryan’s horses at Warwick, to get an update on the situation.

How is it all going up there?

“Well we have just had a big meeting, as there has been a problem with the yards. There are now just over 200 yards but 250 horses. Owners are meant to swap horses half way through the day and clean the yard, but some people are just not doing it, a number of them are leaving horses out all day and over night. People are starting to get a bit stressed with the whole situation. If you are not having the best of days and you take your horse out to a yard, that should be empty, and you find it with a horse in it and dirty, it is proving to be enough to tip people over the edge. It is really just people being silly. Simon Goodard (Warwick Horse Trails President), who has been fantastic all along, told people today, that if they did not sort out the yard problem amongst themselves, then they would need to appoint someone to make strict rules and a roster system.”

How were the blood tests?

“Every test came back positive, so that is really good. They were going to do another blood test but they are now not sure. A National committee is now looking at the situation. I asked one of the vets today if they were going to do nasal swabs from here and the answer was, we are not sure. We have also asked again if we will be able to take the horses back to NSW when we are released, it is to be hoped on the 2nd of October. The answer was once again, we are not sure, but they hope so as the DPI will soon be starting a vaccination program in the buffer zones, inoculating horses in a 5 to km radius of a EI breakout.”

How are you horses?

“They are all really good. We are still doing temperatures twice a day and having the vet rounds. I have started walk/riding Heath’s horses. At Heath’s we walk/ride the dressage horses like Dundee, for about an hour each day, it is really good for then, so I have plenty of practice. I have been getting up at 5am when most things are quiet, putting out four horses, then riding two for about an hour each. I have to walk them through the yards, which is not so easy some times, with horses in the yards being silly. Then I just walk them on the grassed area away from the yards. I do not take them on the cross-country area as they might get too excited. When I finish riding I feed up, do my yards, have breakfast and then start to swap over horses.”

Are other people starting to ride?

“Not many, the kids like to saddle their horses up and sit on them, but not many people are doing beneficial stuff.”

Is Heath’s property still EI free?

“Yes, but it totally surrounds him, he is sure his horses will get it, but I tell him to think positively as he has worked really hard at protecting his place.”

How did you go in your Introductory Instructors exam?

“Good, we all passed the theory, but now we have to do the practical, which is a bit frustrating as we can not start Level One until we have done this. If I was at Heath’s it is all stuff we do every day, like cleaning out horses feet and washing them, so he would be able to sign the log book.”

Hopefully the Warwick inmates sort things out and we will speak to Alishya next week to see if they have a definite departure date.