Equine Influenza
WE should protest race meetings from 1.12.07 when racing resumes
I am yet another horse owner, breeder and dressage competitor within the red zone in South East Queensland who has been denied access to vaccinations and left to fend for myself with no help from DPI or our Queensland Government. My beautiful warm blood colt was born yesterday and we hope with everything we have that he remains safe from EI as he cost us thousands of dollars in horse semen and AI costs to achieve.
If I had been given access to the vaccination in the beginning he and his mother would have some form of immunity but the powers to be decided my horses along with everyone else’s horses which were not racehorses were of no importance. Now the Queensland government and I would suspect NSW government will not vaccinate recreational horses other than some within the buffer zones. The reason for this is it is cheaper, easier and quicker for all these non important horses to get the virus and build up immunity this way. They do not care about the consequences in achieving this goal. All they want from us is to practise good bio security in order to slow down the rate of infection reaching the buffer zones. This is another reason the Queensland government is moving toward resuming racing on 1st December. They would have vaccinated, twice, all the thoroughbred and standard bred horses involved in racing from the age of 4 months upward regardless whether they are racing or not. Then they will allow movement within the red zone in order for any remaining horses that have been lucky enough to escape EI, such as mine for the moment, to become infected and achieve a natural immunity, and to hell with any horses be they young or old that happens to lose their fight against EI. DPI will not contest to this as it would create a lot of public anger but this is why recreational horse owners are being treated like mushrooms.
Why is it so difficult to get information of exactly where EI is from DPI? They don’t want us to know. That is why they have also decided that it is no longer required to quarantine or sign infected properties since over a week ago because they don’t want us to know where it is so EI will spread within the red zone and burn itself out.
I feel as recreational horse owners who have been ignored and let high and dry by the Queensland government and NSW government that from 1st December when racing resumes in Queensland we should protest at each and every one of these meeting in very large crowds. But we should protest around the on course TAB and bookies where the betting is happening to interfere with the placing of bets. We should hit the Queensland government where it hurts them most, in their pockets. Let’s hit the government in their pocket at the betting gallery. And in the interim we should all work toward uniting the pleasure/recreational horse front, all of us, dressage, eventing, show jumping, pony club, vaulting, western pleasure, reining, camp drafting, stock horse, endurance, working horses, trail riding, and the little back yard ponies and horses that kids and people just love.
Rosemarie
I am yet another horse owner, breeder and dressage competitor within the red zone in South East Queensland who has been denied access to vaccinations and left to fend for myself with no help from DPI or our Queensland Government. My beautiful warm blood colt was born yesterday and we hope with everything we have that he remains safe from EI as he cost us thousands of dollars in horse semen and AI costs to achieve.
If I had been given access to the vaccination in the beginning he and his mother would have some form of immunity but the powers to be decided my horses along with everyone else’s horses which were not racehorses were of no importance. Now the Queensland government and I would suspect NSW government will not vaccinate recreational horses other than some within the buffer zones. The reason for this is it is cheaper, easier and quicker for all these non important horses to get the virus and build up immunity this way. They do not care about the consequences in achieving this goal. All they want from us is to practise good bio security in order to slow down the rate of infection reaching the buffer zones. This is another reason the Queensland government is moving toward resuming racing on 1st December. They would have vaccinated, twice, all the thoroughbred and standard bred horses involved in racing from the age of 4 months upward regardless whether they are racing or not. Then they will allow movement within the red zone in order for any remaining horses that have been lucky enough to escape EI, such as mine for the moment, to become infected and achieve a natural immunity, and to hell with any horses be they young or old that happens to lose their fight against EI. DPI will not contest to this as it would create a lot of public anger but this is why recreational horse owners are being treated like mushrooms.
Why is it so difficult to get information of exactly where EI is from DPI? They don’t want us to know. That is why they have also decided that it is no longer required to quarantine or sign infected properties since over a week ago because they don’t want us to know where it is so EI will spread within the red zone and burn itself out.
I feel as recreational horse owners who have been ignored and let high and dry by the Queensland government and NSW government that from 1st December when racing resumes in Queensland we should protest at each and every one of these meeting in very large crowds. But we should protest around the on course TAB and bookies where the betting is happening to interfere with the placing of bets. We should hit the Queensland government where it hurts them most, in their pockets. Let’s hit the government in their pocket at the betting gallery. And in the interim we should all work toward uniting the pleasure/recreational horse front, all of us, dressage, eventing, show jumping, pony club, vaulting, western pleasure, reining, camp drafting, stock horse, endurance, working horses, trail riding, and the little back yard ponies and horses that kids and people just love.
Rosemarie
posted by Horse Deals at
3:44 pm
1 Comments:
Vaccinating race horses is fair - for some like us! My husband and I run a successful harness racing business in QLD. We both left a successful career in mining in northern QLD for our dream job of training our gorgeous, much loved standardbreds. We also have two young children - 2 and 4yrs, the 4yr old has bad asthma and needs much care and medication. Our sole income is derived from our horses earning every week for us so we can pay our bills. Our horses pay for us to live - our groceries, medical expenses, kindy fees, mortgage, general cost of running our 25acre property etc. We live in the 'red zone' and have had our horses vaccinated. We NEEDED our horses vaccinated FIRST and FOREMOST above other 'paddock bashers' because without our horses earning for us we HAVE NO INCOME! It's alright for all you casual riders to get on your high horse and have a go at the racing industry and government etc. for discriminating against pleasure horses, but spare a thought for people such as ourselves who have kids to feed and raise, a property to run, a mortgage to pay off. We need our horses to stay healthy so we can race as soon as possible so we don't slip further and further into debt. You guys are still able to work the 9 to 5, not us. Yes, I know we are eligible for some handouts but they are limited and will not cover all our costs. we are only just getting by - for now.
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