Influenza
I'm Thirteen, I regularly compete at local shows, pony club events and rally days. I currently have 2 horses in work for the show season, only to be stopped due to the EI outbreak.
I am very unhappy that there was an outbreak, to think that the quarantine should have detected this disease in the horses that were infected before they were let out.
I was reading an article the other day, it stated that the quarantine period for the Racing Thoroughbreds is only 14 days were as for you and I it is 21 days. It also stated that the disease incubation period is between 1-5 days and can remain active for another 10 days. The Thoroughbreds that had the disease I'm presuming, is that they were race horses, and with the quarantine rules for racers is only 7 days, the disease may have been lying dormant in the horse while in quarantine, after release the disease was detected.
Then what happens?
You have a highly contagious disease potentially lethal to young foals, pregnant broodmares(which then may abort the pregnancy) and aged horses on the rampage through the country.
Do you try and stop the disease or do you let it run it's course and spread through the entire nation?
Well, stopping the disease is almost impossible in my point of view, as there are so many people with horses and at least 1/2 of these people transport their horse/horses around, close to home and far away. The lockdown did work to a certain point, but had its drawbacks as the disease could have been carried on anything to any were and infected other properties, hence causing more spread. The vaccination scheme is a good idea, but why do the racers get top priority?. The racing industry should have automatically cancelled all spring races for 2007, as the Pony Club Association of NSW did for all the rallies and competitions, then there might have been a chance at stopping the spread. But the government was concerned that the loss of money from the TAB etc would affect their money situation (im not sure what they call it), so allow racing.
Do WE help the cause?
If properties who were infected had a lock out system, meaning no one is to go in (to some this may cause problem sand dispute) and only, lets say 2-4 people out with a vigorous scrub out and in, you might be helping.
This is just my point of view. So to all out there who have/are suffering from EI, goodluck.
T.M
P.S- I am in the green zone so hopefully wont get affected
I am very unhappy that there was an outbreak, to think that the quarantine should have detected this disease in the horses that were infected before they were let out.
I was reading an article the other day, it stated that the quarantine period for the Racing Thoroughbreds is only 14 days were as for you and I it is 21 days. It also stated that the disease incubation period is between 1-5 days and can remain active for another 10 days. The Thoroughbreds that had the disease I'm presuming, is that they were race horses, and with the quarantine rules for racers is only 7 days, the disease may have been lying dormant in the horse while in quarantine, after release the disease was detected.
Then what happens?
You have a highly contagious disease potentially lethal to young foals, pregnant broodmares(which then may abort the pregnancy) and aged horses on the rampage through the country.
Do you try and stop the disease or do you let it run it's course and spread through the entire nation?
Well, stopping the disease is almost impossible in my point of view, as there are so many people with horses and at least 1/2 of these people transport their horse/horses around, close to home and far away. The lockdown did work to a certain point, but had its drawbacks as the disease could have been carried on anything to any were and infected other properties, hence causing more spread. The vaccination scheme is a good idea, but why do the racers get top priority?. The racing industry should have automatically cancelled all spring races for 2007, as the Pony Club Association of NSW did for all the rallies and competitions, then there might have been a chance at stopping the spread. But the government was concerned that the loss of money from the TAB etc would affect their money situation (im not sure what they call it), so allow racing.
Do WE help the cause?
If properties who were infected had a lock out system, meaning no one is to go in (to some this may cause problem sand dispute) and only, lets say 2-4 people out with a vigorous scrub out and in, you might be helping.
This is just my point of view. So to all out there who have/are suffering from EI, goodluck.
T.M
P.S- I am in the green zone so hopefully wont get affected
posted by Horse Deals at
9:18 am
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