Letter to the NSW ministers office

I agree that we should support the Horse Council as our representatives but maybe we in NSW should do what has been done in QLd. Good on them.

I have written the following email to the NSW ag minister after talking to Peter Primrose who is the leader of the Upper House in NSW,he referred me to the person addressed. Mr Quinlan is the appointed 'liason person' to the pleasure horse industry for Mr MacDonald's department.

I urge all of horsedeals readers to send emails to this address. Kevin.quinlan@macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au or ph. 02 92283344

THANK YOU HORSE DEALS for your time and efforts for us all.

Dear Mr Quinlan,
I have been referred to your office by Peter Primrose re the EI situation.

I like hundreds of thousand horse owners am appalled by the blatant prejudice towards the racing industry and the lack of support both financial and moral towards the recreational horse industry.

I note that the Victorian government has offered compensation packages to non profit clubs that were unable to hold their normal events and have lost thousands of dollars in revenue. All the NSW govt has offered is a refund of expenses that may have been incurred by clubs not a cent for lost revenue. Are we that broke in NSW that our clubs and such cannot get a helping hand when they are not to blame ?

We object strongly to taxpayers money being used to vaccinated racehorses whist the resr of us are refused protection for our horses. We are expected to just let our horse get sick, shut up and keep paying our taxes so it would seem.
The racing industry has multi millions of dollars available to use in a crisis and they have not hesitated in crying poor and demanding special treatment. This is creating enormous resentment in the rest (over 80%) of the horse world. Your department has succeeded in driving a wedge between horse people that will last a lot longer than the EI epidemic.
Despite what the DPI and the media are saying or not saying as the case may be, there are fatalities occurring in the non racing sector. Foals are dying from EI, mares are aborting , elderly kids ponies are unable to handle the effects of catching EI and horses that were fit and healthy and much loved by their owners, are being reduced to wrecks and may never recover their former health.

And I'm not even referring to the so called 'elite' horses, because, they like the race horses are 'high value'. What an insult to the rest of us!
I know that the blame will be apportioned in due course, but in the meantime, the DPI has made a total hash of this. They are not even sticking to the AustVetPlan as racehorses that are NOT in threatened areas ,infected areas or buffer zones are being vaccinated so that racing can start again. well what about the rest of us people and horses in limbo?
Please tell me how your department can justify ignoring thousands of brood mares and stallions of breeds other than thoroughbreds? What gives your office the right to play God with people's lives? If people are prepared to pay for vaccination why forbid them? why also are these same people expected to pay a levy to pay for the vaccination of race horses outside of buffer zones.

I, like many thousands of horse lovers and owners, am VERY ANGRY at the arbitry treatment being handed out to people who are only too happy to co-operate and do the right thing.

We call upon the NSW government to lead the way in creating a fair system without prejudice and we'll all happily work with you.

Your sincerely, on behalf of the other 80%,
Penny Lane.