Reinventing the wheel?

It’s obvious from all the posts on this blog that the equestrian industry feels they have no voice with which to counter the lobbying being done by the racing industry.

I thought the Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) and it’s State Committees, was our ‘voice’? I understand that the council is run by volunteers and is seriously underfunded, but they are involved with the Ausvet plan for bio security on our behalf, even if this is not being communicated.

Could we not throw our support behind the AHIC? Are we reinventing the wheel by organising separate meetings and rallies? Isn’t this keeping things exactly as it is now - disjointed? If we all pushed the AHIC barrow, perhaps they would get enough government funding to allow them to run the council with full time employees instead of part time volunteers, then we would have one voice that could be loud enough to be heard over the top of the racing lobby. Is there a reason for the seeming lack of support for the AHIC? If there is, what is it? Can it be fixed?

I also have a question for the owners/trainers more recently arrived from overseas than I, from countries with EI, what do these country’s equestrian bodies do? How do they handle (or did they handle) all the issues that we are now facing? Could we not use their models instead of re inventing the wheel? Is it working or not? Could we improve their models?
Food for thought?

Pam, ESK SE QLD