Vaccinating race horses is fair - for some like us!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
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.
N Martin from QLD
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.
N Martin from QLD
posted by Horse Deals at
9:22 pm
16 Comments:
WELL I TOO OWN A SMALL BUSINESS. IF SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT EFFECTED MY BUSINESS I HAVE INCOME PROTECTION INSURANCE.I ALSO INSURE MY MORTAGE AGAINST LOSS OF INCOME. NOT SAYING I DISAGREE WITH YOUR NEED JUST PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE, IF YOU RUN A SMALL BUSINESS, THINGS MAY AND PROBLY WILL HAPPEN TO UPSET THE APPLE CART. I WOULD NEVER RELY ON OUR GOVERNMENTS BAILING ME OUT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME MORE NEEDING TINY COUNTRY OVERSEAS THAT WILL RECIEVE MILLIONS OF GOVERNMENT DOLLARS BEFORE ME.
PETER. R
And what about the riding schools and instructors and trainers of the state? Are they also casual riders? Whilst I understand you are being affected, badly, by this, you aren't the only ones to suffer loss of income. If the racing industry was being discriminated against I guarantee you'd be getting on your "high horse" too.
HOW DARE YOU?! I'll have you know it is just me(17), my mother and sister(19). We work year round to keep our show horses in top condition. We are not "casual riders" our horses are family - we spend EVERYDAY with them. We were prepairing for (at least) a 25 show season. Now it's gone!
So don't tell me not to get angry over the fact that the govtment is refering to our boys as "BACKYARD PONIES" and yours as "professional athletes". And as for calling them "Paddock Bashers" Mine work just as hard as yours! And I work just as hard as you.
Hi, I dont have race horses but my horses are also my sole income. I have a bills to pay just like you. Its great your horses have been vaccinated, the DPI will not do mine as they are riding ponies. Coming from the point of view of not being vaccinated, I can understand why people are angry. What if they said your race horses are only harness race horses and cant be done. You would be livard. Or what if someone said your 4yr old couldnt have there asthma pump because they are not earning a living. You dont know all our circumstances as we dont know yours.
One thing I would like to point out is that there are people other than those who train racehorses that make their living out them and are not getting close to that kind of compensation. Those horses are still their income, how are they meant to survive? If a horse is not a racehorse, it does not mean that it's just a paddock basher. Wake up. Be thankful you have SOME kind of help. There's many who can get nothing.
What about my working stock horses and hundreds of others like them that work everyday to earn MY living and feed MY kids and pay MY mortgage why don't you spare a thought for them!
Anyone who thinks it is just thoroughbred and standardbred horses that people rely on to earn a living in this country really is quite ignorant.
Now tell me why your mortgage and your kids and more important then mine and why you should have a right to vaccinate your horses and go back to work when I cannot!
if your running an equine business don't you have insurance? I used to own an equestrian business & my insurance had the option for loss of income, it cost extra but was worth having, so I paid the extra, so I could cover my expensnes should something untoward happen, even though I thought it pretty unlikely at the time.
there are other forms of income insurance, so if you rely on your horses so much you should always have back-up.
You may earn your living from race horses, just incase you did not know there are a lot of people who also earn a living from training horses that do not race and they are entitled to be able to pay their home loans and eat as well,and just because there horse do not run around in circles does not make the any less valuable
you are forgetting that there are plenty of horse owners in the same position as you. It's not only the racing and harness industry that get their main source of income form their horse businesses. What about all the dressage, show jumping, eventing, campdrafting, polocross and show stables around the state which people have set up and are running as a full-time business with no other sources of income. And not to forget all the studs. Can we please all stop feeling sorry for ourselfs and our 'part' of the industry and realise that we are all in the same boat.
Well well well I cant beleive and its people like you that make me shy away from the racing industry and why I dislike anyone aasociated with the racing industry these days.
You seem to think you are worse off from anyone else, well think again my dear, there are plenty of others in the same boat and if not in some cases worse off than you.
At least you had that choice to vacinate we dont, so our livlyhood is now down the drain as we get further and further into debt and guess what I am not entitled to ANY handouts at least again you have that option !!!!!
Paddock Bashers.....maybe that comment should be re thought as I sincerly feel you owe all of us recreational horse owners a heart felt apology.
You seem to think you are higher up than any of us, ha what a joke.
The only difference between you and us is that you generate money for the governemet we dont @!
N Martin, you are a self serving self centred person. Unlike the race
Industry the vast majority of people love their horses and would walk over
broken glass to have them fit and well. Also unlike the race Industry we
don't breed horses at ridiculous rates knowing that most will end up in a
can, but that's ok if it turns a profit!!!!!!!! We are all struggling
through this and we are all suffering financially, try working 9-5 it
mightn't kill you.
Funny I remember a lovely "paddock basher" by the name of Darien Powers,
just a HRCAV horse by memory. Did he do anything amazing or are you so
wound up in your own little world that you forgot this. I'll be watching
for the first Gold Medal one of your horses wins.
An offended Horse Deals Reader
Response to N Martin.
Well N Martin, I received your response to my posting. As a lot of people have since pointed out to you that most of us and many others derive our income from our horses. I too derive an income from my horses and you would have relised that had you not read my posting more closely as a breeder. Our other business which is a service business and nothing to do with horses is also suffering as we run it from our property and our clients must undergo very strict bio security before they are permitted onto the property after leaving their vehicles parked on the road. So sweetheart you are no alone but at least you are getting the handouts and the vaccinations so I guess you are in a better position than me and a lot of other people who derive their income from their horses. Take off you blinkers you are not racing now.
Rosemarie
I feel sorry for you that your business has suffered so like so many others within the horse industry. But perhaps if your mining jobs were so "successful" you should have put some money aside to help youselves in time of need or paid for income protection insurance. You probably receive parenting allowance along with child care fee relief and have a health care card to pay for your's and your children's medication so I am not too troubled about these costs for you. If your racing business were that successful then money would have been set aside for unforeseen circumstances and you would not need to draw on the Australian tax payer for handouts. It is probably unlikely that you pay tax on your business as I would dare say it runs at a loss. Perhaps your paddock bashers could be sold to the local pony club and you couold earn a real living instead of playing with trotting races out the back of beyond.
I bet you feel like a bit like an ass now..with your stupid comments.
think before you speak next time..Are you going to reply to any of the comments? You seemed to have a lot to say originally.
karen
Well, well M Martin, are you serious?? I can't believe you have so rudely called our ponies paddock bashers. I breed Australian Miniature Ponies in Victoria and my ponies are worth much more to me than any money. I am highly offended to anyone who thinks their precious race horses are superior to our little equine family. I might not earn a living from these ponies, but they are more than that - they are my life!! I am terrified to think that my tiny little foals are about to fight for life when EI hits victoria, with high temperatures in the blistering heat.
It is my understanding that the racing industry has brought this EI to our country, but there they are merrily racing, while our Agricultural Shows have cancelled all our horse events. I am appauled with the racing industries practices concerning EI.
Anyway, I think an apology is overdue.
N Martin. I do feel for you, although not many do! Yes we have racrhorses too. We have also been out of action, but thankfully we have been vaccinated. I understand what you are going through. Luckily we both work part-time jobs so we have been able to keep our heads above water. Still wairing on sosmething from the goverenment! Most of the pleasure horse industry, still get in their car and go to work every day and whinge and wine that they are not getting vaccinated. They forget what the racing industry turns over for this country, not the shows or dressage people.
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