Fair Treatment Recreational and Sporting Horse Owners ?

Not least, thanks to the persistent efforts of the Australian Horse Industry Council with the full support of recreational horse owners , the Horse Racing Industry is back in business. And why not. Most horse lovers are glad horse racing is back and movement restrictions for the racing industry horses have been largely removed. Special conditions for the industry have applied all along anyway.

Now, what about the tens of thousands of recreational & sporting horses and their still suffering owners. For example, horses in the Amber Zone can only be exercised and moved around on their home properties. They are not permitted to be taken anywhere outside these properties, even though they still remain within the Amber Zone. This seems absurd, in view of the fact that the movement of horses within their allocated Zone does not increase the risk of EI transmission to other Zones.

With the generous removal of restrictions for the Horse Racing Industry, permitting the movement of race horses virtually across all Zones, it seems reasonable to expect at least some relaxation of the prohibitions still applying to recreational and sporting horses. There is no justification for maintaining a ban on horses being exercised outside their home properties provided they remain within their allocated Zone. Removal of this now unnecessary condition will make a big difference to the lives of thousands of horse owners..

With the Australian Horse Industry Council apparently representing all equine disciplines, there is now a real opportunity for the AHIC to demonstrate its support for the thousands of recreational horse owners who have and will continue to support the racing industry, by lobbying for the removal of the ban on horse movements within the allocated zones.

Erich Raab