Stranded horses set to cross the border

Horse owners with animals stuck in southern New South Wales will soon be able to move them into Victoria under new protocols being finalised by the Victorian Government.
About 200 owners have expressed interest in moving about 400 horses into Victoria, including Victorians with horses stranded interstate, and racing stables on the border unable to race their horses in Victoria.
The president of the Horse Industry Council, Barry Smyth, says the protocols will involve on-farm quarantine in New South Wales and one week in a Victorian-approved centre.
"The Victorian Department of Primary Industries and the Government are looking very closely at all ways of assisting people to get these horses back home," he said.
"It's a very expensive exercise to undergo all the quarantine, but the Government is looking very closely at helping people as much as they can to enable people to get their horses back home early.
"It looks like we're well on the way to successfully eradicating equine influenza from Australia early in the new year, so it's critical that people continue to cooperate, they've done a terrific job so far."