EI Disaster 16.9.07

The DPI is suggesting a fire break zone, i.e. vaccinate the horses outside the infected parts, after which, it should technically burn itself out. This is great, but then, we have introduced vaccinating for the rest of our lives, something a lot are not in favour of doing. Why not remove all these horses in the approaching danger zones, create a 'fire break around' the infected areas of no horses, nothing to continue the chain reaction, and can technically burn itself out inside the already infected area's. I can see the terrible upheaval for those that have to get out, but think of the upheaval if they stay and inherit the flu!!

Stop it in its tracks, and it is possible if everyone hangs together. We are all after the same thing, lets take "racing" out of the equation and treat all horses the same!! The concern for the spring racing carnival and the breeding industry is justifiable, but of equal concern to many is the (lack of) lead up with selection for the Olympic Games, and the fact that if the flu does not end, no horses from Australia will be able to go anyway. No country will allow a stopover, even if we could land at the other end. Australia is different in many ways from the other countries the 'experts' are comparing the problem to. We are unique, we are able to live like we do, we have so much space, talent, drive, determination, the will to achieve. This country consists of wonderful people, let stand up and prove it.

Sarah Allen,
Arthurs Creek, Victoria

News from Warwick 16th September

While we were talking to Heath Ryan yesterday he suggested we spoke to his “hard working and enthusiast groom, Alishya Hill”, still at Warwick. So today we caught up with her.

Eighteen year old Alishya, explained that she started to work for Heath ten months ago and her first ever event was at the now infamous ODE at the Ranch at Maitland on the 18th and 19th of August.

“That weekend we took nine horses to the Ranch including my horse, there were 200 horses there and from what I have heard very few got EI and none of the horses we took have been sick. The DPI vet rang us a couple of days after the event, as they did to everyone there, and they came out and checked our horses."

“When you work for Heath you work 6 days and get the seventh off so I did not go to Warwick. When I went to work on the Monday, Heath said the situation at Warwick looks more serious than we had thought, and he needed me to go to Queensland. So that is what I did straight away and I have been here ever since. Until a few days ago Eric and I have been looking after Heath’s five horses and two others, but now that they are all well Eric has gone back to Lochinvar. Eric could not leave here and go straight back due to bio-security, so Rozzie picked him up and they had to stop for 48 hours on their way home."

“I start the day at 6.30 am, feeding and watering my horses, then take their temps. for the vets, remove all their rugs, as it is very warm here during the day now and then put them all out in the day yards. Our yards are way over the back so it takes me an hour to put them all out and give them hay and water out there. After this I have breakfast then clean out the boxes/night yards."

“As there are three EFA instructors in lockdown, the EFA has organised for us to do our Intro and Level 1 Instructors certificates while we are here. I am doing my Intro Level with my assessment on Monday and then hopefully I can go onto my Level 1. We have classes every second day for two hours starting at 10.30 am. It has been really good."

“After class I try and get some lunch then it is time to start to bring them all back in again. As there are 250 horses and 188 yards we need to share some of them, so our horses have to come in so others can go out."

“All our horses are well now and I keep asking the vets when they can start light work but they are unsure. They have told us one weeks rest for every day they have a temperature, but they emphasize that this disease can do a lot of damage to the horses lungs and respiratory system."

“We keep hearing lots of things about when we can leave, like the 29th of September, the 2nd of October and the 31st of October, but nothing official. Then there is also the problem that we may be able to leave Morgan Park but not Queensland. However, there is a compulsory meeting tonight, so hopefully all is revealed. They have not started taking nasal swaps or blood here yet. I will not be going home until the horses do, as I seem to know what is going on and have it under control."

“I am sleeping in Heaths truck in a swag, and I have cooking facilities and a fridge in the truck, but all our meals are provided by the caterers and I can go to the “one stop shop” where there is a phone and two computers, so we can keep up to date on the internet. I am so grateful for what the Government is doing, they have been just amazing.”

Alishya does sound like she has things under control so we will give her a call tomorrow to find out what was said at the meeting and hear how she went in her Intro Level instructors certificate.

Lunch at Moonbi leaves a sour taste.

Over the past three weeks we have been in regular contact with Meg Drury with reports about the 29 ladies caught up in the lock down at Moonbi, after they had attended a Tamworth Dressage Day. The morale of these inmates has been on a bit of a roller coaster over this time and the DPI in their wisdom decided to organise a “Pamper Day” on September the 14th. A press release was issued by the DPI on the 7th of September saying the ladies would be “treated to beauty treatments, hair styling and hand massages before sitting down to a scrumptious lunch. It’s an initiative to come out of the State Government’s drought support program.” This immediately had other local residents “up in arms” with the local paper reporting, “why should the ladies at Moonbi get entitlements while other people are hurting”. As the Equine Influenza rapidly spreads though the Hunter Valley and the large equestrian communities surrounding Tamworth, emotions are running high.

We spoke to Meg about her disappointment concerning the bad press and the how they were getting on at Moonbi.

“It all started earlier this week, when people heard about the “pamper day”. There was an article in the local paper saying we are getting things like free food and special treatment, while other locals are getting nothing and drought relief money was going to pay for this.”. I rang the local paper and explained we do not need the bad press. This is not our decision, we want to go home. I also asked the DPI why the drought relief was still called this, when this fund is now for “looking after the happiness and well being of people in regional areas hit by disaster”, such as the people effected by bushfires and last week floods at Singleton, but I really did not get an answer.

Any way the “pamper day” was really nice. The DPI provided lunch and some volunteers did our nails and hair, while a mental health worker did a general talk on coping with stressful situations.

To our eyes 95% of the horses are now 100% well, but there has not been a vet around for a while. Hopefully a vet is coming next week to assess our horses and then we may have some idea when we can go home. Now that the horses are getting better and we do not have as much to do, it is getting harder to stay here.”

It is to hoped that people caught in the Equine Flu disaster will start to pull together and produce an united front. As Heath Ryan put it, “we are at war” and there is an added problem our enemy is invisible. To defeat this opponent we all need to work together. We will catch up with Meg next week and hopefully they will have a release date.

Racing authorities reject vaccination

Read the full article.

Another good read.
Closing the stable door after the horse flu has bolted

JOHN MESSARA on Equine Influenza

JOHN MESSARA on Equine Influenza The Hunter Valley Purple Zone , Bio-security, Hitting the nail on the head, Indescribable losses, EI has doubled in 3 days, The effect on yearling sales, Strategic vaccination, National vaccination, Partioning Australia, Trade impacts, Government acceptance, Vaccination and the global scene, "The cure is worse than the disease"Click here for the interview...

More information on EI relating to to racing industry.
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