Horse flu vaccines 10 days away

Within 10 days up to 50,000 doses of equine influenza (EI) vaccine will have arrived in Australia, enabling vets to target 25,000 high priority horses.
Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran says 1,500 doses of the vaccine will be used on Spring Carnival horses in Victoria, with 18,500 being used in New South Wales and Queensland. Read the full story.

Double Standards

An Open Letter to all state and federal members of Parliament,

Sirs and Ladies,

Can anyone tell me why all the media coverage is centred on the racing industry? I am posting this letter on the Horsedeals site because they are the only organisation to bother with the many, many thousands of horse owners who do NOT have anything to do with the racing industry. Thank you Horsedeals.

Will the various Ministers for Primary Industries please put some effort into keeping these multitute of horse owners informed about the following key issues.

1. Vaccination. If racehorses and brood mares are to vaccinated, what about all the other thousands of horses in and around racing areas? It won't work if any horses are left out of a vaccination program.

2. If it is OK to move a race horse or brood mare from one zone to another, why can't any other horses be moved, for example, if a horse was purchased prior to the standstill but cannot be delivered to its new home?

3. What about compensation for horse owners faced with agistment costs because their horse was away from home and cannot be returned or was purchased before the outbreak and the new owners are faced with high agistment charges.

4. Clubs have lost thousands in income but there is only compensation for outlays. Some clubs will not survive financially as their only income after membership fees, is from competitions. Club insurance policies are due at this time of the year, competitions are vital to raise enough money to pay for insurance.

5. Most horse owners are adhearing to restrictions. We are only concerned that we stop the spread of EI. What we need more than any thing is information. Not everone has access to a computor so please put more information out on the evening news broadcasts. If you don't tell us what is going on, how can you expect us to remain patient.

Thank you.
Penny Lane.

Grant Hughes Under Assault From All Sides.

Grand Hughes from Canberra has been a popular and successful rider at the top end of Australian showjumping for many years. Grant and wife, Heather also run a successful riding school, Forest Park, as well as produce showjumpers for the domestic and international market. Grant is a Canberra Royal Show Councilor and the man behind the now postponed Australian Showjumping Championships, which were to be conducted at the Canberra Showgrounds in October. Like a pinball, Grant has been clobbered, no matter which way he turned.

“ Where it’s hard with this, is not knowing what sort of time frame we are dealing with and it is not made clear enough what we have to do. I took some horses out west to get some points and was in lockdown at Condobolin for 14 days. I said to the DPI one day, show us in writing what we really have to do to get out of here and they couldn’t do that. When I pushed the point he got on to his boss and we were told to take their temperatures for five days, which we did, only to be told that we should have been taking them twice a day! So we had to stay for another two days. I’d like to see some guidelines and sit them up there so everyone can see what happens and what to do if you get EI and what happens if you don’t. It’s not rocket science.

“I went to a meeting today (21st) and we were told that we had to wash tyres, shower, change clothes, blow our noses, but I don’t understand why we have to do all that, here in Canberra, as we are in a clean zone and not going in and out of an infected zone. I think they are just preparing us for what might happen, and it is important to know what to do, but the organisation regarding the fight against EI is very hard to follow.

“I’m just sitting back, a bit overawed by the whole thing, just seeing your business almost come to a standstill. We run trail rides, give lessons, break in and train and produce jumpers for sale and the shows are a vital part of that. I have some showjumpers ready to go to Bahrain and Japan as soon as they can get mobile. Our business is only running at 40%, people can’t bring horses here and we can’t take the trail rides. We have another property at Murrumbateman, which is in NSW where we spell the horses. We had one founder out there and one with a foot infection and we could not bring them here to Canberra, we had to go back and forth to treat them each day. It’s been a month now and we have six full time staff and 15 permanent part time and you just can’t say to them, righto off you go, some have been with us for over 20 years. We have been in the business for 27 years and are established and can take a bit of a knock, but I do feel sorry for the younger ones trying to make a go of it.

“NSW said that on the 21st they would allow some movement in the green Zone, but the ACT are not up to date on the paper work. We may be allowed some movement next week and we are hoping to be able to start the trail rides again. We will be offering a ride one get one free incentive to get things moving. But I think it might take longer to get going again, as people may have turned to other activities in the meantime, like squash and golf etc”.

Australian Showjumping Championships Re Scheduled.
23rd September.

Australian Showjumping Championships organiser, Grant Hughes advised today that the much-anticipated event, originally scheduled for 11th-15th October, will be held on the Australia Day long weekend in January 2008. “We have just confirmed that we can have the showgrounds for that date and have the go ahead from the EFA. They will still be called the 2007 Championships and we are waiting on word from the FEI, whether or not we can still conduct an Olympic qualifier. That is of course if everything is right with this flu by then”.

Trouble in Paradise.

Today we called Alishya Hill, our excellent roving reporter and groom for Heath Ryan’s horses at Warwick, to get an update on the situation.

How is it all going up there?

“Well we have just had a big meeting, as there has been a problem with the yards. There are now just over 200 yards but 250 horses. Owners are meant to swap horses half way through the day and clean the yard, but some people are just not doing it, a number of them are leaving horses out all day and over night. People are starting to get a bit stressed with the whole situation. If you are not having the best of days and you take your horse out to a yard, that should be empty, and you find it with a horse in it and dirty, it is proving to be enough to tip people over the edge. It is really just people being silly. Simon Goodard (Warwick Horse Trails President), who has been fantastic all along, told people today, that if they did not sort out the yard problem amongst themselves, then they would need to appoint someone to make strict rules and a roster system.”

How were the blood tests?

“Every test came back positive, so that is really good. They were going to do another blood test but they are now not sure. A National committee is now looking at the situation. I asked one of the vets today if they were going to do nasal swabs from here and the answer was, we are not sure. We have also asked again if we will be able to take the horses back to NSW when we are released, it is to be hoped on the 2nd of October. The answer was once again, we are not sure, but they hope so as the DPI will soon be starting a vaccination program in the buffer zones, inoculating horses in a 5 to km radius of a EI breakout.”

How are you horses?

“They are all really good. We are still doing temperatures twice a day and having the vet rounds. I have started walk/riding Heath’s horses. At Heath’s we walk/ride the dressage horses like Dundee, for about an hour each day, it is really good for then, so I have plenty of practice. I have been getting up at 5am when most things are quiet, putting out four horses, then riding two for about an hour each. I have to walk them through the yards, which is not so easy some times, with horses in the yards being silly. Then I just walk them on the grassed area away from the yards. I do not take them on the cross-country area as they might get too excited. When I finish riding I feed up, do my yards, have breakfast and then start to swap over horses.”

Are other people starting to ride?

“Not many, the kids like to saddle their horses up and sit on them, but not many people are doing beneficial stuff.”

Is Heath’s property still EI free?

“Yes, but it totally surrounds him, he is sure his horses will get it, but I tell him to think positively as he has worked really hard at protecting his place.”

How did you go in your Introductory Instructors exam?

“Good, we all passed the theory, but now we have to do the practical, which is a bit frustrating as we can not start Level One until we have done this. If I was at Heath’s it is all stuff we do every day, like cleaning out horses feet and washing them, so he would be able to sign the log book.”

Hopefully the Warwick inmates sort things out and we will speak to Alishya next week to see if they have a definite departure date.

It is all very like espionage isn’t it??

So much for me getting a shot of the DPI “surveillance person”!? I asked the DPI rep for a photo she told me in no uncertain terms, in the nicest possible way, that NO ONE was allowed to take photos of them and anyone doing so would have their car details taken down and be “processed” !!!?????.......or maybe she said “prosecuted”.

So, how about that? It is all very like espionage isn’t it??

Kathy (NSW/VIC border)

Life without shows.

With the new out break of EI at Warwick Farm on Saturday, the likelihood of equestrian events starting again in the near future looks improbable. We under stand some people are under huge financial pressure and having to deal with sick horses, while others sit and wait for EI to arrive. However, there are others who are inadvertently caught up in the EI drama, that now have more time to do the things “normal” none horsey people do on the weekends. With all this extra time, our garden has never looked better and we visited the local market on the weekend. What are you doing with your time?

Lee Freeman calls for immediate vaccination

Lee Freedman - calls for immediate vaccination of Victorian horses Audio Link, very interesting.

Andrew Harding - Australian Racing Board Audio Link, another interesting interview.

Racenet.com.au http://www.racenet.com.au/ Follow this link for more audio and writen articles on EI.

Qld SES volunteers join horse flu fight

State Emergency Services (SES) volunteers are monitoring the movement of horses as part of efforts to control the outbreak of equine influenza in Queensland.

Read the full story.

Majority of flu vaccine going to NSW, Qld: McGauran

Federal Agricultural Minister Peter McGauran says the majority of this week's shipment of horse flu vaccine will be sent to the front lines of the outbreak in New South Wales and Queensland.

Read the full story. You will also find a video link.

THANKS HORSE DEALS

FIRSTLY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU..... HORSE DEALS FOR KEEPING US SO IMFORMED AS TO WHAT IS AND ISN’T HAPPENING IN QLD. I INITIALLY WAS FOLLOWING ALL SITES AS TO THE SITUATION ON EI. BUT LIKE MANY OTHERS KEPT KEEPING ON WITH THE DPI AND IN PARTICULAR QLD.....................I LIKE MOST OTHER’S I NOTICED THAT ON THE 13/9/07 VERY LITTLE INFO WAS COMING THROUGH.
I WILL ELABERATE ON MY STORY SHORTLY BUT FIRST AND FORMOST I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT AFTER A PH. DISCUSSION WITH DPI QLD LAST NITGHT THE PERSON I SPOKE TO HAD NEVER HEARD OF HORSE DEALS......................WITH AN EPIDEMIC OF EI AS WE HAVE I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT SOME ONE MIGHT OF MENTIONED YOU GUY’S WHO ARE VIGILIANT WITH YOUR BLOG SITE AND REPORTS........................I AM SURE YOU WILL HAVE A VERY SMALL MAGAZINE THIS MONTH WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO SPEND MONEY ON ADVERTISING WHEN THEY CAN’T MOVE HORSES....................AND I DO HOPE THAT ALL THE EFFORT YOU HAVE GONE TO IS REWARDED......... I AM REGRETFULL THAT I DIDN’T JUST FOLLOW H/D AND WENT TO THE DPI BUT A GOOD LESSON LEARNT FOR ME . SO AGAIN BEFORE I TELL MY STORY.....................ALL OF YOU THAT ARE POSTING BLOGS LIKE ME MAKE SURE YOU BUY UP BIG ON THE OCT MAG IF NOT FOR H/D I THINK ALOT OF US WOULD STILL BE IN THE DARK....................
SO IF YOUR INTERSTED HERE IS MY LITTLE BIT ON EI AND IN PARTICULAR QLD.

I OWN 4 SHOW HORSES AND I LIVE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF SUNSHINE COAST RACE PRECINCT.

I HAVE BEEN WATCHING HORSES WALK PAST MY FRONT GATE TO THE RACE TRACK FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS. MY HORSES CANT GO OUT THE GATE. I LIVE ON 1 ACRE THIS IS TAKEN UP BY A LARGE HOUSE 3 BAY GARAGE AND 4 STABLES (SO I GUESS YOU CAN GET THE PICTURE) I USE A GROUND 200MTRS FROM ME TO TRAIN AND EXERCISE MY HORSES. OR SHALL WE SAY I DID...................... SO OUT OF FRUSTRATION I DECIDED TO CALL QLD DPI FOR A SOME ANSWERS. NOW, NO OFFENCE TO THOSE WHO WORK IN THE DPI CALL CENTRE, BUT THEIR RESPONSE WAS NOTHING SHORT OF EXASPERATING.

“CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY I AM WATCHING HORSES WALK UP THE ROAD PAST MY GATE TO THE RACE TRACK”............QLD DPI,” THEY ARE RACE HORSES AND THEY NEED TO BE EXERCISED”......
“YES THEY ARE HORSES THE SAME AS MINE WHO ALSO REQUIRE EXERCISE”.....................QLD DPI,” YES, BUT THEY ARE THOROUGHBREDS”....................”YES SO ARE 2 OF MINE, SO CAN I TAKE HIM FOR A WALK”.......................QLD DPI, “NO, IT’S NOT A RACE HORSE”. SO I ASK THE DPI IF THEY ARE WALKING PAST MY FRONT GATE AND LIVE DOWN THE ROAD LESS THAN 100M AWAY, IF THEY ARE GOING TO GET EI THEN SO AM I. THEY ARE IN THE RACE COURSE PRECINCT..............SO AM I. THE STEWARDS AT THE TRACK ARE POLICING BIOSECURITY AT THE TRACK SAYS DPI..............I AM POLICING BIOSECURITY HERE PROBABLY A LOT BETTER THAN THEY ARE........................STILL NO ADEQUATE ANSWERS, SO THEY BUMP ME UP TO THE SUPERVISOR AND AROUND WE GO AGAIN. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PHONE CONVERSATION I TOLD THE DPI IN MY OPINION THEY HAD NO HOPE OF CONTAINING THIS AS BASICALLY THEY REALLY DIDN’T HAVE A GOOD GRIP ON THE SITUATION AS A WHOLE AND WERE PANDERING TO ONE SECTOR OF THE EQUINE INDUSTRY. NOT SURPRISINGLY THERE WAS LITTLE COMMENT BACK.

SO FOLLWING DISCUSSIONS WITH MY LOCAL VET WHO HAD EXPRESSED GENUINE CONCERN FOR MY PREDICAMENT, I MADE APPLICATION VIA MY LOCAL VET TO REMOVE THE LARGEST OF MY HORSES WHO WAS COPING WITH THE SITUATION THE WORST AND WHO IS ALSO A WINDSUCKER, TO A PROPERTY APPROXIMATLY 20KMS FROM ME. THE VET REPORT I AM ESTIMATING WILL COST ME APPROX. $110.

I RECEIVED A FAX STATING IT WAS DECLINED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
1................ I WANTED TO MOVE THE HORSE MORE THAN 10KMS AWAY.
2................ IT DIDN’T REQUIRE EMERGENCY VETERNARY ASSISTANCE.
SO YOU WHO ARE READING THIS SAY............... SO WHAT.
OK.... THE BEST OF IT IS............... THAT I HAVE BEEN INFORMED TODAY THAT HORSES FROM LANDSBOROUGH, BEERWAH, PEACHESTER AS OF MONDAY WILL BE ABLE TO FLOAT TO THE SUNSHINE COAST RACE COURSE TO TRAIN..................... YES BY FLOAT AND THESE PROPERTIES ARE MORE THAN 10KMS FROM THE TRACK.......................
WHEN I SPOKE TO THE DPI AGAIN LAST NIGHT THEY TOLD ME I COULDN’T MOVE AND I MOST DEFINIATLY COULD NOT WALK MY HORSES OUT THE FRONT GATE....... WHEN I QUESTIONED THE RACE HORSES .....................THE ANSWER WAS WELL THEY ARE RACE HORSES AND THEY NEED EXCERCISE..........................YOU WOULD KNOW WHAT MY RESPONSE WAS. .............WELL SO DO MINE THEY ARE DOING THEIR HEADS IN, SMALL PADDOCKS AND NO WORK.......... DPI QLD, OH WELL THEY ARE NOT RACE HORSES SO YOU CANT MOVE OR EXERCISE THEM.
TELL ME THERE ARE NOT TWO AGENDAS RUNNING WITHIN QLD DPI !!!!!! ONE FOR QLD RACING AND ONE FOR...................WELL YOU CAN WORK THAT ONE OUT.
MY SHOW HORSES ARE LIVING IN DUST PADDOCKS WITH NO WORK ALL OF THE COMMON BOARDEM ISSUES ARE REARING THEIR UGLY HEADS, ((((((FENCE WALKING, WINDSUCKING, WOOD CHEWING))))))DO I NEED TO GO ON. WE SHOW HORSE PEOPLE SAVE THE POOR RACE HORSES THAT FALL OFF THE TRACK AND MAKE THEM INTO SOMETHING I.E EVENTER’S, SHOW HORSES, PONY CLUB MOUNTS, PLEASURE HORSES TO NAME A FEW ..............................DARE WE SAY WE GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE..........................
SO DPI, QLD WHAT ABOUT SOME SUPPORT FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE THAT TRUELY LOVE HORSES ............................SPEND A FORTUNE ON THEM.............. AND DON’T NEED TO GO TO THE TAB.
FOR ALL ITS WORTH,,, TREAT US AS YOU’RE TREATING THE RACE HORSE INDUSTRY WE ARE RESPONSBLE PEOPLE THAT LOVE OUR HORSES................AND WOULD LOVE TO GET THEM INTO BIGGER PADDOCKS FOR THEIR OWN WELL BEING OR AT LEAST 200M UP THE ROAD FOR SOME EXERCISE.

REGARDS
SUE HEATON

New case of horse flu no surprise at Broughton Village

The DPI's headline late on Friday "New case of horse flu no surprise at Broughton Village" may not have been a surprise to them, but it certainly was a surprise, and a disappointing shock, to horse owners in the Shoalhaven area.The public was informed, a month ago, that there were 2 horses infected at Broughton Village. Since then we have heard nothing - and no news is good news, isn't it? How do we suddenly have 5 more horses becoming infected a month later? How long is the infectious period? On the eve of a month lapsing, and no new information, we had naively become optimistic that the Shoalhaven might become a "green zone" in a couple more weeks.What has been happening in the last month that we haven't been informed of? We can all cope with facts and truths, and cope much better then we can with nothing to go on but speculations, rumors and surprises. We're all willing to cooperate and work together to end this misery because we love our horses and our horsesports, but we need to be kept informed, no secrets. Please stop treating us like mushrooms!