Social Manipulation

I have followed the EI saga since the beginning, and been affected due to our horses getting sick and recovering. Now we are in a Purple zone.

I have become resentful of the clumsy social manipulation being practised - either consciously or unconsciously - by the authorities.

In the very beginning, a blame game was played where there was a virtual witchhunt to identify the source of the outbreak, followed by much official sabre-rattling over who would "pay". In reality, lax procedures in quarantine were an accident waiting to happen but control of an invisible microscopic virus was always going to be problematic. The concept of blame and division spread with the outbreak, setting neighbours against one another. The information on how the virus spread was incomplete to the point of being inaccurate - people were not adequately informed about how it spreads quickly on the breeze and by flies, birds etc, they were told humans were to blame in almost all cases. Some information about the virus has been suppressed altogether (they will say "merely not publicised" or that it was "to prevent people being alarmed").

The public were told that immunisation was not an option, and that they were well-advised not to ask for it due to costs, ineffectiveness, adverse reactions and so on. Many people formed their opinions based on this phase of the spin-doctoring. When an about-turn was made, the public were then expected to embrace the concept of immunisation as the silver bullet that would halt the outbreak.

Meanwhile, ordinary horse owners became more and more cynical as they observed the inequities between themselves and the racing community in terms of the rules applying to immunisation, movements and events. All horses - and horse owners - were apparently NOT equal. Zones were introduced but decisions were made arbitrarily and zoning was changed in many cases without warning.

The profile of the disease we were given was inaccurate - the incubation period was in some cases longer than expected, the symptoms were sometimes different, the probability for mutation appears to have been much higher than originally expected (you may hear about this eventually), the effect on foaling mares was more severe than hoped, it can be CAUGHT by dogs (not just physically transferred - did you know that? Has your dog been sick?), and now it seems that some recovered horses do NOT have the immunity expected (this is one reason for swabs/microchips being required for recovered horses). The after-effects of the virus can result in some apparently well horses collapsing and even dying when put back into work.

The survey sent out has, it appears, revealed effects on the social fabric of the horse community that reach much further than was expected. People who make their living through the industry have been severely financially and thus emaotionally affected, but there have also been negative flow-on effects to do with social life, communities, families and so on as a result of loss of recreation and impact on social interaction.

Now the authorities are asking an increasingly cynical community to try to "get back to normal" with activities and events on the one hand, while imposing unreasonable conditions on the other. The idea that you can suddenly pull spelling horses out of the paddock and go out and compete is ludicrous and shows a worrying lack of understanding of the reality of owning and riding horses. Most breed and sport clubs work on the basis of a "showing year" - half of this has been lost, it will be impractical to try to hold most of the big State/Royal/National events while zoning is in place, and who wants to take an unfit, untrained, under-prepared horse to an event when one of the possible outcomes is being caught in a lockdown and being subjected to cost and inconvenience - better to wait it out. I think maybe the initiative to encourage the holding of events has more to do with getting the horse businesses out of trouble by encouraging spending, and feigning the appearance of the hobby clubs being back in action, so that the preferential treatment of the racing industry will not look so bad. And also the authorities are using events to force people to have horses swabbed, microchipped and immunised etc.

My personal view at this point is that we might as well write off the rest of the competition year (if your club operates on a financial-year basis), enjoy our horses at home and gradually bring them back to fitness with the next show year in mind, and wait out the "burning out" of the virus (which by luck, management or judgement seems actually to be happening, hallelujah). And as showies, club officials, and recreational horse owners we should refuse to continue to dance to the tune (or the ever-changing, different tunes, more like) being played by the authorities as they continue to try to manipulate us into the behaviour they want.

The outbreak has shown that most horse owners are prepared to do the right thing to ensure the welfare of their animals and to help stamp out the virus, but we don't want to be fed misinformation, treated like idiots, told what we can and cannot do with no input into official decisions which affect us (which end up often being wrong anyway), and expected to change our views when told to do so by the people in power.

I would like to have once again the luxury of being able to form my own opinions based on accurate, unbiased information - ask me to co-operate and give me a reason, DON'T tell me what I have to do and follow it with threats!

KM

Horses back for Easter show

Horse events will be run at next year's Sydney Royal Easter Show, despite the ongoing equine influenza outbreak, the NSW government has announced.
Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said the government had worked with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) to ensure the flu crisis did not disrupt the 180-year history of horse events at the show in 2008.
"This is great news for Christmas for all the horse owners across the state and particularly those who entered their horses in Sydney ... show events," Mr Macdonald told reporters in Sydney today.
Mr Macdonald said competing horses would be subject to strict quarantine protocols and biosecurity arrangements during the March show.

Horse events allowed at Sydney's Easter show

Monday, 24 December, 2007
Horses return to Sydney Royal Easter Show
Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) President Rob Vickery today announced that Australia’s best horses will be able to compete at the 2008 Sydney Royal Easter Show, despite the outbreak of equine influenza.
Minister Macdonald said the Department of Primary Industries has worked around the clock with the (RAS) to ensure the competitions can go ahead.
"I am pleased we have been able to reach a practical solution to the restrictions
associated with equine influenza and these important competitions can proceed," Mr Macdonald said.
"We all want to ensure the Sydney Royal retains its 180 year tradition as well as its outstanding reputation and status as one of the world’s premier horse events.
"This event signals the road to recovery for leisure horses in NSW, since the outbreak of EI in August.
Minister Macdonald also announced the inaugural Royal Sydney Horse Classic will be held at the Show over five days.
"Up to 300 of the country’s finest horses will be invited to compete for $100,000 in prize money in the inaugural Sydney Royal Horse Classic, which will consist of a series of elite riding and hack competition events," he said.
"The Sydney Royal Horse Classic will be a great way to demonstrate our horse industry is on the road to recovery and up and running again and it’s important for all of the State to see these magnificent horses in action.
"We will continue to work closely with the RAS to enable entry to the event for as many competitors as possible, whilst continuing our campaign to eradicate EI from NSW."
RAS President Rob Vickery said he is excited the Society is now in a position to offer its exhibitors the opportunity to compete at the Easter Show.
"We are extremely appreciative of the Minister’s personal commitment to finding a working solution to the problems associated with EI and to his Department, who recognised the importance and popularity of horses at the show," Mr Vickery said.
"I also want to thank the dedicated horse exhibitors who have supported our show for many years and for their patience in waiting for this announcement.
"The Sydney Royal Horse Classic will be a tribute to all these people and to the wonderful Australian heritage of showing horses at the Sydney Royal."
The Easter Show will also have an additional 500 horses competing in world class Olympic qualifying showjumping, interstate and international polo and polocross matches, campdraft and stock horse competitions.
To be eligible to compete, horses must follow strict biosecurity arrangements at the time of the show in March. These will be published at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Horse events allowed at Sydney's Easter show

The announcement comes just three weeks after the Royal Agricultural Society announced the events would be cancelled because of uncertainty over equine influenza.
But Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald says strict biosecurity measures will lower the number of horses which can compete.
"I understand that this is maybe 500 or 600 horses less than the optimum situation which has occurred in the past," he said.
"But given the circumstances, we believe that this is a containable number in terms of any spread of equine influenza.
"So we are taking a cautious approach, but at the same time ensuring that there is competition conducted at the Royal Easter Show."
Mr Macdonald says he believes that horse owners will be keen to compete in the show despite the biosecurity measures.
He says there is now initial agreement on a new cautious but workable system.
"At a minimum they'll have to be vaccinated, as well as tested," he said.
"We will work out the final details of the protocols over the next week."
Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) spokesman Rob Vickery says a rearrangement of events will cut the number of competing horses by about 500.
"It's a great relief to the RAS and our thanks to Minister Macdonald and the Department of Primary Industries for all the work that they've put in to get us this far," he said.
The Equestrian Federation says it hopes the protocols will be a blueprint for running more competitions.