comment on First mass movement of horses since EI.

I doubt the owners of horses faced with paying the $3,000 to $4,000 to get them home and gave up and had them put down because they couldn't afford it, will feel much like celebrating.

Jenny

Authorities 'vague' about horse flu border security changes

Victorian authorities will not say to what extent horse flu checkpoints along the New South Wales border are being scaled back.
Victoria's chief vet, Dr Hugh Miller, says some monitoring shifts are being cancelled, as the threat from equine flu subsides.

But he will not say at which crossings security is being relaxed, in case people attempt to take advantage of the new arrangements.
"It's part of a deterrent set of arrangements. Just like the police are vague about when and where they will have various patrols or booze buses or whatever, we're taking the opportunity to be deliberately vague scaling back the border operations," he said.

Queenslanders - How are you coping with the Floods?

With reports of major flooding and potential stock loss, Horse Deals would love to hear from any Queenslanders and let us know how you are going. Give us a first account report on your area, your Horses and how everyone is coping - perhaps even send us a couple of photo's and tell us your story!


Simply email blogEI@horsedeals.com.au and include your photo's and contact details.

GOOD LUCK and our thoughts are with you all.

Too early to assess Qld flood damage: Bligh

Flood damage to roads and bridges in central Queensland could run into millions of dollars, but Premier Anna Bligh says it is too early to say what the damage bill will.Ms Bligh visited the towns of Charleville and Emerald today, as did Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Premier Bligh says says 42 local government areas are now affected by the floods and emergency workers are keeping a careful watch.
"There is some fairly major road damage and we can't tell until the water recedes just how extensive that is," she said.
The towns of Charleville and Emerald remain on flood alert, but Charleville Mayor Mark O'Brien says he expects the levees to hold when the Warrego River peaks at six-and-a-half metres tomorrow afternoon.
"We've basically done everything that's physically possible to do," he said.
Emerald also hopes to escape flooding if predictions that the Fairbairn Dam overflow will ease early tomorrow are correct.
The Nogoa River is expected to rise to a new record of 14 metres when it peaks tomorrow afternoon.
In Emerald, State Emergency Services (SES) district manager Shane Wood says emergency workers have been working closely with hydrologists and weather forecasters monitoring the spill over from the Fairbairn Dam, which runs into the Nogoa.
Mr Wood says a wall of water measuring two-and-a-half metres is now spilling over the dam's floodgates and it will rise to three metres in the early hours of tomorrow.
But at this stage, floods are not expected.
"Everybody is still quite safe, we will have local inundation in isolated pockets of low-lying land and that's been assessed by the council as being largely the industrial land at the rear at the northern side of Emerald and will not threatened the immediate population," he said.

Flooding widespread

Meanwhile, central Queensland farmers say the devastating flooding stretches far beyond the towns of Emerald and Charleville.
Jack Dillon says there was torrential rain earlier this week at his property, about 150 kilometres north-west of Emerald.
He says flood levels in the Belyando River are at record highs and helicopters have have been used to try to prevent further stock losses.
"We've saved a lot of stock in places where you can get at them," he said.
"We've saved a lot but what really hit hard is, usually down in this country you've got four or five days to get stock out before the water got here, but when you get nine and 10 inches in one night the water's there and that's it."
Meanwhile, an earth moving contractor says floodwaters are so strong they have taken two of his bulldozers and a truck.
Operator Robert Mahady says he left the equipment, valued at more than $1 million, on a property at Serpentine, 60 kilometres west of Emerald.
He says when the rivers began rising, he tried to move the tractors but they were swamped by the Medway Creek, which feeds into Emerald's Nogoa River.
"We had three tractors there and we got one out, but the two we couldn't move and they went underwater," he said.
"The waters came up so quick, it's broken all records we ever had out that way.
"It's bigger than the '54 flood they were telling me. The waters are still up so we don't know where they are yet."

Horse flu risk status downgraded in Gunnedah, Narrabri

The equine influenza risk status in two north-west New South Wales regions has been downgraded.
Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald says Gunnedah and Narrabri have been reclassified from red to amber zones.
He says there are currently fewer than 50 infected properties around the state.
Centrelink is also reminding business owners and workers affected by horse flu they only have until the end of the month to apply for assistance.
Hank Jongen from Centrelink says there may still be people eligible that have not applied.
"There's a workers' hardship wage supplement payment and if you are involved in a business there's also another $5,000 in the form of the business assistance grant," he said.

Horses to star in Carmen

Opera Australia has hired two horses to share the stage with the stars in its new production of Carmen.



Watch the interview and see 'Drummer' on stage

Horse free show in ‘08 (Yass - Green Zone)

The Yass Show Society Inc has made the decision not to have horse events at the Yass Show in March 2008. This decision has been made as a direct result of the Equine Influenza outbreak. The final verdict was made following strong advice from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Equestrian Federation and Agricultural Societies Council of NSW.
All endeavours are being made to continue the Yass Show as a two day event on the weekend of March 8 and 9 2008.
The Yass Show Society Inc wishes to advise that the Yass Showground will remain a ‘horse free zone’ until further notice.

NSW zones changed

SYDNEY - Eight regions have been scaled back from red to amber by the NSW Department of Primary Industries as the state moves closer to eradicating Equine Influenza.

"This is another step towards having NSW horse flu free by the end of March," NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said.

"There are currently infected horses on less than 50 properties in NSW and no new EI infections have been detected since 21 December. These are certainly hopeful signs.

The following districts have been reclassified to Amber Zones: Dubbo, Wellington, Narrabri, Gunnedah, Parkes, Forbes, Walcha and parts of the Grenfell district.

"These areas are now part of the lower risk amber zone where there is still a risk of infection, but no known infection," Macdonald said.

'''"The green zone has also been marginally increased by less than one per cent of NSW to free up movement restrictions for some horses previously in the amber zone.

"Extending the green zone has enabled movement restrictions to be eased in some areas near Dubbo, Wellington, Young, Southern Highlands, Illawarra and along the Queensland border.'''

"A total of 86% of NSW is now protected green zone, nine percent is amber, two percent is red and three percent purple."

Full details on changes to all zone boundaries are available at: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/equine-influenza

Fingers crossed: purple zone could be gone in six weeks

SYDNEY – The NSW DPI is definitely aiming for the purple zone to be scaled back to green by mid-March.

A spokesman from Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald’s office confirmed in a teleconference with the Equestrian Federation of Australia (EFA) that a mid-March deadline was being targeted.

“It is our aim that mid to late March, the current purple zone will turn green,” he said at the teleconference.

“If this happens the present rules for the green zone will apply – a Travelling Horse Statement (THS), but no requirement for proof of immunity,” Quinlan said.

“It is our recommendation that horses that wish to compete in the new green zone until the end of April, be vaccinated. Naïve horses cannot enter in the current purple zone.”

He told the teleconference that the NSW DPI would approve of third vaccines in March on a user-pays basis for anyone who asked.

If horses from the green zone wish to enter the current purple zone they will need proof of immunity – but if the purple zone turns to green, that requirement will not be necessary.

Asked if there was another outbreak what would the status of recovered horses in that area be and what movement restrictions would be imposed, Quinlan said a restricted area of 10kms around the infected property would be declared with movement subject to risk assessment.

Asked what tests would be required for recovered horses, Quinlan said: “Elisa (the blood test to show positive antibodies, indicating that the horse has had EI and is recovered from it and has immunity) would be sufficient for most movements. Some – especially from high risk areas may also require a PCR (the nasal swab test that shows current infection and the amount of virus being shed by the horse)”.

Quinlan also said that protocols for movements in amber were being reviewed.

It is a requirement from 4 February that any horses moving in the purple zone must have proof of immunity.

It should also be noted that in some instances, rules for thoroughbred racehorses and rules for other horses are slightly different - visit the NSW DPI website for more information.

Qld horses leave quarantine

BRISBANE - Queensland-based thoroughbred horses have started leaving quarantine for both intra and interstate destinations, Racing Limited (QRL) chief operations manager Malcolm Tuttle has confirmed.

He said the initial draft of horses quarantined at Grandview Stud were leaving the facility.

“Seventeen horses entered quarantine at Grandview Stud on January 7 for a period of seven days quarantine,” Tuttle said.

“Six horses left the quarantine facility on Monday, with a further six departing quarantine yesterday for Rockhampton. The remaining five horses are due to depart today.

“Of those that left on Monday, five were heading to Victoria, with one horse destined for Bundaberg. The final five horses leaving quarantine today are heading to northern New South Wales.”

Tuttle said the day to receive horses for quarantine at Grandview Stud had been changed from Monday to Wednesday to allow horses to enter the Sandown quarantine facility in Victoria.

Grandview Stud is currently taking bookings for February 6.

Any connections requiring quarantine services are encouraged to contact Michael or Christine Grieve at Grandview Stud.

First mass movement of horses since EI

As the threat of equine influenza (EI) eases, hundreds of horses will be loaded onto trucks heading from NSW to Victoria this week.
NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said it would be the first mass transit of horses across the border since the outbreak in August last year, which shut down the state's racing and breeding industry, resulting in widespread transport bans.
From Tuesday night, 229 horses will be taken from a quarantine facility in Sydney to a major sale in Melbourne.
"These horses are being transported to Victoria for the William Inglis & Son Premier Yearling Sale to be held in Melbourne in early March," Mr Macdonald said.
"This is great news for the thoroughbred sector, but also a huge step along the path to getting things back to normal for the entire horse industry."
Mr Macdonald said while it represented a major step in the NSW's recovery from EI, strict protocols remain in place for the movement of horses across state borders.
These include ensuring each horse has been tested to confirm it does not have the virus, and that their blood tests reveal strong antibodies showing immunity to the disease.
Mr Macdonald said government officials would oversee the loading of the horses, and the decontamination and sealing of the trucks.
Victorian authorities will check the seals at the border.
The announcement came as eight more official disease containment zones were downgraded, from red to amber, across NSW's central west on Tuesday.
"This is another step towards having NSW horse flu free by the end of March," Mr Macdonald said.
"There are currently infected horses on less than 50 properties in NSW and no new EI infections have been detected since December 21.
"These are certainly hopeful signs."
Almost 90 per cent of the state is now classified as a green zone, which has the least restriction on horse movement and is considered to be free of the disease.