FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH!
The current situation within the horse industry in relation to EQUINE INFLUENZA is without doubt the biggest single hurdle to face the racing industry in my lifetime. The very thought of a race horse trainer sitting still and waiting for results of tests or waiting for an official to tell us when we can or can't move or train a horse is foreign to us all. Unfortunately, that is the situation that we all find ourselves in at the moment and for an indefinite period.
At the moment we are in a lock down situation until 4.15pm on Tuesday afternoon. This could be extended at any stage and if we are allowed to take our horses to the track for trackwork on Wednesday morning, it will be a very good result. If we can gain permission to work our horses any earlier than that it would be a huge bonus. The reality is that the ban could be extended indefinitely.
What is a concern is the advice given to a float driver who had a full load of horses on his truck from the Eastern States on Saturday morning. When he called the Department of Agriculture to seek advice on what he should do with the horses or where he should take them he was informed to drop them off at their intended destinations! Surely this was very poor advice under the circumstances and showed a total lack of understanding of the situation. Where the horses could have been confined to one property they are now spread all over the South West corner of the state increasing the risk of any spreading of the disease should any be present.
How the disease was allowed into the country in the first place and then how horses were allowed to leave the quarantine station whilst being a carrier, is even more remarkable. Hopefully in the fullness of time the reasons for these lapses will be found so that nothing similar can ever happen again.
From a personal point of view and this may be a bit naive as I am not a full bottle on the disease, I believe that a few things could be done a bit differently. Firstly the location of all horses that have entered the state over the past seven days is known and these places should be put on immediate lock down as well as a lock down zone within a certain kilometer radius of these points. These horses should be thoroughly tested and not released into the general horse community until they are found to be disease free.
If no horses have come into the Ascot area over the past week or more depending on the incubation period of the disease which I am told is five days, then let us get back to work imediately. Other training centers should be able to have similar conditions aplied to them. No horse should be allowed to enter or leave the Ascot precinct for any reason until all the results have been cleared.
This would allow us to keep our horses fit and ready to race once we are given the total all clear. This is only my opinion. I am confident that people involved in the racing industry have the industry at heart and do not want to overstep any boundaries.
At the moment we are in a lock down situation until 4.15pm on Tuesday afternoon. This could be extended at any stage and if we are allowed to take our horses to the track for trackwork on Wednesday morning, it will be a very good result. If we can gain permission to work our horses any earlier than that it would be a huge bonus. The reality is that the ban could be extended indefinitely.
What is a concern is the advice given to a float driver who had a full load of horses on his truck from the Eastern States on Saturday morning. When he called the Department of Agriculture to seek advice on what he should do with the horses or where he should take them he was informed to drop them off at their intended destinations! Surely this was very poor advice under the circumstances and showed a total lack of understanding of the situation. Where the horses could have been confined to one property they are now spread all over the South West corner of the state increasing the risk of any spreading of the disease should any be present.
How the disease was allowed into the country in the first place and then how horses were allowed to leave the quarantine station whilst being a carrier, is even more remarkable. Hopefully in the fullness of time the reasons for these lapses will be found so that nothing similar can ever happen again.
From a personal point of view and this may be a bit naive as I am not a full bottle on the disease, I believe that a few things could be done a bit differently. Firstly the location of all horses that have entered the state over the past seven days is known and these places should be put on immediate lock down as well as a lock down zone within a certain kilometer radius of these points. These horses should be thoroughly tested and not released into the general horse community until they are found to be disease free.
If no horses have come into the Ascot area over the past week or more depending on the incubation period of the disease which I am told is five days, then let us get back to work imediately. Other training centers should be able to have similar conditions aplied to them. No horse should be allowed to enter or leave the Ascot precinct for any reason until all the results have been cleared.
This would allow us to keep our horses fit and ready to race once we are given the total all clear. This is only my opinion. I am confident that people involved in the racing industry have the industry at heart and do not want to overstep any boundaries.
posted by Lou Luciani at
11:31 am
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