Horse Industry Consultative Committee latest meeting.

The Horse Industry Consultative Committee (HICC) is the principal consultative forum for the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DAWE) to engage with industry on equine biosecurity, quarantine and market access issues, and related animal health and welfare matters. Dr Patricia Ellis represents the Australian Horse Industry Council on the HICC. 

The HICC most recently met by teleconference on 23 April 2020. 

Items discussed at the HICC meeting included:

·       an update on operations at the Mickleham post entry quarantine station

·       the type of swab used for taking samples for equine influenza

·       the impact of COVID 19 on the international movement of flying grooms

·       a review of the glanders status of different countries

·       African horse sickness in Thailand

·       national horse traceability

·       identification requirements for horse imported from New Zealand

·       import clearance of horses at seaports

For more detail - the minutes of the meeting have been published on the DAWE website:

National Horse Database Roundtable - Industry Advisory Committee meeting - November 29.

As you would be aware there has been a great deal of discussion about a National Horse Traceability Database. The AHIC has been an active participant in these discussions, including at the Senate Inquiry.   

The upcoming Industry Advisory Committee meeting is a chance for us as an industry to have a round table discussion. 

We will be hearing from a number of organisations about what data they already collect from their members and how they use it. We are interested to identify common data points that already exist in one form or another.  

For organisations planning to come to the meeting and for those who are not able to come, can you let us know the following information please? 

What would best describe your current database, system or organisation best? 

·     A record of *horses? 

·     A record of owners? 

·     A platform for running competitions or organising entries to competitions? 

·     Or all of the previous?

(*Note when reading horse/horses in the following questions, this also relates to ponies, donkeys and mules.) 

If a record of horses,does it require a microchip as means of identifying? Does it require a brand? Does it require both? Does it require no more than a name? For identification do you use a drawn representation of hair whorls, markings and any scars? For the horses do you collect DNA? Do you use/accept any other forms of horse identification? Do you keep a record of parentage/pedigree of all horses in your registry system? Do you keep a record of where the horses are kept? For the address of where the horses are kept do you need a PIC or simply the address? 

If a record of horse owners, what information do you require? Address of where the owner lives? Do you record where the horses are kept if at a different location? 

If your platform is used to assist in running competitions, does your organisation or system require the owner to provide details of where the horse originated from and where it will go to after the event has been held (biosecurity tracing documentation)? In the entry forms are microchip numbers required for every competing horse? In the entry forms do you simply require a horses name? Must the horse owner use the same name for their horse across all registries and competition platforms? 

Please come to the IAC with this information prepared and ideally if you could email it prior to  secretary@horsecouncil.org.auand for those organisations unable to attend, it would be very helpful if you are able to send through that information to us prior to the meeting on the 29th November. 

AHIC commends Queensland Government Inquiry following 7.30 expose.

The Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) commends the Queensland Government for their announcement this week of an inquiry into the regulation and oversight of retired racehorses and the operation of facilities accepting horses to process for slaughter. 

The Board of the AHIC condemns the mistreatment of former racehorses exposed by the 7.30 program on ABC TV. Prior to being put down, no breed of horse, pony, donkey or mule deserves such appalling treatment.  

If an individual horse is no longer sound, becomes un-reproductive, dangerous to be handled or incapable of re-training, finding a “for life” home is very difficult.  Horses with such caveats upon their existence deserve a humane end. 

The AHIC calls on all State Governments to implement a review of the oversight and adherence to animal welfare protocols at all horse abattoirs and knackeries in Australia. 

Mark Burnell, President of the AHIC said “This goes beyond the welfare protection of just racehorses, but extends to the Australian horse population as not only do racehorses end up being processed in abattoirs and knackeries but all breeds of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules as well. Horse owners need to have confidence that their horses will be treated humanely and professionally should they need to send them to such a facility” 

Additionally, the AHIC calls for greater implementation and oversight of the existing National Animal Transport regulations. They cover age of animals travelling, access to water and types of transport used. 

The AHIC has been a proactive participant in the Senate Inquiry into the Feasibility of a National Horse Traceability Register and awaits with interest the Senate committees report due in December 2019. 

The AHIC will be discussing the horse register and the broader subject at our upcoming Industry Advisory Committee meeting on 29 November 2019 which will see representation from a broad range of equine organisations.

Industry Advisory Committee Meeting Highlights - August 2019.

We had another very successful IAC meeting in the Boardroom of Racing Victoria with representation from a wide range of member organisations.

Here is a high-level summary of the main things discussed and some thoughts about how you can help us or be involved in progressing some of these areas.

Whole of Industry Survey.

As a Council, we have often discussed the benefits of having an accurate overview of the numbers of horses and people and therefore economic benefits of the Equine Industry in Australia. This helps all of us in making representations to Government about the scale and importance of not just the racing industry, but importantly the entire Equestrian Industry across the country. Many sports have done similar work to quantify the level of engagement with their sport as a solid basis for advocacy for their area of recreation.

Because of the disparate nature of equestrian pursuits, this has been harder to collate.

The AHIC have been in discussions with Paul Limoli, an experienced researcher to scope what doing something similar for the Horse Industry may involve. I attach some information on his proposed approach for your interest and feedback.

The survey isn’t cheap and it isn’t something that the AHIC can afford to commission. We had a good discussion at the IAC about the importance of such a survey and ways it may be able to be done and if there are other approaches (that are cheaper.)

One thought was to see if there could be a question included in next year’s National Census by the ABS. Preliminary research looks like submissions for potential questions have closed. We are investigating if there is a way of purchasing a question in the Census.

Where you come in

Would you consider adding in a few questions to your membership renewals/competition entries as a way of starting to collate some data renewals?

These could include;

• How many horses do you own?

• Do you have horses that have multiple registrations across performance or breed societies (eg; a quarter horse might be registered with the AQHA as well as a number of Western riding competition organisations.)

If we start to collect and retain that information across our member organisations, it would give the survey a head start.

We will be continuing to talk with the survey company on ways to improve their approach and we welcome your suggestions and input. We are also interested in your feedback about how as an Industry we might be able to afford to undertake the survey.

Diana McNaughton – Industry Engagement Manager - Skills Impact.

The meeting had a chance to hear from Diana McNaughton from Skills Impact. Skills Impact’s role as a National Skills Service organisation is to work in collaboration with industry, Government and training providers.

There was discussion around VET training in the Equine sector and the current challenges.

While there are TAFE’s delivering some training, it seems that the way the modules and courses relating to our Industry and split across three areas, rather in one coherent stream.

Skills Impact are looking to us as the representatives of the Horse Industry to give them feedback about what we need and want from the VET sector.

There was considerable discussion around the proliferation of “on-line” training being offered including coaching qualifications. The wide range of non-accredited training was a concern to attendees at the IAC particularly the potential safety issues which may arise from people completing unregulated online courses.

Where you come in

Can you please have a conversation in your Societies and organisations around these questions?

• How important is it to have qualified people employed working in your businesses, competitions and training days?

• Do you find there is a shortage of staff, especially qualified staff?

• Do they know how many people as a % are employed within their membership group that have an equine qualification?

• How important is it that people have a qualification?

• What gaps are there in the VET training that is currently available? Eg; saddle fitting, remedial therapist, nutritionist, trainer/coach.

We would love to hear that feedback at our next IAC as we continue to engage with Skills Impact to advocate for improved training for our industry.

In Brief

Harness Racing Australia notified IAC attendees that they are introducing some serious regulation around the use of the bisphosphonate class such a Tildren for participants of the Harness Racing Industry.

Updates from last IAC

1. Senate Inquiry into the Feasibility of National Horse Register.

It was noted that the Senate Inquiry has invited the AHIC and other organisations that made a submission to address the Inquiry in September.

2. Large Animal Rescue.

Mark Burnell updated the meeting with some excellent progress in being able to create a recognised Large Animal Rescue course adapting the best practice work of Anton Phillips for Australia.

And finally, we acknowledged the sad passing of Alex Morgan, a founding member of the AHIC, Victorian horse council, Life member of the Aust Pony Stud Book society and a passionate advocate of the horse industry.