COVID 19 - AHIC calls for clarity for horse owners and industry.

The Australian Horse Industry Council today joins calls from the Australian Veterinary Association and the RSPCA for the Federal Government to clarify the status of Veterinarians as an essential service provider should we move to higher level business and community restrictions as part of the response to COVID 19.

While the AHIC strongly supports the need to limit human interaction as an important element to slow the spread of COVID 19, we see the continued provision of Veterinary and related services as an important animal welfare issue. 

The AVA have stated that that AVA will ensure that veterinarians are fully aware of the need to comply with strict infection control and incident management protocols. AVA is committed to supporting the veterinary profession in doing so, and has zero tolerance for non-compliance under the circumstances. 

This brings Australia in line with many European countries, the US and New Zealand.

The AHIC requests this also should include other essential horse health care professionals providing hoof and dental services. 

Provision should also be made for the collection by knackeries of any horse that is deceased or requires humane slaughter.

Additionally, in the event of a Level 4 lock down, the AHIC would like to ensure that horse owners have the capacity to access horse feed from produce stores for their animals during this time. This may be in the form of bulk feed deliveries in the event that produce stores are closed to the public. 

The AHIC also seeks clarification that should we reach Level 4, horse owners and managers be permitted to move to feed, manage and protect the welfare of their horses. 

President of the AHIC Mark Burnell today said “Horse owners and the broader industry are becoming increasingly anxious about the prospect of a community lock down. They are seeking clarity to help them plan for the coming weeks to ensure that we don’t add an animal welfare problem to the current issues.” 

Burnell goes onto say that the AHIC strongly recommends that now is the time for horse owners to prepare and make provision for the care of their horses especially those on agistment properties in the event of increasingly restricted access. 

We urge horse owners to continue to monitor the Federal Government’s advice via their website www.health.gov.au

AHIC attends first RSPCA Horse Welfare Roundtable

The first Horse Welfare Roundtable convened by the RSPCA was held today in Melbourne.

The Australian Horse Industry Council was one of the key equine groups invited to attend.

A number of areas relating to horse welfare were covered with representatives from across the Horse Industry.

In addition to the Australian Horse Industry Council, representatives included, Harness Racing Australia, Racing Australia, Equestrian Australia, Australian Veterinarian Association and the Equine Veterinary Association.

AHIC President Mark Burnell said “Dr Bidda Jones, (Acting CEO of the RSPCA) and the RSPCA are to be commended for taking the lead in bringing peak equine bodies together to discuss ways we can improve horse welfare guidelines for all horses in Australia, not just race horses. All horses should expect to be treated respectfully and humanely throughout their lives, this also should extend to their end of life.”

The round table discussed a range of horse welfare issues and called for a review into the following areas including how they are overseen and enforced:

• national transportation guidelines for horses

• horse abattoir and knackery practices across Australia

• welfare standards at horse sales and auctions

The AHIC again called for a whole of Industry Survey to be conducted to provide an accurate picture of the scale of the equine population and industry in Australia. This information currently does not exist as a whole of industry data set. This would provide a valuable baseline for regulators and policy makers when considering some of the issues above, together with the recent Senate Inquiry call for a National Horse Traceability Registry.

The Horse Welfare Roundtable will meet again in the new year. The AHIC will continue to be involved and to represent the wider horse community in this forum.

The AHIC holds a number of Industry Advisory Committee meetings throughout the year to discuss these issues with member organisations and to brief them about major industry developments.

Senate Comm announces support for the establishment of a national horse traceability register.

Names AHIC as being key to bring horse industry together. 

After a nine-month process, the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Senate Committee handed down its final report on Thursday into the Feasibility of a national horse traceability register for all horses.

After receiving submissions from across the horse industry and two public hearings, the Senate committee has recommended the establishment of a working group under the auspices of the Federal Department of Agriculture. The aim will be to progress the development and implementation of a national horse traceability register to report back in 12months.

The committee has called upon the AHIC to play a key role in the working group.  Namely, to land a unified industry front to engage with Commonwealth, state and territory governments and to negotiate and communicate the specific requirements of the industry.  

The AHIC bought invited equine organisations and data base specialist companies already working in this sector for a round table discussion on Friday November 29 in Melbourne to discuss the senate recommendations and to begin consulting with the horse industry.  

This followed an industry survey to help us understand the extent of the data and information already being collected. Thank you to all the organisations that have responded so far. 

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 email it to  secretary@horsecouncil.org.au

The AHIC is committed to representing the industry during this crucial time. We invite you to join us as members and subject matter experts, and attend our Industry Advisory Committee members. 

We will be announcing a new introductory membership package to help engage with you and the broader industry and ensure that government gets a comprehensive and effective voice from the equine community. 

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.