Lock Up Your Horses
August 28th 2007 03:08
It was Friday morning I first heard the news. I was waiting for the library to open and drinking a very lackluster cappucino when "Equine Influenza" Struck fear through my soul. Not nessesarily for the immediate implications, and personal worries of my own animals, but that it should be here at all. This was quickly followed by rage and Kmans got the ALL CAPS sms to prove it - I was livid.
You see, Australia is SO very lucky. If you dont understand how lucky we are, and you dont respect it, you dont deserve to be here. We have no mad cow, no foot and mouth disease(which is incredibly nasty) no bird flu, and, until recently, no equine influenza. The quarantine rules that upset so many people are in place for a very good reason - We are so wonderfully "Girt by sea" that nothing can get in unless some DumbWit breaks the rules.
And someone has undoubtebly broken the rules.
It must be understood that we already have a mild 'cold' virus over here. This cold has been known to cause pneumonia in horses and secondary infections from severity of symptoms. You might say, whats the big deal with influenza then? Isnt it exactly the same? No, it isnt, for two reasons -
Number One - The agressiveness. The cold virus we already have is very mild and barely agressive. It has been known to cause complications but usually only in horses that are weakened in some other way. Within 5 days influenza can bring a completely healthy horse literally to his knees, and fighting the influenza virus as well as the secondary infections, weakened by the severe symptoms, is usually too much.
Number Two - Perhaps the most important - We do not have this particualar virus in any way shape or form in Australia. This means our horses have no antibodies against it. They are blank slates - a place where the virus can literally run rampant. The fact that we have had no deaths is a bit amazing to me - but it confirms my conspiracy theory, which I'll get to in a moment.
There is a vaccine for equine influenza - why not vaccinate you ask? Because the vaccine can be just as dangerous, like the parvo vaccine in dogs, it can, in some cases, cause the disease to manifest. It can also turn vaccinated horses into carriers, infecting horses that havnt been vaccinated. These results are rare but still possible enough that most horse owners are shy of shooting their horse up with a dangerous virus. I also heard a vet over the weekend saying we have NO stockpile of vaccine here - because it wasnt needed. In Horseland(our saddlery and supply chain) over the weekend it was a hot topic indeed, and I heard one little idiot with more money than brains say "They should all be vaccinated anyway, just because we dont have it" Since there isnt any vaccine in Australia just what did the vet shoot her horse up with I wonder? Saline? This is a prime example of people who do unessesary things with their horses!
I have kept my ears wide open and devoured any newspaper with information on this, and they still have not difinitively announced where this suspect stallion was from. His name is not known. The Saturday Morning Herald names a horse as 'suspected' but for all intents and purposes they have danced around this very carefully. They are also taking their sweet time letting us know just how the virus got from Eastern Creek Quarantine to Centennial park. I believe they may cough up a believeable answer - but bet you it wont be the truth.
When I first heard the news, after the fear and the anger, I thought - I bet its NOT influenza. Breeding season for the thoroughbreds starts next week, he's a threat to someones purse here, and someones been paid to say - "Hey! He's got influenza symptoms!" So he gets locked up and cant breed and someone else laps up a couple 100 thousand in stud fees. Once it was confirmed my conspiracy theory flipped over - Someone OVERSEAS was paid to ship him, even if he 'wasnt right' because they didnt want to miss out on breeding season! Now look how many people you've done in!
My heart goes out to people who are stranded at showgrounds all over NSW and QLD - unable to move their ponies. I feel for you all. The State Titles were cancelled and I was planning on going for a looksee. The lockdown was announced 6am on Saturday morning - that means there would have been people on the road with their precious show horse in the back, not knowing what to do! Frantic calls home - "We're coming back but isolate such paddock, we cant bring him back in if he's a risk, and we cant go to the show ground either!"
I feel for you all. It could have been me if we were competing for Triple Crown this year.
Im amazed at Racing NSW. The AJC deserve to be shot - every last one of them. Who gives a damn about your precious Spring Racing carnival? Your precious billions that are stained with the blood of thousands of horses? Our precious Show Horses and Pleasure horses and loved pets are in peril now because of you!
I said Id never write about this. I said Id wait until I have more proof, hard evidence instead of circumstantial. But I need to give you examples. Please note, I MAKE THIS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, My facts might not be spot on anymore. These facts, stats and numbers are from a few years ago and I was so disgusted with the racing industry I havnt looked twice at them since. For all I know they may have improved it.....But I seriously doubt it.
It all began in 2000 in TAFE. Many of the teachers had worked on thoroughbred studs and in the racing industry. They all talked about how corrupt it was, but the more we got to know them, the deeper the stories went.
My 'Horse Breeding' teacher was a woman who had delivered over 3000 foals in her life. She eventually quit her position as midwife(meaning she stays up all night watching the foaling yards) because of the incredibly high volume of horses being rebred in their 20s. Thats about the equivalent of a 90 year old woman giving birth! She was heart broken as she told me.... "They tried so, so hard the old girls. Id help them as best I could, but they were just past it and their stupid owners didnt care, they just kept sending them back hoping for one more foal - they didnt care about the mare at all, no matter how good she was in her day. They deserved better. I eventaully told the boss, I just cant do it anymore, I cant watch the old ladies struggling for something they shouldnt be doing at that age....I cant keep trying to help them when theres no help to give" Her eyes brightened with tears and I could hear the horrific grunts of mares in terrible, desperate pain as she spoke.....Because horses have huge hearts. Im willing to bet each and every mare was willing to give her own old life for that of her foal.
We learned early as part of our 'Yearling Prep' class about the very shallow gene pool....I remember being so excited about 'Yearling Prep' because I thought it would be about handling yearlings in general. Turns out the entire course was related to prepping thoroughbred yearlings for the January and Easter Sales. You know the ones - "Bart cummings spend 3 Million!" and shit like that. Point is, we were TAUGHT that the gene pool is that goddamn shallow, up to and over 80% of all thoroughbreds are born with serious defects. As in extra legs. No eyes. No anus. Other vital organs missing. Dont hear about those champions of Danehill or Octagonal on the 6pm news do ya now?
Point of this is, if a foal is born and it 'looks' normal, they cheer. Even then, you're not out of the woods. Every major stud in the Hunter Valley has a Hospital barn. A goddamn hospital barn! I didnt believe it until I saw it - a massive structure that looks like a human hospital. Within the first week of birth the majority of foals with have complex surgery - Called a 'Periostal strip' a stripping of the bone to encourage growth on one side - Or a 'Periostal screw' to arrest bone growth. Some foals will have both. Just to be able to WALK! Now, correct me if Im wrong, but doesnt every creature born have the right to enough genetics to be able to bloody walk? Especially since these particular animals are bred to run? These surgeries fix the immediate problem, foal walks, gets strong, if he's lucky, he gets to the sales, races, and the same leg that was operated on will, no doubt, break under the pressure of racing. IF they were allowed time to mature to 5 years old they may actually survive, but being forced to gallop mercilessly - In circles no less, the greatest pressure you can put on a horses legs! - at the human equivalent age of about 12 years will cause breakages every time.
I was also stunned by the amount of 'Dummy foals' in the hospitals. Dummy foals are born with mature bodies and immature brains, and a false womb must be employed - a darkened and warm stable - to allow the brain to catch up. The above 'horse breeding' teacher I mentioned had endless horror stories of the freaks who were born, and she was my primary source of information.
The fact that a hospital barn is needed at all tells me there is something terribly wrong with the industry. When we arrived at Coolmore, one of our most decorated studs, we were allowed to watch a birth. The foal was stillborn. Then we went to the hospital. Talk about chamber of horrors! I was looking at the gorgeous 4 rail post and rail fencing, and the perfect emerald green of the grass stretching right up to the fences, it looked so much like horse heaven. If you really wanted to believe it, I suppose you could......
Thoroughbred mares are raped. Im not giving a quater here - they are RAPED. All are bred with foals at foot which is not so unusual in a breeding program, but what is strange and just plain ugly is the tiny cage the foal is put in. Looking like it barely houses a large cat a stable handler squeezes the poor foal into the tiny cage. The mare is led onto a slight rise in the floor and boots that are ATTACHED to the floor are buckled around her legs. So, she's effectively(and LITERALLY) tied to the floor - paniked, away from his mother and in a goddamn birdcage, the foal begins to scream. Unable to get to him, Mum screams too. Fear sweat rolls off her and her eyes roll crazily in her head.
Then the stallion enters. Worth so much to so many this stallion cannot run as he's meant to do. He cannot watch over his ladies, he cannot have any contact with horses at all - save this moment. Alas, his confinement and isolation have driven him mad. Many stallions are these days due to being kept alone in small yards so they dont 'hurt themselves'. One of my classmates took video footage of Danehill weaving threateningly back and forth with wild eyes and frothing mouth - we asked, "When does he go out? He needs a run" the stableboys answer? "Oh, he doesnt. He's in the over a million category - he cant leave the stable"
The breeding is a frenzied affair and the mares have to go back multiple times to actually acheive pregnancy. My Teshan caught with SK Shakla Kahn first time, every time. Teshan wore a pair of slippers on her back feet - kicking is perfectly ok although not recommended - and the one time she was bred with foal at foot little Shakir watched over the fence and was allowed to touch noses with her often, and also met his great father!
I would like to mention - Where is Danehill now? Do any of you even remember him? He was famous on the track, he was famous as a stud - commanding over $175,000 per service - and where is he?
Heres the greatest shame of the racing industry. From what Ive read elsewhere on Orble its possible this is a global trend. Its impossible to prove, as the facts are hidden.
While on the Hunter Valley Stud Tour with TAFE we visited about 6 studs, including Coolmore, Arrowfield and Widden. Ive still got the catalougs somewhere. I should mention, everyone enjoyed Widden - it seemed twice the size of the other studs - and the Stallions were OUT! In paddocks, running around! They presented the horses to us as if we were honoured guests, not grubby students, walking them around for us in the parade ring, and they had strict rules on the birthing areas - we simply werent allowed near them.
Yet they were still guilty. At every stud, I asked the question - "How many horses do you produce per year?" Every Stud Manager drew himself up with pride and puffed out his chest. With the clipped and no nonsense tone employed by factory and wharehouse managers said Stud managers gave me their figures - "1000 horses a year" "600 horses a year" "3000 horses a year".
So, six studs, most producing over a thousand horses a year. Please remember, this is SALEABLE horseflesh per year. This is not counting the day old foals that are slaughtered for having no eyes or 6 legs. We will say, for the sake of argument, that the hunter valley produces about 8000 horses. Its probably more, but they'll tell you its less.
At the January and Easter Sales combined I saw barely 5000 horses. Where did the rest go?
Of that 5000, only a thousand will be lucky enough to be sold.
Of that thousand, maybe 500 will race.
Of that 500, maybe 250 will become actual race horses, surviving their training to make it into the scene.
Of that 250, perhaps 5 horses will become media darlings. And once their effectiveness is over, they are swiftly removed from the scene, they give us a new darling to shift our focus so we dont notice......That theyve all been slaughtered. They will make their money from the horses blood and flesh, one way or another.
I reinterate - These are estimated numbers. My numbers can be wrong but the percentage is right. There is a huge black hole that thousands of young innocent horses dissappear into each year. That is a fact.
Surely, the great creature that has built our society and given us love and devotion and his own strong body deserves better than that.
And surely, the horse owners of Australia deserve better than this. To risk such a dangerous virus entering the country - all for the sake of money! YES, Its a lot of money, but the blood and sweat of Australias pleasure horse industry has outweighed it over the last two days. Its not worth it for so many reasons.
We were really scared when we heard that they had cancelled the racing. Cos everyone in this household knows, Racing Australia and the AJC dont give a good goddamn about the HORSES, if they could profit from it theyd infect them all with influenza and let them drop dead today. They would race even with risk. They have to save face, they have to take every precaution that their billion dollar industry doesnt go belly up. Even if they started it.
No wonder theyre so scared of it getting into the thoroughbreds - they all have genetic annomalies! It would rip through the industry like an auzzie bushfire!
My Zayfir is not yet 2 years old. He is considered high risk. My mums purebred is also classified high risk as he had pnuemonia as a foal, and genetic defects. Magnus has always been prone to infection. Teshan is no longer young (though hardy - thankgod, and not yet old)
Not worth the risk to me - even if it does equal billions of dollars.
And once again, to all my girls and guys stuck at showgrounds where ever you may be - May your horses be healthy, your feed be fresh and your rest when its all over be long and uninterrupted. May your horses get on and not get too huffy over being at the showground. I know you all want to go home. Its so very sad when people who love and care for their animals fall prey to the terrors of the thoroughbred industry.
You see, Australia is SO very lucky. If you dont understand how lucky we are, and you dont respect it, you dont deserve to be here. We have no mad cow, no foot and mouth disease(which is incredibly nasty) no bird flu, and, until recently, no equine influenza. The quarantine rules that upset so many people are in place for a very good reason - We are so wonderfully "Girt by sea" that nothing can get in unless some DumbWit breaks the rules.
And someone has undoubtebly broken the rules.
It must be understood that we already have a mild 'cold' virus over here. This cold has been known to cause pneumonia in horses and secondary infections from severity of symptoms. You might say, whats the big deal with influenza then? Isnt it exactly the same? No, it isnt, for two reasons -
Number One - The agressiveness. The cold virus we already have is very mild and barely agressive. It has been known to cause complications but usually only in horses that are weakened in some other way. Within 5 days influenza can bring a completely healthy horse literally to his knees, and fighting the influenza virus as well as the secondary infections, weakened by the severe symptoms, is usually too much.
Number Two - Perhaps the most important - We do not have this particualar virus in any way shape or form in Australia. This means our horses have no antibodies against it. They are blank slates - a place where the virus can literally run rampant. The fact that we have had no deaths is a bit amazing to me - but it confirms my conspiracy theory, which I'll get to in a moment.
There is a vaccine for equine influenza - why not vaccinate you ask? Because the vaccine can be just as dangerous, like the parvo vaccine in dogs, it can, in some cases, cause the disease to manifest. It can also turn vaccinated horses into carriers, infecting horses that havnt been vaccinated. These results are rare but still possible enough that most horse owners are shy of shooting their horse up with a dangerous virus. I also heard a vet over the weekend saying we have NO stockpile of vaccine here - because it wasnt needed. In Horseland(our saddlery and supply chain) over the weekend it was a hot topic indeed, and I heard one little idiot with more money than brains say "They should all be vaccinated anyway, just because we dont have it" Since there isnt any vaccine in Australia just what did the vet shoot her horse up with I wonder? Saline? This is a prime example of people who do unessesary things with their horses!
I have kept my ears wide open and devoured any newspaper with information on this, and they still have not difinitively announced where this suspect stallion was from. His name is not known. The Saturday Morning Herald names a horse as 'suspected' but for all intents and purposes they have danced around this very carefully. They are also taking their sweet time letting us know just how the virus got from Eastern Creek Quarantine to Centennial park. I believe they may cough up a believeable answer - but bet you it wont be the truth.
When I first heard the news, after the fear and the anger, I thought - I bet its NOT influenza. Breeding season for the thoroughbreds starts next week, he's a threat to someones purse here, and someones been paid to say - "Hey! He's got influenza symptoms!" So he gets locked up and cant breed and someone else laps up a couple 100 thousand in stud fees. Once it was confirmed my conspiracy theory flipped over - Someone OVERSEAS was paid to ship him, even if he 'wasnt right' because they didnt want to miss out on breeding season! Now look how many people you've done in!
My heart goes out to people who are stranded at showgrounds all over NSW and QLD - unable to move their ponies. I feel for you all. The State Titles were cancelled and I was planning on going for a looksee. The lockdown was announced 6am on Saturday morning - that means there would have been people on the road with their precious show horse in the back, not knowing what to do! Frantic calls home - "We're coming back but isolate such paddock, we cant bring him back in if he's a risk, and we cant go to the show ground either!"
I feel for you all. It could have been me if we were competing for Triple Crown this year.
Im amazed at Racing NSW. The AJC deserve to be shot - every last one of them. Who gives a damn about your precious Spring Racing carnival? Your precious billions that are stained with the blood of thousands of horses? Our precious Show Horses and Pleasure horses and loved pets are in peril now because of you!
I said Id never write about this. I said Id wait until I have more proof, hard evidence instead of circumstantial. But I need to give you examples. Please note, I MAKE THIS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, My facts might not be spot on anymore. These facts, stats and numbers are from a few years ago and I was so disgusted with the racing industry I havnt looked twice at them since. For all I know they may have improved it.....But I seriously doubt it.
It all began in 2000 in TAFE. Many of the teachers had worked on thoroughbred studs and in the racing industry. They all talked about how corrupt it was, but the more we got to know them, the deeper the stories went.
My 'Horse Breeding' teacher was a woman who had delivered over 3000 foals in her life. She eventually quit her position as midwife(meaning she stays up all night watching the foaling yards) because of the incredibly high volume of horses being rebred in their 20s. Thats about the equivalent of a 90 year old woman giving birth! She was heart broken as she told me.... "They tried so, so hard the old girls. Id help them as best I could, but they were just past it and their stupid owners didnt care, they just kept sending them back hoping for one more foal - they didnt care about the mare at all, no matter how good she was in her day. They deserved better. I eventaully told the boss, I just cant do it anymore, I cant watch the old ladies struggling for something they shouldnt be doing at that age....I cant keep trying to help them when theres no help to give" Her eyes brightened with tears and I could hear the horrific grunts of mares in terrible, desperate pain as she spoke.....Because horses have huge hearts. Im willing to bet each and every mare was willing to give her own old life for that of her foal.
We learned early as part of our 'Yearling Prep' class about the very shallow gene pool....I remember being so excited about 'Yearling Prep' because I thought it would be about handling yearlings in general. Turns out the entire course was related to prepping thoroughbred yearlings for the January and Easter Sales. You know the ones - "Bart cummings spend 3 Million!" and shit like that. Point is, we were TAUGHT that the gene pool is that goddamn shallow, up to and over 80% of all thoroughbreds are born with serious defects. As in extra legs. No eyes. No anus. Other vital organs missing. Dont hear about those champions of Danehill or Octagonal on the 6pm news do ya now?
Point of this is, if a foal is born and it 'looks' normal, they cheer. Even then, you're not out of the woods. Every major stud in the Hunter Valley has a Hospital barn. A goddamn hospital barn! I didnt believe it until I saw it - a massive structure that looks like a human hospital. Within the first week of birth the majority of foals with have complex surgery - Called a 'Periostal strip' a stripping of the bone to encourage growth on one side - Or a 'Periostal screw' to arrest bone growth. Some foals will have both. Just to be able to WALK! Now, correct me if Im wrong, but doesnt every creature born have the right to enough genetics to be able to bloody walk? Especially since these particular animals are bred to run? These surgeries fix the immediate problem, foal walks, gets strong, if he's lucky, he gets to the sales, races, and the same leg that was operated on will, no doubt, break under the pressure of racing. IF they were allowed time to mature to 5 years old they may actually survive, but being forced to gallop mercilessly - In circles no less, the greatest pressure you can put on a horses legs! - at the human equivalent age of about 12 years will cause breakages every time.
I was also stunned by the amount of 'Dummy foals' in the hospitals. Dummy foals are born with mature bodies and immature brains, and a false womb must be employed - a darkened and warm stable - to allow the brain to catch up. The above 'horse breeding' teacher I mentioned had endless horror stories of the freaks who were born, and she was my primary source of information.
The fact that a hospital barn is needed at all tells me there is something terribly wrong with the industry. When we arrived at Coolmore, one of our most decorated studs, we were allowed to watch a birth. The foal was stillborn. Then we went to the hospital. Talk about chamber of horrors! I was looking at the gorgeous 4 rail post and rail fencing, and the perfect emerald green of the grass stretching right up to the fences, it looked so much like horse heaven. If you really wanted to believe it, I suppose you could......
Thoroughbred mares are raped. Im not giving a quater here - they are RAPED. All are bred with foals at foot which is not so unusual in a breeding program, but what is strange and just plain ugly is the tiny cage the foal is put in. Looking like it barely houses a large cat a stable handler squeezes the poor foal into the tiny cage. The mare is led onto a slight rise in the floor and boots that are ATTACHED to the floor are buckled around her legs. So, she's effectively(and LITERALLY) tied to the floor - paniked, away from his mother and in a goddamn birdcage, the foal begins to scream. Unable to get to him, Mum screams too. Fear sweat rolls off her and her eyes roll crazily in her head.
Then the stallion enters. Worth so much to so many this stallion cannot run as he's meant to do. He cannot watch over his ladies, he cannot have any contact with horses at all - save this moment. Alas, his confinement and isolation have driven him mad. Many stallions are these days due to being kept alone in small yards so they dont 'hurt themselves'. One of my classmates took video footage of Danehill weaving threateningly back and forth with wild eyes and frothing mouth - we asked, "When does he go out? He needs a run" the stableboys answer? "Oh, he doesnt. He's in the over a million category - he cant leave the stable"
The breeding is a frenzied affair and the mares have to go back multiple times to actually acheive pregnancy. My Teshan caught with SK Shakla Kahn first time, every time. Teshan wore a pair of slippers on her back feet - kicking is perfectly ok although not recommended - and the one time she was bred with foal at foot little Shakir watched over the fence and was allowed to touch noses with her often, and also met his great father!
I would like to mention - Where is Danehill now? Do any of you even remember him? He was famous on the track, he was famous as a stud - commanding over $175,000 per service - and where is he?
Heres the greatest shame of the racing industry. From what Ive read elsewhere on Orble its possible this is a global trend. Its impossible to prove, as the facts are hidden.
While on the Hunter Valley Stud Tour with TAFE we visited about 6 studs, including Coolmore, Arrowfield and Widden. Ive still got the catalougs somewhere. I should mention, everyone enjoyed Widden - it seemed twice the size of the other studs - and the Stallions were OUT! In paddocks, running around! They presented the horses to us as if we were honoured guests, not grubby students, walking them around for us in the parade ring, and they had strict rules on the birthing areas - we simply werent allowed near them.
Yet they were still guilty. At every stud, I asked the question - "How many horses do you produce per year?" Every Stud Manager drew himself up with pride and puffed out his chest. With the clipped and no nonsense tone employed by factory and wharehouse managers said Stud managers gave me their figures - "1000 horses a year" "600 horses a year" "3000 horses a year".
So, six studs, most producing over a thousand horses a year. Please remember, this is SALEABLE horseflesh per year. This is not counting the day old foals that are slaughtered for having no eyes or 6 legs. We will say, for the sake of argument, that the hunter valley produces about 8000 horses. Its probably more, but they'll tell you its less.
At the January and Easter Sales combined I saw barely 5000 horses. Where did the rest go?
Of that 5000, only a thousand will be lucky enough to be sold.
Of that thousand, maybe 500 will race.
Of that 500, maybe 250 will become actual race horses, surviving their training to make it into the scene.
Of that 250, perhaps 5 horses will become media darlings. And once their effectiveness is over, they are swiftly removed from the scene, they give us a new darling to shift our focus so we dont notice......That theyve all been slaughtered. They will make their money from the horses blood and flesh, one way or another.
I reinterate - These are estimated numbers. My numbers can be wrong but the percentage is right. There is a huge black hole that thousands of young innocent horses dissappear into each year. That is a fact.
Surely, the great creature that has built our society and given us love and devotion and his own strong body deserves better than that.
And surely, the horse owners of Australia deserve better than this. To risk such a dangerous virus entering the country - all for the sake of money! YES, Its a lot of money, but the blood and sweat of Australias pleasure horse industry has outweighed it over the last two days. Its not worth it for so many reasons.
We were really scared when we heard that they had cancelled the racing. Cos everyone in this household knows, Racing Australia and the AJC dont give a good goddamn about the HORSES, if they could profit from it theyd infect them all with influenza and let them drop dead today. They would race even with risk. They have to save face, they have to take every precaution that their billion dollar industry doesnt go belly up. Even if they started it.
No wonder theyre so scared of it getting into the thoroughbreds - they all have genetic annomalies! It would rip through the industry like an auzzie bushfire!
My Zayfir is not yet 2 years old. He is considered high risk. My mums purebred is also classified high risk as he had pnuemonia as a foal, and genetic defects. Magnus has always been prone to infection. Teshan is no longer young (though hardy - thankgod, and not yet old)
Not worth the risk to me - even if it does equal billions of dollars.
And once again, to all my girls and guys stuck at showgrounds where ever you may be - May your horses be healthy, your feed be fresh and your rest when its all over be long and uninterrupted. May your horses get on and not get too huffy over being at the showground. I know you all want to go home. Its so very sad when people who love and care for their animals fall prey to the terrors of the thoroughbred industry.
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Comment by DuskDevi
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
This is an EXCELLENT piece.
And even though you say;
I hope you don't mind...I made this into a Breaking Post.
Hopefully it gets 'picked up' by Orble admin tomorrow so that more people can read this post.
Very very moved by this post Kleo.
big hug...
Dusk
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
I have been hearing snippets of this all day - how awful. And how selfish to send it over. I agree that the quarantine laws here are excellent. Australia is so lucky that it is not bordered by any other countries - you have to protect yourselves from all those nasties that get brought in.
Excellent info... I truly hope that they manage to get everything on track soon. Those poor animals.
Ash
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Im humbled. Thankyou. I wanted to make it clear that the numbers are a (very) rough estimate, but the percentages are exactly correct. I had a friend telling me how much one TAB lost over the races, and I totally lost it - "Like I give a shit about them losing their precious blood stained millions when our beloved pleasure horses pay!"
Nick did a post.....Cant remember its name! But it was about the exact same thing in racehorses in America....I cant even bet on the Melbourne Cup anymore because I know what it supports....They make it out to be so glamorous, when its all about death, paid for by poor babies....
The shallow state of the gene pool is a massive concern, they dont seem to realize, if 80% are being born with defects and they keep breeding sisters to brothers and mums to fathers that figure will become 100% freaks in a few years!
Where will their precious industry be then?
The callous nature of the stable managers....GRRR Theyre just fucking numbers to them!
Sweet Ash,
After it was actually confirmed I was so angry. I was so sure it was just a scare and someone was going to profit....Then after it was confirmed I was just "You stupid bastards!" The industry is so corrupt - Nick says its the same in America - he's known at the racetracks and gets thrown out!
And the saddest thing, as you say, Australia has a natural quarantine. It should NEVER have happened! Now its here, I have to worry for the rest of my life!
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
I just spoke to a lady who is going away to a really big horse area here in QLD this weekend. She mentioned that they are now talking about 30 day quarantine and having to set up temporary schools for the kids who are stranded.
I guess people just don`t think about how their stupidity has such far reaching consequences. Some folk really need a wake up call!
Ash
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
And now? They are blaming US!!