I agree with Jo in part, a large part fortunately, however she wrong in many areas also, IMO and I've been in racing in 3 countries and lived racing for 52 years, ever since I was an apprentice jockey.
Agreed, the onus should be on the owners! absolutely.....however the auctions houses and breeders need to be accountable too.......there should be a public awareness campaign [and there will be] to alert the Hoi poloi to the failures and largesse of the carefree and clueless syndicators plus the unscrupulous owners caught up in the 'atmosphere' of Raceday that just live in the moment.
There will be countless animals that need to euthanised, unlike Jo, I have been a a metro trainer in two jurisdictions here in AUS and know well that some steeds are just not re-homable and would cause havoc and danger to other horses if out out to pasture.
Humane euthanasia is not cruel, and necessary, the knackery should be dispensed with immediately as NO horse abattoir is a kind and caring place....far from it.
We have the wrong people in place regarding animal welfare, well here in QLD we do, NSW maybe not so, VIC is struggling as Echuca proves that.......we need either a royal commission [wont happen in my lifetime] or a sanctioned inquiry by reputable and recognised persons to establish a viable and ethical business plan re rehoming and retiring suitable ex racehorses.
The government makes huge revenue from our industry, this an opportunity for any government, accountability, responsibility, creditability, good governance, it all comes into play here. There is countless hectares of crown land, training programs for the unemployed could be instituted, ex prisoners, and day release prisoners, paid dole work to supplement the joke we call job start.....blah blah.......I'm throwing ideas about, all it takes is someone in Gov or our racing bodies who really care, really care and the likes of Gerry Harvey or John Singleton et all to start the ball rolling.....it can be done folks, JO......it can be done....all it takes is WANT.
Horse racing: Thousands of racehorses killed in slaughterhouses
By Darragh MacIntyre BBC Panorama - The Dark Side of Horse Racing
Thousands of racehorses are being sent to slaughterhouses in Britain and Ireland, a BBC Panorama investigation has found.
Some of the slaughtered animals were once owned and trained by some of the biggest names in racing.
Covert
recording also showed how rules designed to protect horses from a cruel
death appear to be regularly ignored at one of the UK's biggest
abattoirs.
The abattoir told the BBC it did not accept any form of animal abuse.
One
expert described the covert footage, from cameras installed by the
campaign group Animal Aid, as evidence of clear breaches of the
regulations.
Elliott,
who has trained three winners of the Grand National, was roundly
condemned, and suspended from the sport until 9 September this year.
The
incident caused uproar, but it also highlighted the fate of many horses
in the industry who die while racing, in training or in abattoirs.
Freedom
of information requests revealed that 4,000 former racehorses were
slaughtered in Britain and Ireland since the beginning of 2019. Most,
but not all, were trained in Ireland.
Animal
Aid, which has long campaigned for an end to horse racing, set up
covert cameras at Drury and Sons, an abattoir in England which has a
licence to kill horses.
"When
we looked at the footage we were absolutely astounded at the sheer
volume of young thoroughbreds," said Animal Aid spokesman Dene Stansall.
The footage was recorded over four days at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020.
It captured dozens of former racehorses being slaughtered, the majority of them from Ireland and the majority young.
Some of the horses shot in the abattoir had previous illustrious racing careers, winning thousands of pounds.
Three of them had been trained by Gordon Elliott at his state-of-the-art stables in County Meath, Ireland.
He told Panorama none of the three animals were sent to the abattoir by him.
The horses had retired from racing due to injury, he said, and were not under his care when they were killed.
Elliott
said two of the horses were sent to a horse dealer "to be rehomed if
possible, and if not, to be humanely euthanised" in line with the
regulations.
He said he gave the third horse to another rider as requested by its owner.
And he said the first time he learned of their fate was when Panorama contacted him.
Elliott
said he has ensured the appropriate and proper treatment and welfare of
animals that have been in his possession and has rehomed a substantial
number of them.
Animal Aid's cameras also captured what appear to be breaches of rules designed to protect animals from unnecessary cruelty.
The regulations say horses should not be killed in sight of each other.
The footage recorded horses being shot together 26 times over the four days of filming.
Prof
Daniel Mills, a veterinary behavioural specialist from the University
of Lincoln, who has seen the footage, said: "A gunshot going off is
going to be startling, seeing another horse suddenly drop, these are all
going to be very distressing for a horse in this situation."
That is not the only breach of the rules.
The
regulations also say every effort should be made to ensure a rapid
death. But the footage showed that sometimes the death was far from
instant.
On 91 occasions the cameras recorded a slaughterman shooting horses, not close up, but from a distance.
Reviewing
the footage of one such killing, Prof Mills said: "It doesn't look like
the horse is even stunned. You can see it's turning its head. It seems
to have got some control actually over its head and neck.
"Taking
a shot from a distance at a horse, to me, that's completely out of
order. If you're going to euthanise a horse, you've got to get a bullet
in the right place.
"If that's representative of how they're being killed, then we've got a really serious problem."
The
abattoir, Drury and Sons, told Panorama that they "take great care to
maintain high welfare conditions and do not accept any form of animal
abuse".
They
said all horses are "humanely destroyed'' and that on occasions where
issues do occur, they take ''swift action to review and rectify" them.
Some
of the racehorses killed while Animal Aid cameras were filming had been
transported from Ireland, travelling more than 350 miles (560km) by
road and sea.
Some animals were said to be carrying career-ending injuries.
Veterinary
expert Dr Hannah Donavan, who reviewed the footage, said: "[Travelling]
350 miles potentially carrying an injury is not a humane process. This
is unnecessary suffering."
Dr
Donavan said: "The bottom line is horses, if they are to be euthanised,
could and should be euthanised at home. Simple as that."
Prof
Mills said the racing authorities' own guidelines clearly set out what
should happen to horses when their racing career ends.
"The
industry's own regulations recommend that you should make provision for
all the animals that you're responsible for," he said.
Horse
Racing Ireland, the governing body for racing in Ireland, said it
placed great importance on the welfare of the people and horses in the
industry.
The
British Horseracing Authority said it has demonstrated "a clear
commitment to improving already high standards of care for racehorses…
before, during and after racing".
It said it would "consider carefully any issues raised" by the Panorama programme.
Dene Stansall of Animal Aid said: "I can understand why people are attracted to racing, because I was attracted to it myself.
"[But]
because of the poor welfare record, the number of horses dying and
being killed in slaughterhouses, I can no longer support that - and I
think a lot of the public would feel the same way."
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
A reward has been offered for the arrest of the person responsible
and a plea issued for money for extra security as the horror builds over
a sickening spate of horse slashing attacks in Goondiwindi.
Four-year-old
gelding Fitzroy Boy is the latest to fall victim to the atrocious
attacks which have left several racehorses with unexplained gashes in
their necks in separate incidents in the last three months.
Fitzroy Boy’s trainer Barry Sheppard suspects the neck wound to his horse was inflicted by a Stanley knife.
Police
are investigating and the Goondiwindi Race Club, where the attacks have
occurred in on-course stables, have issued a plea to Racing Queensland
for funds to upgrade security on track where the horse attacks have
taken place.
But Sheppard’s daughter Marcelle Gorrie, also one of
the owners of Fitzroy Boy, says no-one will rest easy until the callous
horse slasher is caught.
“We have now offered a $2000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of this sicko,” Gorrie said.
“The attack on Fitzroy Boy was the latest one and it happened on July 2.
“The person cuts the neck each time.”
Goondiwindi,
350km southwest of Brisbane, is renowned in racing circles for 1970s
champion racehorse Gunsynd who was known as the Goondiwindi Grey because
his owners hailed from Goondiwindi.
No horses have died in the attacks so far and all are recovering from their ordeals after medical treatment and rest.
Veteran trainer Sheppard is appalled.
“I just went out there one morning and I took Fitzroy Boy’s rug off and he had a big slash in his throat,” Sheppard said.
“He had to have about 10 or 12 stitches, inside and out, it just missed his windpipe.
“There is another trainer just up from me, she had a couple of horses have the same sort of thing happen to them.
“I am guessing it is probably done with a Stanley knife or something like that, it’s very sharp.
“My horse had two neck rugs on him and the attacker got the knife in under the rug.
“You could see the person’s footprints in the mud afterwards.”
Graeme
Scheu, Treasurer of the Goondiwindi Race Club, said an approach had
been made to Racing Queensland for financial assistance to upgrade
stable security on course.
“We will need to restructure our
stable complex and add security fencing which is obviously going to come
at a significant cost for a country race club like ours,” Scheu said.
“This has shocked everyone up here and we need to do all we can to help.
“Our
expectations are it will cost in the vicinity of $40,000 for the stable
complex restructure and security and hopefully Racing Queensland can
assist us with getting the job done as soon as possible.”
Anyone with information should contact Policelink or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Cameras are as cheap as chips, they need them like, yesterday
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
Two days ago SAHA received an email from Tricolours Racing and syndication in Nsw. They expressed how they had seen the rescue coming through social media and noted that we are working so hard to raise money to keep the sanctuary running, and help save the lives of these beautiful animals. The email is on the Save a Horse Australia Facebook page.
A donation of $10,000 was made.
This is not a large syndication group with endless money. But they are intent on doing their part for horse welfare and have even set up a welfare fund for their own horses when they finish their racing careers. This is care within the industry. This is people making a plan for life after racing.
This is how we get less homeless thoroughbreds after they finish their careers, and how we get more retrained horses out doing what they do best.
Being athletes. Kicking goals. A new life in a new discipline.
This is a Sydney based business. Yet they are supporting a Queensland based charity. See how states can work together for the greater good?
I hope more syndicates and racing stables can jump onboard. We have sponsorship packages to showcase and promote who is helping us look after the horses.
We need 1.5 million dollars a year to comfortably rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome on a large scale.
We have small donations that help so much, but we need some big players.
Who can show their support to Australia’s largest horse rescue charity and offer sponsorship?
Who wants their name synced with a charity whose only intention is to save lives of the thrown away, forgotten, abandoned or broken.
We are so open to meetings with businesses, small or large, to help create a long term future for this charity.
Thank you Tricolours for setting the example.
It is so appreciated by all of us here at Save a Horse Australia.
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
fabulous response from one of the smaller players!!! Again I say to my friends. check out the welfare/rehoming policies before selecting your Syndicator.
We have also written to the QLD Shadow Minister of Racing for a report on the RQ Welfare Fund - how much is in the fund? who has accessed it? How do you qualify for a grant to enable you to provide care and rehoming ? We need total transparency...which is currently not available.
Onus on owners? So who is responsible for ongoing rehab, homing when the horse belongs to a multitude of syndicators? With quite likely none being in a position to take on a horse or even know the mane from the tail?
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
Well the least they can do is put them down, having enjoyed their lives to that stage. Christ, anyone'd think it's eternal damnation, the attitude of 'keep alive at all cost' that many have
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Trainer Gemma Rielly’s love of the animal took over when she saw an emaciated horse in northern Victoria on Sunday.
She
was working near Wangaratta when she drove past a horse looking in need
of a good feed in a potentially dangerous spot alongside a vineyard
fence.
“It was just sheer luck that he was just standing in a
spot right near a fence in a spot where a horse shouldn’t really be in a
vineyard,” Rielly said.
“I thought, ‘I’d better go and check him in case he’s gone through a fence and his leg is cut or something’.”
Rielly
found the horse’s legs were uninjured before attempting to phone in a
report on the animal’s condition to the RSPCA that went unanswered.
An online report was all Rielly could lodge but she headed off in search of food for the horse.
“I
drove off and I got 20 minutes down the road and came across a farm
that had heaps of hay and horses with rugs on so I thought, ‘beauty,
I’ll go in here’,” Rielly said.
“I told him the situation and
showed him the photos and stuff and he gave me all this free hay, which I
drove back to drop off to the horse.”
Rielly said the horse was weak but managed to walk the short distance to eat the hay she had put over the fence.
Rielly
said there were two other horses in better condition at the property.
She said the horse’s owner didn’t look happy with her attention.
“A dog was barking a lot and it knew I was up to something,” Rielly
said. “He (the horse’s owner) came out to his front gate and was just
watching me as I drove off.
“I would have thought had he got closer, he would have given me a mouthful but I’d already started to drive off.”
Rielly
said Racing Victoria had contacted her for more information on the
horse after seeing her social media posts on the incident on Sunday
night.
Rielly said RV’s welfare team had taken up the matter and
would follow up with RSPCA. The Caulfield trainer said the RSPCA needed
to investigate the horse’s situation as a matter of priority.
“Racing
Victoria has been really good,” Rielly said. “The RV welfare department
called me and they are going to get onto the RSPCA and make sure
something happens.
“If it is a thoroughbred, they’ll step in and help.
“I’ve
left it in their hands but if I don’t hear back from them, I and other
racing participants will just keep contacting them until something
happens.”
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
I could hardly believe my eyes either on seeing it last week How palatial do staff living quarters need to be? Unbelievable squandering of industry participants money
The 97-hectare property is a consolidation of five Moss Vale properties.
Edited by Gay3 - 26 Jul 2021 at 11:42pm
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Racing NSW has snapped up the Southern Highlands
thoroughbred stud of resources multimillionaire Paul Fudge and his wife
Angela three months after it was listed with $35 million hopes.
The purchase price was not disclosed by Jamie Inglis or Sam Triggs of
Inglis Rural Property, but the asking price was recently reduced to
about $25 million, and an independent source suggested it sold for a
little less than $25 million. Settlement will reveal the result.
The purchase of Waratah Thoroughbreds, arguably one of the best
developed of its kind in the country, is being billed as an important
legacy for the state’s racing industry from the Fudge family given it is
expected to be utilised as a training and education facility.
Waratah Thoroughbreds is on Bong Bong Farm in Moss Vale on 97
hectares that was a consolidation of five Moss Vale properties amassed
over 13 years.
The state-of-the-art facilities include Ladd Hudson-designed stables.
The state-of-the-art property features a long list of extensive
infrastructure for up to 100 horses, including four large-scale barns,
parade ring, hyperbaric chamber, equine spa, training treadmills, two
indoor arenas, and a turf and sand training track and 43 paddocks.
There are Ladd Hudson-designed stables, Paul Bangay-designed gardens,
and five residences on Bong Bong Farm, including the main homestead
with a tennis court and swimming pool, a four-bedroom manager’s house, a
racing manager’s residence, a two-bedroom cottage and staff quarters.
Paul Fudge is the Woollahra-based, low-key founder of Pangaea
Resources, which sold a coal seam gas tenement in Queensland for $660
million in 2009 to Origin Energy, placing him on rich lists ever since,
most recently with an estimated wealth of $672 million according to this
year’s Australian Financial Review Rich List 200.
Fudge’s ill health prompted it to be listed in April. At the time it
was listed, he said in a statement: “Angela and I are very proud with
what we have created, but it is now time for us to hand the reins over
to a new party to commence the next chapter at Bong Bong Farm.”
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
This is what V'Landys said he wanted to do 4or5 years ago , turn it into a French type training set up , let me guess just for you Mr. Waller ? of course I'm kidding right ?....well I don't know about that.
I could hardly believe my eyes either on seeing it last week How palatial do staff living quarters need to be? Unbelievable squandering of industry participants money
The 97-hectare property is a consolidation of five Moss Vale properties.
Yes, if this is what is happening with the levy , perhaps a commission of inquiry should be set up to find out exactly what happens with money taken from owners stakes
Owners and Punters are the backbone of the industry
The Punters are continually dudded at the admittance turnstiles (paying to potentially lose money)
Owners are dudded everywhere you look whether its levies or having no real voice
decisions made on "behalf" of owners who in reality have no say on anything, i don't recall ever getting an election notice for troa or a ballot paper.
rather than setting up training facilities as such, places like this could have a real place in the racing industry, as a training college for wannabee participants, industry training at the moment, (except apprentice jocs??)is very ad hoc at best, there are plenty ag colleges doing training, but not industry specific colleges
change is simply a destination on a journey reached by taking the first step (i said that) lol
Thanks rusty for taking the time to search & post, highlighting the problem of transparency & ease of access. All members of the public need to be able to readily find the above info, not endlessly search the internet Racing is still not doing enough to be seen to be proactive in all States
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Racing Victoria’s expanded $25 million three-year equine welfare
action plan is the biggest in the sport’s history in Victoria, but
halfway through some from within the industry and wider community have
questioned where the money is being spent.
Eighteen months into
the plan Racing Victoria has released its figures on its financial
welfare allocations, including a breakdown on how much is specifically
coming from the 2 per cent prizemoney contribution.
From January
2020, $10 million has been directed to the equine welfare plan, with
$6.8 million or 68% of that coming from the 2% prizemoney allocation,
with the remaining balance coming from RV funds.
A further $15
million is scheduled to be spent on the equine welfare action plan over
the next 18 months with the projected $15 million investment again
including a continued 2 per cent prizemoney contribution from
participants which equates to $7 million, with the balance of $8 million
from RV.
As part of the plan RV has expanded its equine welfare
taskforce, growing from two members at the start of 2020 to a team of
seven.
The total spend on the equine welfare action plan for the 18 months from January 2020 to June 2021 is:
$2.5m – Veterinary Services
= Contribution to Raceday Services (including 60 vets working across
the state, pre-race inspections and post-racing scoping) and Operational
Delivery
$2.3m – Risk Reduced Racing = Research
and Innovation (incl. standing CT scanner), Diagnostic Imaging Subsidy
Program, First Aid Equipment, Infectious Disease Control (incl.
Strangles Outbreak Assistance for Trainers, Cost of Testing, Biosecurity
Equipment)
$1.7m – Visibility = Online Traceability Platform (OTT Community), Data Collection and Audits
$1.2m – Operational Delivery = Equine Welfare Taskforce, Program Development, Rules Compliance Enforcement, Equine Welfare Advisory Council
$1.1m – Post-Racing Programs
= Off The Track Acknowledged Retrainer Program, Off The Track
Competitions and Sponsorships, RESET Program, Off The Track Community
Education and Support, New Pathways Support
$0.7m – Culture & Awareness = Industry Education and Training, Community Awareness and Communications
$0.5m – Safety Net = Welfare Inspections and Investigations, Emergency Aid, Humane Onsite Euthanasia Program
Racing
Victoria’s General Manager Equine Welfare, Jennifer Hughes, says it was
essential to establish a standalone equine welfare team to not only
develop new programs, but ensure they remain sustainable and agile
enough to adapt to and address any gaps for retiring racehorses.
Hughes
says a primary focus of the equine welfare taskforce was post-racing
with a desire to create greater visibility of horses when they exit the
industry and consider possible enhancements to the pathways available.
“It’s
going well, we’ve just hit that tipping point over halfway, we’ve
finally got the foundations set we’ve got the team set out there we’ve
got a solid framework and now a number of our new initiatives are
already starting to come to fruition,” she said.
“Within our
internal equine welfare team we’ve got a strong focus in the post-racing
space and we’re certainly seeing an uplift in the opportunities that
we’re able to afford horses post racing now, it’s a big difference from
18 months/two years ago.”
Hughes says as part of the plan RV has
introduced a post-race framework of programs and initiatives that they
believe will stand the test of time and have a genuine impact on the
wellbeing of racehorses at every stage of their lives.
Post-Racing Framework
1.Visibility – Increasing visibility of retired thoroughbreds to the best of our ability.
2.Transition – Ensuring the best opportunity for a successful first transition for thoroughbreds post racing.
3.Demand – Ensuring demand for retired thoroughbreds in equestrian disciplines and non-competitive environments.
4.Longevity – Ensuring that retired thoroughbreds remain desired in their new homes.
5.Safety Net – Supporting at risk thoroughbreds and those where a humane end of life is the best welfare outcome.
“With
a real focus on the post-racing wellbeing of Victorian racehorses, we
have taken positive steps in the past 18 months to help expand the
pathway programs available to retired racehorses to find their perfect
second career.
“This has been made possible by expanding our OTT
Program and providing additional support to our Acknowledged Retrainer
network to grow their capacity to rehome more retired racehorses and
care for their horses throughout COVID.
“We have also taken
critical steps to increase our visibility of Victorian thoroughbred
racehorses, particularly in the absence of a National Horse Traceability
Scheme which we support. This has been achieved by audits across racing
stables and saleyards, increased equine welfare visits, and the
introduction of our new post-racing platform, the OTT Community.
“With
greater visibility we can better understand where our efforts should be
directed. This is complemented by our in-racing advancements through
research and development to support trainers to learn and understand new
ways to not only get the most out of their horse on the track but
maintain their welfare and prepare them for a life after racing.”
Following
the consolidation of the post-racing framework, the first major
initiative launched was the RESET Program which aims to help retired
racehorses that have struggled to transition to a second career for a
variety of reasons.
The RESET Program has already provided extra
support for 32 former racehorses in need, of which 15 have ‘graduated’
and discovered their calling post-racing with others currently in
retraining.
The RESET Program, which is set for expansion after
its successful pilot, is opening the door to non-traditional post-racing
opportunities. Among the early graduates, one has become a teaching
horse at the University of Melbourne, while another is now a therapy
horse at Racing Hearts supporting humans in need.
Off the back of
the RESET Program, RV has also grown its partnership network to further
open up new opportunities for retired racehorses. This included the
November 2020 announcement of an initial $50,000 commitment to the
Riding for the Disabled Association of Victoria (RDAV) to allow them to
expand their popular riding programs and to accommodate additional
horses at their 34 centres across Victoria.
To support this
expansion, RV also funded the commencement of a pilot program for up to
five retired racehorses to enter tailored retraining, with the goal of
being rehomed to RDAV. The first horse to join RDAV as part of the
partnership was Go For Glory in April this year, following specialist
training by RV Acknowledged Retrainer Jodee Young.
While the RESET
Program was able to continue in 2020, the onset of the COVID pandemic
created challenges for the roll out of some projects, but importantly
the racing industry continued to prioritise the care and welfare of its
equines.
This included directing $250,000 in emergency support to
RV’s network of over 50 Acknowledged Retrainers who cared for
off-the-track horses for longer than anticipated throughout the
pandemic.
To further support RV’s Acknowledged Retrainers, a
$200,000 grant program was opened in February 2021 to help increase
their capacity to take on more retired racehorses for retraining and
rehoming with funding being provided for infrastructure development and
further resourcing.
In addition, a $100,000 grant scheme was made
available to Victorian equine businesses in March this year, with the
objective of increasing the number of thoroughbreds utilised by
businesses the sport hasn’t traditionally worked closely with, such as
trail riding and riding schools. This is also helping to expand the
opportunities available post-racing.
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
How does $2.5m pay for vets on race day? Their biggest commitment by the looks of it. Aren’t vets there anyway as a normal procedure on race day?
All the worthwhile practical welfare implementations are having far less invested in them
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
Lock yourselves in because I feel like exploding!!
So for everyone wondering where our QUEENSLAND OFF THE TRACK WELFARE FUND MONEY is going. I’ll let you know.
Coaches have been appointed to take anyone who applies and is accepted for ten FREE lessons paid for OUT OF OUR FUND.
At $95 a lesson, (which is where it gets capped) with ten lessons allotted to ‘suitable applicants’ that’s $950 a person from the fund to get lessons on how to ride their horse better. Which everyone else already pays for themselves anyway!!
HOW THE HELL IS THAT HELPING AT RISK HORSES!!
10 horses already in homes with people who have already LEARNT how to ride and some who have COMPETED at shows, comes to $9500 of our WELFARE FUND! 100 people is $95,000!!!
Again!! Please tell me!! How does this help our otts who come off the track with a bowed tendon and nowhere to go?!
How does this help a horse that the owner stops paying on and is dumped with a trainer to try and home?! Do they give it to someone and hope they’re a lucky recipient of the lessons?! What if they’re not?!
How does giving people who already know how to ride FREE LESSONS help the horses who are getting their heads chopped off?! Aren’t those the ones we need to give a safety net too?
Roughly three months ago I went in to a meeting with the off the track welfare board. As a representative of Save A Horse Australia.
A few days prior, we had taken in 8 thoroughbreds from a bad breeder.
The state of the feet on these horses was abhorrent. We had to euthanise one after trying in vain to help him. He was so chronically crippled it was simply too cruel to keep him alive.
We asked for help from the board to get immediate care for these horses that were otherwise going to be sent to slaughter. We received nothing.
No help.
Since that meeting we have taken in 4 more surrenders from the same breeder. Still no word from anyone on any help.
12 horses bred to race, that had nowhere else to go.
70 rescues in current care, over 40 were bred to race.
We raised $10k for the first 8 to get their feet radiographed, vaccinations done, wormed and fed. It went quick.
And we lost one.
It BROKE my heart to know we got him too late to fix.
But while we are over here BUSTING OUR GUTS trying to raise money from the general public, trying to sell raffle tickets, and get sponsors, so we can continue to care for so many throw away horses, the OTT WELFARE BOARD is pumping over $100k into coaches.
Just like that.
Here you go, go give some lessons.
I’m sorry but that is not where the importance lays. Appoint coaches after there is no longer a need for rescues to pull horses out of sale yards, off Dogger trucks, in from bad breeders. Appoint coaches when the immediate risk of perfectly good horses getting sent to slaughter wanes.
Appoint coaches when we are actually doing something about the ones who reach the end of the road at 6 years old.
There is roughly 2 million dollars sitting in that fund.
And it is not being spent where it should.
I cannot keep quiet on it anymore.
Give help to those who are trying to create change. Or just throw it at horses who are already safe. Seems legit.
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
If I could suggest they contact Gerry Harvey or Katie Page immediately and report back? We need high profile people involved, also Debbie Kepitis as they have clout, do they want to be involved, maybe anonymously perhaps? let's find out? I'm still waiting on a reply from our local MP Sam O'Connor and Tim Lander to come back to us, no luck yet, but we will chase for sure......this is terrible and mainstream media have to get onto this, I don't care if it's ABC even.......
This morning I have had a long phone call with a representative from Racing Queensland. We have spoken for over two hours on the structuring of the off the program initiative. I have been told that before the end of 2021 acknowledged retrainers will have been launched and our horses coming off the track from trainers with nowhere else to turn will have an avenue to send their horse down.
Also there will be discussions had on horses coming off the track with injuries, as to what can be done there. Unfortunately this isn’t going to come out in line with the retrainers, but at least the sound horses finishing will have a direct line into getting re-education.
As I have stated many times, Racing Queensland is not in charge of where the funding goes. They are the collector, and then the OTT welfare board are making final decisions. I know not everyone agrees with me and my opinions, but my heart always and will always lie with the horses, and I’ll always push to make sure things are moving forward on creating life after racing.
Laura:The
first step needs to be horses going through retraining under those who
know the breed and are competent in handling them. Coaching is
definitely not a bad thing! But trying to teach someone with no idea how
to ride a horse that may never be a novice mount, is not going to end
in a successful partnership. Retrainers can assess a horse on its rider
capabilities and then move forward connecting that horse with the rider
of that level. Then lessons could come into play to improve the
connection between horse and rider.
Kayleen Lawson
in October 2019 when the ABC 7.30 Report first came out there was
widespread condemnation of the racing industry. Many of us including
Laura met with the Racing Industry decision makers in QLD (Racing QLD)
and discussed solutions. The QLD Racing Minister established a forum of
interested parties and requested an Independent Inquiry headed by Terry
Martin and assisted by vet Peter Reid. Submissions were gathered from
multiple sources. My reaction was to established a Facebook page titled
Meeting to Discuss Racehorse Welfare where I asked the 800 plus members
from all areas of the horse industry to workshop constructive, viable
and sustainable solutions to resolve the major issues surround racehorse
welfare. After my first submission I was invited to provide further
information and make a full submission to the Martin Inquiry. The
solutions that the members of my page had workshopped and fine tuned
became an integral part of the Martin Inquiries findings which were
presented to the QLD Parliament. No single solution will fix the
problem but we provided a complete blueprint for the Welfare Program to
build on. Riding lessons were not included. Whilst perhaps well down
the track riding lessons may prove to be a valuable initiative many of
us are concerned and frustrated that we are nearly two years down the
track and $1.5M of prizemoney has been taken out of the industry each
year for the last two years. So far not ONE SINGLE RACEHORSE HAS BEEN
SAVED by the welfare program.
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Laura Cheshire does a fantastic job with very limited funding, but she has a horse rescue program which is for all breeds of horses. Very admirable but not really deserving of industry funds. Those dollars are meant for retiring racehorses (trotters and gallopers). The OTT welfare program at QR seems to be a bit unstructured, and relying on marketing hype to mask lack of results. Needs more industry consultation, and maybe extra levies to improve money reserves.
“Gambling has brought our family closer together. We had to move to a smaller house.”
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just for you Mr. Waller ? 
of course I'm kidding right ?....well I don't know about that.
Gay3 wrote:
