Equine influenza

[Autumn2004]

I feel so badly for the infected horses I dont know if Australia lawsuits are as frequent as here but I could see it happen due to the cost of bills and loss of wages since the government did not warn people when they could have to keep the spread of it down.

 

[BarnGoddess]

Horse flu hits standardbreds

http://www.smh.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Horse-flu-hits-standardbreds/2007/09/03/1188783140134.html

Geez, I have 2 standardbreds. I hope something like this doesn't hit the US. We have enough problems with West Nile. My stepdaughter and her boyfriend are starting a young quarterhorse I have. He was recently "cut" and is no longer a stud. (Narlacat, he was given a shot and put out for the operation.) She called to say he was losing weight in his back. We picked him up today and took him to our vet. Daughter said he was dribbling half his grain on the ground and also had some calouses where the girth was. He's been very easy to start, no bucking, no balking and so far very easy going with good cow sense. He was great when we were at the vet's. Stayed calm when he had his wolf teeth filed (called "floating"). They can cause a horse to no eat properly. I had him take blood which will be sent to Colorado State University at Ft. Collins to be tested to see if anything else is wrong. CSU's vet school is one of the best in the country. I'm giving him special minerals now and some fat supplements. He ate all his grain tonight and never spilled a drop. I'm to give him a bath tomorrow to work on his dry skin and finish with a watered down solution of Skin So Soft. I'm also to use Tea Tree Oil on his girth area. I just hope the blood test doesn't show anything deadly. He's been wormed regularly, so they didn't take a stool sample.

It must be hard on these horse owners. I'd be a nervous wreck. Our horses are part of our livliehood.

Narlacat, I asked our vet about the whip as he has and races his own horses. He told me none of his are whipped, but the crops or quirts have a slapping sound if they have two wide loose pieces of leather. He said a well trained horse will react to a tap better than a hard beating with a stick. And no, I wouldn't consider having a cat or dog altered without anasthesia. I do help the vet when he does all our horse doctoring. I helped with all castrations, injections, wormings and teeth floating.

The vet said the racing community here is watching the Australian situation very carefully.

 

[Shazza]

Geez, I have 2 standardbreds. I hope something like this doesn't hit the US. We have enough problems with West Nile. My stepdaughter and her boyfriend are starting a young quarterhorse I have. He was recently "cut" and is no longer a stud. (Narlacat, he was given a shot and put out for the operation.) She called to say he was losing weight in his back. We picked him up today and took him to our vet. Daughter said he was dribbling half his grain on the ground and also had some calouses where the girth was. He's been very easy to start, no bucking, no balking and so far very easy going with good cow sense. He was great when we were at the vet's. Stayed calm when he had his wolf teeth filed (called "floating"). They can cause a horse to no eat properly. I had him take blood which will be sent to Colorado State University at Ft. Collins to be tested to see if anything else is wrong. CSU's vet school is one of the best in the country. I'm giving him special minerals now and some fat supplements. He ate all his grain tonight and never spilled a drop. I'm to give him a bath tomorrow to work on his dry skin and finish with a watered down solution of Skin So Soft. I'm also to use Tea Tree Oil on his girth area. I just hope the blood test doesn't show anything deadly. He's been wormed regularly, so they didn't take a stool sample.

It must be hard on these horse owners. I'd be a nervous wreck. Our horses are part of our livliehood.

Narlacat, I asked our vet about the whip as he has and races his own horses. He told me none of his are whipped, but the crops or quirts have a slapping sound if they have two wide loose pieces of leather. He said a well trained horse will react to a tap better than a hard beating with a stick. And no, I wouldn't consider having a cat or dog altered without anasthesia. I do help the vet when he does all our horse doctoring. I helped with all castrations, injections, wormings and teeth floating.

The vet said the racing community here is watching the Australian situation very carefully.

Thanks for your concern BarnGoddess, I worked with racehorses, I was a strapper for a trainer in Wollongong, as you mentioned the crop they use sounds a lot worse than it looks, it cracks when the leather ends snap together, the horse hardly feels it, I rode racehorses to exercise them and did barrier trials, we had a crop to use, and you only had to tap the horse with it, or as you said use your knees and hands to signal to the horse what you wanted it to do.

Racehorses are very well looked after, and dont spend all their time in stables. I had a great time working with both gallopers and trotters and there was never any cruelty where I worked, Im not saying it doesnt happen as you will always here of some abuse but mostly they are treated very well indeed, and this I know through experience.

 

[imthemom]

Thanks for your concern BarnGoddess, I worked with racehorses, I was a strapper for a trainer in Wollongong, as you mentioned the crop they use sounds a lot worse than it looks, it cracks when the leather ends snap together, the horse hardly feels it, I rode racehorses to exercise them and did barrier trials, we had a crop to use, and you only had to tap the horse with it, or as you said use your knees and hands to signal to the horse what you wanted it to do.

Racehorses are very well looked after, and dont spend all their time in stables. I had a great time working with both gallopers and trotters and there was never any cruelty where I worked, Im not saying it doesnt happen as you will always here of some abuse but mostly they are treated very well indeed, and this I know through experience.

I have no problem with horse racing, I would love to co-own a race horse some day. We have had trail horses most of my life. I just sold my quarter horse a couple years ago when I got pregnant with my daughter because I had no time to ride anymore. The only problem I have with racing is what happens to them when they are done racing. Most the time it is a very sad reality for these horses. They end up at auction and sold to slaughter houses for dog food. I seen an investigation on 20/20 and they found a horse at auction and looked up his tattoo number that is on the inside of their lip. He had won 2 million dollars during his career and there he was thrown out like garbage. After winning all that for someone you think they could have put him in a santuary somewhere.

 

[Shazza]

I have no problem with horse racing, I would love to co-own a race horse some day. We have had trail horses most of my life. I just sold my quarter horse a couple years ago when I got pregnant with my daughter because I had no time to ride anymore. The only problem I have with racing is what happens to them when they are done racing. Most the time it is a very sad reality for these horses. They end up at auction and sold to slaughter houses for dog food. I seen an investigation on 20/20 and they found a horse at auction and looked up his tattoo number that is on the inside of their lip. He had won 2 million dollars during his career and there he was thrown out like garbage. After winning all that for someone you think they could have put him in a santuary somewhere.

Yes that can happen but when I was involved more with the horses, the retired racehorses, were put out to stud, they were bought by riders who wanted to show and jump them, they also made great police horses, and were also sold privately. Its not just the racehorses that are sent to slaughter, it all kinds. I worked with them for about 9 years and travelled to other stables, some were better than ours and some were worse, but overhaul I never saw any of the horses I worked with treated badly. I also worked at a riding school, where we took tours of people out horseriding in the mountains, that was great fun, and the horses were well looked after there as well. I love horses and would never let anyone hurt them no matter what kind of horse...pit pony right up to thoroughbreds, they are all gods animals and have a place on this earth and should be treated with respect and love.

 

[BarnGoddess]

Thanks for the personal info, Shazza. Here in the states it has become very difficult to sell a horse for slaughter. It is legal, I believe in two states now. The ban has dropped the horse prices drastically. We used to be able to go to an auction and sell our horses for a really good price. Killer buyers would bid up the horses based on estimated weight, not pedigree or suitability for riding or driving. The last colt we sold with excellent papers, went for $250, when a couple of years ago we would have sold for $1000. I can guarantee you that any horse we ever sold was to a private individual. The colt for $250 went to a nice family who was looking for a young horse to start and wouldn't get too big for their kids. The little girl was crying happy tears as she hugged her new horsie.

We deal in draft horses mainly. Suffolks and Belgians. The auction we attend are mainly for this purpose.

As far as race horses being slaughtered after their time is up, many of these horses are as Shazza says. One fellow around here as re-trained one he got from our vet as a roping horse for competetion. They make a very good jumper when cross bred with draft horses. You see them in the paper advertised all the time. As for harness horses, many are bought by the Amish and retrained as buggy horses and sold at auction for those looking for a good buggy horse, like me. We have bought a couple and you can trace their racing history by getting the tattoo information from their upper lip. It's really funny when I hook up my standardbred and drive down the road with my husband and his big draft team. When I get near, my horse speeds up and is determined to leave them in the dust. Just can't take the competition out of these off the track horses. BTW, he's a love and really likes attention and affection.

Shazza, thanks for the verification on crops. I don't own one, but do know exactly what they look and sound like.

 

[narlacat]

Geez, I have 2 standardbreds. I hope something like this doesn't hit the US. We have enough problems with West Nile. My stepdaughter and her boyfriend are starting a young quarterhorse I have. He was recently "cut" and is no longer a stud. (Narlacat, he was given a shot and put out for the operation.) She called to say he was losing weight in his back. We picked him up today and took him to our vet. Daughter said he was dribbling half his grain on the ground and also had some calouses where the girth was. He's been very easy to start, no bucking, no balking and so far very easy going with good cow sense. He was great when we were at the vet's. Stayed calm when he had his wolf teeth filed (called "floating"). They can cause a horse to no eat properly. I had him take blood which will be sent to Colorado State University at Ft. Collins to be tested to see if anything else is wrong. CSU's vet school is one of the best in the country. I'm giving him special minerals now and some fat supplements. He ate all his grain tonight and never spilled a drop. I'm to give him a bath tomorrow to work on his dry skin and finish with a watered down solution of Skin So Soft. I'm also to use Tea Tree Oil on his girth area. I just hope the blood test doesn't show anything deadly. He's been wormed regularly, so they didn't take a stool sample.

It must be hard on these horse owners. I'd be a nervous wreck. Our horses are part of our livliehood.

Narlacat, I asked our vet about the whip as he has and races his own horses. He told me none of his are whipped, but the crops or quirts have a slapping sound if they have two wide loose pieces of leather. He said a well trained horse will react to a tap better than a hard beating with a stick. And no, I wouldn't consider having a cat or dog altered without anasthesia. I do help the vet when he does all our horse doctoring. I helped with all castrations, injections, wormings and teeth floating.

The vet said the racing community here is watching the Australian situation very carefully.

Why does he choose not to whip his horses?

 

[narlacat]

Flu strikes star

http://www.smh.com.au/news/horseracing/flu-strikes-star/2007/09/05/1188783325225.html

 

[narlacat]

Flu kills spring carnival

http://www.smh.com.au/news/horseracing/flu-kills-spring-carnival/2007/08/30/1188067252974.html

 

[BarnGoddess]

Why does he choose not to whip his horses?

I believe I meant WHIP, as in injure, as implied by another poster, not spur them on as later discussed with a "noisy" quirt. He doesn't abuse his horses. He's moderately successful and races pretty much a Western circuit, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Okalahoma and Kansas. None of his horses will ever be seen in any one of the big races leading up to the Triple Crown. He wins enough to be comfortable and his son is the one handling the racing. He's been at it for years. We went down to Holly to watch the races and he had a horse that hated to be anywhere behind. The jockey never applied any force. One of the best he ever had. But nowhere as good to race the really big ones. That takes oodles of money very few have.

 

[BarnGoddess]

I haven't heard about any deaths from this flu. Have there been any? Or is it just a bad case of flu and they recover?

 

[narlacat]

I haven't heard about any deaths from this flu. Have there been any? Or is it just a bad case of flu and they recover?[/quote]

No, not that I've heard.

I'm not quite sure BG-

 

[narlacat]

Found this:

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=10314

 

[narlacat]

And this:

Authorities ease Qld horseracing restrictions


http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/06/2025666.htm


<<Queensland trainer Bill Dixon says the champion pacer and seven other horses in the stable have tested positive and it could spread to 50 more horses on the property.
"They are not sick horses and some of them have got a mild cough," he said.
"It will go through most likely all the team, but it is a five-day thing and after five days, they are generally pretty right." >>

 

[narlacat]

EI spreading in south-east Queensland

<<Horse flu has spread further in south-east Queensland with the first confirmed cases in thoroughbreds at Tamborine in the Gold Coast hinterland, while more outbreaks have occurred in Brisbane's western outskirts.>>

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=289668

 

[Shazza]

Thanks for the personal info, Shazza. Here in the states it has become very difficult to sell a horse for slaughter. It is legal, I believe in two states now. The ban has dropped the horse prices drastically. We used to be able to go to an auction and sell our horses for a really good price. Killer buyers would bid up the horses based on estimated weight, not pedigree or suitability for riding or driving. The last colt we sold with excellent papers, went for $250, when a couple of years ago we would have sold for $1000. I can guarantee you that any horse we ever sold was to a private individual. The colt for $250 went to a nice family who was looking for a young horse to start and wouldn't get too big for their kids. The little girl was crying happy tears as she hugged her new horsie.

We deal in draft horses mainly. Suffolks and Belgians. The auction we attend are mainly for this purpose.

As far as race horses being slaughtered after their time is up, many of these horses are as Shazza says. One fellow around here as re-trained one he got from our vet as a roping horse for competetion. They make a very good jumper when cross bred with draft horses. You see them in the paper advertised all the time. As for harness horses, many are bought by the Amish and retrained as buggy horses and sold at auction for those looking for a good buggy horse, like me. We have bought a couple and you can trace their racing history by getting the tattoo information from their upper lip. It's really funny when I hook up my standardbred and drive down the road with my husband and his big draft team. When I get near, my horse speeds up and is determined to leave them in the dust. Just can't take the competition out of these off the track horses. BTW, he's a love and really likes attention and affection.

Shazza, thanks for the verification on crops. I don't own one, but do know exactly what they look and sound like.

BarnGoddess I love draft horses.
I rode a draft horse bareback once, it was so big I could hardly sit on its back, lucky I was pretty flexible, Draft horses are beautiful and good natured horses and are great with kids.

Crops sound worse than they really are, it is like the crack of a stock whip, you can make them crack without actually hitting anything.

We have just found out in the news that there are a few studs here close to where I live that have horses with the influenza, its affecting most of our country.

 

[narlacat]

http://www.advocatesforanimals.org.uk/campaigns/cruelsports/horseracing/index.html

http://www.rspca.org.au/policy/C.pdf

http://www.animalliberation.org.au/racing.php

http://www.animalsaustralia.org/issues/horse_racing.php

http://www.downbound.com/Horse_Racing_s/438.htm

 

[narlacat]

Horse flu hits standardbreds

http://www.smh.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Horse-flu-hits-standardbreds/2007/09/03/1188783140134.html

I posted about the property near Maitland- it's up here now too- at Mt Tamborine.

 

[narlacat]

Major announcement on horse flu


http://www.smh.com.au/news/horseracing/major-announcement-on-horse-flu/2007/09/08/1188783552712.html

 

[narlacat]

I think horse racing is cruel and feel sorry for all the infected horses- seems the virus came from a government quarantine facility-

http://search.smh.com.au/siteSearch.ac?q=horse+flu&ss=smh

Govt may still face horse flu compo


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=289930