WHOBAA COMMUNITY MESSAGE FORUM - By digitalcreations

As caretakers of a classified Rare Breed, WHOBAA brings the following to the attention of Waler owners.
As horse lovers we bring it to the attention of all that read this.

Equine Influenza has been detected at Centennial Park.
All NSW has been placed in a OFFICIAL HORSE STANDSTILL.
Leave your horses at home.
All events have been cancelled.
If horse move around they will spread the disease throughout Australia.
The only chance we have of containing the disease will be to let it burn itself out in isolated properties.
Do not visit other horse properties, wash hands and change clothing after being with horses.
Further information will follow from official channels.
Rod Hoare
Australian Horse Industry Council

All sensible suggestions. I will seeking further information from the Federal Agriculture Minister tomorrow, as he is the member for this area.

Hopefully, the staff at his office will be more informed than they were on Friday and we can start to find out how far this has really spread, as opposed to media hype!

Welcome Jilba. Yes, tough has nothing to do with EI, we are best to keep the horses safe. let us know if you find out any more from the Ag Minister.
Funny, they wanted to get rid of brumbies as being a sourse of disease - but hey - it's the domestic horses that bring in the disease - foreign horses and the bucks mad racing industry, who care for money, not horses. Like brumbies, we need to stay well away from all those! Anyone with any news, let us know....

Maybe they will think real hard about new quarantine guidelines in regards to bring horses back home from OS now...

I know toughness doesn't stop the horses getting sick, but it has to be a factor in recovery.

snowy girl, speaking to one of Peter McGuaran's staff today whose father is a horse vet, it appears as if the Vets are going to try push the govt. to realise that ALL horses must be quarantined properly on reaching our shores! The same person also told me her dad and other vets are not convinced the 'flu has been contained.

So, the ban on horse movement is likely to be increased to 28 days. No horse events to be allowed, keep the movement of horse people restriced too. Report any likely flu symptoms to your vet ASAP. Remember, this thing is airborne and can transmit from clothing, car tyres etc.

I will be recieving all further information by daily snail mail from the Agriculture Minister's staff, as a rare breed society we have been given priority for me to recieve phone calls in a drastic case, which they're hoping won't happen. So, that's the latest.

Everyone take care, and we're all sensible people, so I'm sure our Walers will be fine!

28 days!!! I will go mad! I have friends stuck in Condobolin with their horses - but unfortunately it is needed. Apparently morse cases are popping up by the hour and the closest to me is only 3 hrs away...

The 28 days is not 'official' yet, but from what I was told, it is expected. All we can do is wait. I feel for your friends, I do, and you, and 3 hours away isn't far, but I pray it's far enough.

I will of course, continue to share the information I get.

Ok, so far today, the horses from the National Equestrian Centre at Werribee are going to be allowed to leave under special travel permits only if all are given clean bills of health by 4pm today. Of course, the poor interstaters may still not get home!


Travel is still illegal for all other horses unless it is an emmergency, and you have a/. a special permit from your Dept. of Agriculture, and b/. a vet certificate that gives your horse a clean bill of health. This holds till at least Friday.

Horses in the NSW police force have been identified with EI and all police horses are under lock down. No infecting factor has been identified there as yet.

Now, the national phone hotline for all information on the EI outbreak is 1800 234 002. Website: www.outbreak.gov.au as confirmed to me from the Federal Minister's staff this morning. Contacting those numbers/website should clear up any confusion!

Canberra has police on both borders ensuring that no floats/horses get thru.... There goes my plan of using my float to move over the weekend. Better safe than sorry!

Take a look at: Symptoms of Equine influenza Video

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/equine-influenza

takes about 3min to download

I thought my duty as a horse owner was to get my horses checked by a vet if they were showing signs of E I.

My duty as a horse owner was to report any signs of E I to the DPI.

Late last week I received a bill for $100 from my vet for him passing a thermometer through my front fence so I could take my horses temperature.

Yesterday I received a FREE thermometer through the post from the DPI with all the information needed about E I.

DON'T GET CAUGHT OUT

I wouldn't be paying the bill Jilba!! That;s a down right rip-off and he's taking advantage of the situation... I'd be sending him a formal complaint in writing and asking him to review his bill, otherwise you may be forced to go to the Fair Trade Association!!!

While WE might be the smart ones, it's all those idiot racehorse trainers and owners who think they're above everyone else and who have done nothing but HELP SPREAD the virus because they are more concerned about themselves and their precious money than the industry as a whole!!

If my horses get sick or die from this, I'll be suing the Governement for compensation!!!

Being a rare breed society and all, how come nothing's been offered in way of vaccinations to OUR VALUABLE animals? Or is extinction the cheaper alternative for the government?

If anyone can get a vaccination for their horses as a rare breed, go for it. As well as the ONLY Australian breed. I fully agree Harcourt, it should be mandatory for rare breeds.
Equine Influenze is now in Tassie too, and there is a lock-down on all horse travel as of today. Let's hope it gets cleared up ASAP.

Yes I heard it was confirmed yesterday ~ not near you I hope!!!!

Touchwood we are still reasonably well away from any cases, but even so, I have cancelled a trip to WA to see friends before Xmas as I'm too paranoid taking any horsehair over there (even though "those" clothes never go near a horse!!)

Rather been paranoid and over cautious!! Do you know yet HOW it got to Tassie?