LEADING Upper Hunter thoroughbred studs are grappling with the question of how best to manage the deadly Hendra virus threat while Equestrian Australia (EA) has announced a policy that will make vaccination compulsory for many EA events.
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Some thoroughbred nurseries have opted to vaccinate hundreds of mares, whilst others are holding off but implementing rigorous quarantine procedures for mares visiting stallions coming from areas deemed to be at risk.
The industry has drawn a rough borderline where any horse north of Port Macquarie is likely to be subject to extra biosecurity and quarantine, as thousands of mares visit stallions based in the Hunter this season.
Mick Malone, manager of leading thoroughbred vendor Kitchwin Hills, reflected a segment of industry consensus when he said it was not the stud’s policy to vaccinate at present.
“We continually monitor the Hendra situation to ascertain if there is a risk to our horses or, more importantly, our staff,” Mr Malone said.
Studs are implementing measures including keeping new arrivals segregated from other livestock for at least two weeks, and ensuring staff members wear recommended protective clothing to ensure no cross-contamination occurred.
Equestrian Australia has adopted a new by-law outlining the Hendra vaccination requirements for horses which attend EA and FEI sanctioned events in Australia, with a grace period to October 1 for implementation.
The by-law makes it a requirement for organising committees of EA and FEI events to complete a questionnaire during initial planning stages to determine if their event requires classification as a Hendra Vaccinated Event (HVE).
The assessment requires event organisers to answer a series of multiple choice questions about the location and duration of the event, the number of horses in attendance, how the horses will be stabled and the impact on the facilities should a Hendra outbreak occur. If the result of the checklist is equal to 50 or above, then event organisers will need to classify their event as a HVE.
The by-law divides the country into two regions – endemic and non-endemic – with different requirements for each.
Equestrian Australia chief executive Grant Baldock said the by-law offered a practical approach to mitigating the risk of a Hendra incident at an EA event.
“To date, Hendra incidents have only occurred within the states of NSW and Queensland. While this does not mean that a Hendra incident could not occur in another state in the future, the likelihood of a Hendra incident occurring at an EA event is higher in NSW and Queensland.
“For this reason all horses attending a HVE within NSW or Qld, regardless of their origin will require Hendra Vaccination.
“It is important to note the by-law places the majority of onus and responsibility on horse owners and riders to ensure they are complying.”