International movement of horses boosted and more can be achieved
At the Asian Racing Conference today, May 6, delegates at a session titled: ‘Movement of Horses’ were told that significant progress had been made to facilitate the internationalisation of racing and that good science, cooperation, harmonisation of protocols and developing trust were the keys to further progress.
Dr Brian Stewart, the Head of Equine Welfare and Veterinary Services at Racing Victoria in Australia, told delegates that the continued rise of international competition in horse racing is of significant importance, both for the sport itself, and for the venues and the regions that host racing’s major events. As an example, he noted that Melbourne’s Spring Carnival is now worth over A$600 million to the State of Victoria and that international participation had been credited with revitalising the event over recent years.
Stewart, also Chairman of the IMHC (International Movement of Horses Committee), said that although travelling racehorses to Australia was a major undertaking, the country had made a great deal of progress in easing travel restrictions, including significant Post Entry Quarantine and Post Arrival Quarantine changes in 2013.
He added that the reduction of the quarantine period for arriving overseas horses from three weeks to two weeks was clearly more attractive to international participants, and that further changes in stabling arrangements and the timing of equine influenza vaccinations had also helped. In addition, Dr Stewart reinforced the point that for progress to continue, it was vital that racing authorities understood the role and the priorities of relevant Government agencies, and worked collaboratively in the interests of the industry and the nation itself.
"Movement protocols are controlled by national government authorities who are inherently conservative and risk averse. We cannot simply wish for change nor can we force it. We must develop trusting relationships with the government authorities on a science based approach, and the concessions we have achieved in Australia have come about as a consequence of those two things, science and trust," Dr Stewart said.
Dr Susanne Munstermann, Chargee de Mission of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health), outlined the concept of the HHP – high health, high performance horse - which could be defined as a sub-population of the global equine population and ought to be assessed differently from the wider population.