A plan outlining Racing Victoria’s horse welfare strategy for the next five years has been described as “a bureaucracy, not a breeder’s thought process” and a policy that could limit trade. trade after the regulator publicly released the brush document last week.
Among the equine welfare focus areas and proposed key outcomes is a plan for RV to implement an “enhanced approval process for stallion registration”, potentially giving the organization the right to veto on horses being able to attend school in Victoria while other hardship conditions may be restricted. placed on state breeders.
The 18-page equine welfare strategic plan for 2023-2027 threatens to send shock waves across the national Thoroughbred industry and Victoria.
In part, the plan also proposes:
- It is compulsory for all registered breeders in Victoria to take a course in the Five Areas as well as a course on horse handling and positive and negative reinforcement, which must also be completed by Coach and staff stable in Victoria.
- Develop an accountability framework for livestock operations in Victoria, which will include an enhanced livestock licensing and licensing system as well as minimum standards for livestock production.
- Conduct “pre-race” testing to identify gaps in pre-race horse traceability.
Upon learning of the RV’s plan under which all Victorian breeders would take horse handling and Five Domains courses, respected Victorian breeder Robert Crabtree of Dorrington Farms said the plan. is not feasible.
Crabtree told ANZ Bloodstock News on December 12: “It’s not realistic because what about horse owners who don’t even know what a horse looks like? There’s a lot of people who could have raced in. its time and then a cross between a horse, but they wouldn’t even know where the horse’s head was.
“On that basis, it’s completely absurd because, as I said, if a person knows nothing about horses, doesn’t live with horses, doesn’t do anything with them, he can still be an owner. and horse breeders.
“Not only are they not taking the course, but it’s also impractical because they may not even live in the state. That’s the thinking process of a bureaucracy, not a horseman’s.”
As for the proposal for an enhanced approval process to be introduced before stallions are registered, allowing their progeny to be registered in the race, Larneuk Stud’s Neville Murdoch believes such a ruling will not Acceptable.
“Good luck to them with that,” he said. “If you come back I am invincible he was worth AU$2.50 at the time (when he retired from racecourse) and now he is one of the best stallions in Australia.
“For example, in Germany they have an approval process before putting them in the breed (where only descendants of approved stallions are eligible for the premiums of German breeders), but if if they start doing it here, it will be a commercial restriction. , no doubt.
“There’s going to be a lot of discussion that needs to take place before it gets to that.”
Crabtree also echoes Murdoch’s sentiment when it comes to RVs that have the ability to have a say in which stallions can stand their ground in Victoria.
“That (the proposal) would certainly violate commercial practices (laws), just as you can’t restrict a stallion to a certain number (mares) even through a regulation.” conventions agreed because of commercial practices,” said the respected breeder.
“It’s two of their (planned) structural laws, or whatever they’re about to become, that doesn’t quite fit.”
Andrew Jones Dorrington Farm International Larneuk Academy Melissa Ware Neville Murdoch Purebred racing Racing Victoria's Horse Welfare Strategy Robert Crabtree
