DEFRA AHS draft legislation

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threelows

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Any one else read DEFRA's draft legislation on how they intend to deal with an African horse Sickness outbreak.

One section makes it illegal for us as horse owners from taking the decision to vaccinate our horses to protect them.

Another section says only those horses culled with a positive AHS diagnosis will be compensated for.

Wonder where our insurance companies stand on this?


If we are going to protest then we have to do it in writing by the 11th of March.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/african-horse-sickness/index.htm
 
How to do propose to stop the spread and keep the british equestrian industry alive internationaly if you dont try to control the disease?


The vaccines are illegal for a reason.
Vaccine's for AHS are not an option in Britain or Ireland at the minute as the type that is currently availiable has the potential to rever to true form.
So they could potentially spread a new version of the disease...
They also at the monent are a type that cause the animal to test positive for AHS...so it is impossible to distinguish between a vaccinated horse and one with AHS if there are no very obvious symptoms...making it harder to control the disease.

They are only used at the moment in places like South Africa where the disease is endemic already.

There will be no exporting Horses or horse products from a positive country until you are free.
Vaccination delay's the amount of time before the country can be declared free.
Although the choice may be made that the country will vaccinate if AHS hits,(ye already are beginning a vaccination plan to control Bluetongue a disease which is spread similar to AHS) i wouldnt be so quick to close off other control options.

If the disease hits restrictions will be in place to control and eradicate the disease for the sake of the whole industry and welfare of all the animals involved.

Defra have been poring money into research to control and prevent the disease as well as trying to figure out the cost to the indusrty in order to chose an appropriate control

....they arent doing it in order to immediately order a cull or to kill peoples horses they are doing it to protect the horse population and the community as a whole.
 
Having been in an area where perfectly healthy sheep and cows which could have been vaccinated, or had foot and mouth and lived if they were adult and fit, were slaughtered as a foot and mouth preventative, I am entirely sceptical about whether Defra will actually make the right decisions on AHS for horses. Especially under the "guidance" of the EU where they are a meat crop.

The idea of controlling AHS by culling, in order to preserve an export industry of live and dead horses which is miniscule for GB Ltd is wholly abhorrent.

I can only hope that someone is working hard to find a vaccine that does not present the risk you explain, and that the International community can agree that an animal which has a vaccination in its record and tests positive subsequently has simply had the vaccination. But cull horses so that a relatively tiny number of racehorses and other highly bred animals can be exported, or even so that GB teams can compete abroad - no way!
 
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Having been in an area where perfectly healthy sheep and cows which could have been vaccinated, or had foot and mouth and lived if they were adult and fit, were slaughtered as a foot and mouth preventative, I am entirely sceptical about whether Defra will actually make the right decisions on AHS for horses. Especially under the "guidance" of the EU where they are a meat crop.

The idea of controlling AHS by culling, in order to preserve an export industry of live and dead horses which is miniscule for GB Ltd is wholly abhorrent.

I can only hope that someone is working hard to find a vaccine that does not present the risk you explain, and that the International community can agree that an animal which has a vaccination in its record and tests positive subsequently has simply had the vaccination. But cull horses so that a relatively tiny number of racehorses and other highly bred animals can be exported, or even so that GB teams can compete abroad - no way!

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There is no safe vaccine for foot and mouth...im afraid.
Even in the netherlands where a vaccine was used as a control the animals still had to be slaughtered after as there was to big of a risk of carriers.
frown.gif

Slaughter and cull is at the minute the only way to control the disease ...though again research into it is ongoing
F and M needed to be eradicated sadly that was the only way at the time to control the disease....and it still cost millions and almost destroyed yer agriculture indusrty

The work into vaccines for AHS is ongoing there have been some hopes for a DIVA vaccine that would allow for differentiation between vaccinated animals and carrier's but the research is still at the newish stage so its not an option at the minute...and i dont know if it could be produced on bulk quickly in the case of an outbreak.

I understand that the idea of exports being stopped seems like a poor and wholly abherrant reason to cull.
As i dont no the case in Britain and how strong your equine export's industry is i can t really comment on it

But here in ireland its hugh....we sold half 47 percent of tb yearlings in all of europe in 2007,racing industry employs approx 18000 people we have more horse sales days than anywhere else in europe and have the highest rate of sport horse ownership per head in Europe.

Going by what i know of our industry.Export is important enough that a cull initially at least would be justifiable financially not just in the short term but in the long term....our equine industry relys on exports to much to survive without it

Plus if theres no exporting the what happen's to the horses who were destined for export?will all the owners keep them now that they are worthless?it would be a hugh welfare problem very quickly

But its not the only reason that a cull is nessecary.
Europe has a susceptible horse population to AHS.
Its a very severe disease the vast majority of animals that contract it will need to be put down on welfare grounds alone.
It not a listed disease for no reason

In the end it comes down to sacrifing the minority in order to save the majority.

The reason Defra is doing so much research into horse owner ship is to work out what the Majority is...and weather it would be safer to sacrifice some animals or to vaccinate all and take the hit and be banned from trading in horse abroad..until it can be eradicated.
It needs eradication instead of control though and that's where the problem lies.

Im sorry if im rambling im just trying to figure out how to explain what i mean without sounding like a unemotional horse cull wanting monster
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and im not i swear!to be honest i can see ye going for the vaccination policy if AHS hits but there im just trying to explain their is a reason for a possible cull...

I know that ye have Horses as pets and that that makes a hugh difference..but its also to do with welfare of the population in general im just not explaining it very well
 
it is theoretically possible when vaccinating for African horse Sickness to also vaccinate for another protein/antigen that way you could have a positive marker for the vacine and if the horse was just positive for AHS and not the marker then the horse had the AHS virus if the marker is present then the horse was vacinated
 
No not rambling, very interesting ARU. You do indeed have a very very, different situation in Ireland where horses are a major industry. I didn't realise that you weren't in the UK. I don't think people here, where horses are predominantly overgrown and overexpensive pets and leisure animals would tolerate a culling program to protect the export of some racehorses and highly bred animals and the livelihoods of a very few elite riders who compete overseas - if - big IF - a safe vaccine was available.

Nice point hollyandivy. Works for me!
 
Very interesting points of view.

I wonder if it were dogs, would a cull be the solution? I can't see the general public having their beloved pets slaughtered just to allow exports.

I only say this, as just about everyone I know, the horse is first and foremost a pet and much loved member of the family.

I wonder how many people would move and hide their horses at the first hint of a cull - I will happily admit, that if mine were healthy and a cull was being planned, I would be very tempted as our horses to us are as much loved and cherised as any human.

I have no problem with being confined to the yard - I love competing but health is important, I would also pay for a safe vaccination. However, being told my horses will be killed because they are in an area where there was a case would for me cause to consider options.

Finally £2,500 max compensation - these are not meat animals and their worth is far more - I am sure insurance would not cover this - mine are covered for death when they are ill or injured, not because someone wants them dead to prevent AHS.

I did notice a rare breed clause so maybe Farra as a clydesdale would be spared, but poor Stinky would be for the bullet.
 
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