Do you think that DEFRA should have stopped equine movement too?

[ QUOTE ]
How very bizarre !!!!
Why people want to run for miles is beyond me
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]LOL! I quite agree - I do wonder sometimes whether there is any relation between me and the rest of the family!
 
Whilst i totally agree with what you are saying... many riders spend their whole summer living in lorries, travelling from county show to county show, thus it IS possible to pass F&M on in this way. They can thoretically take F&M from show to show. Even after this weekend when cloven animals won't be allowed at shows, people still could bring it from home, pass to another horse / lorry etc, and thus spread it...

However, The types of people who compete at such a level as to dedicate their whole summer to it, are not really likely to be from farming families. They're more likely to be people with private yards, or from big equestrian only yards. I think you'd be hard pushed to convince people they shouldnt attend shows. Out of pure respect I wouldnt travel until things were clearer (I do think DEFRA is being very slow on giving out info), but alot of people still don't even know about F&M.

I was disgusted that the local cattle market went ahead and did their horse sale this weekend. I thought that was the most stupid thing ever. Cattle sales held last tuesday and friday, and on the saturday they were passing horses through....
 
No more than cars and people.
I've kept my horse at a sectioned farm in the last F & M outbreak...and although we were allowed, we all stopped hacking out.
Eventually the farmer decided he wanted his flock to catch F & M in preference to the limbo he was in so wanted us all to hack past neighbouring infected farms.
He never caught it, though.
S
smile.gif
 
I think that within the exclusion/surveillance zones, yes. Outside of that? No. that would be unfair IMO as what of those in the north etc. (I think its down south?) who are hundreds of miles away?
There is a financial implication and whilst care should be taken, no real difference to cars etc. and being in the same place as someone on an undiagnosed but infected farm
 
Until all wildlife is has restricted movement I cannot see any logic to restricting the movement of horses.

I keep mine at a farm with no livestock and travel to shows where there is no livestock...how could I possibly carry F & M?
 
I keep my 2 competition ponies on a farm with a few sheep & cattle , we are just outside the surveillance zone. I had a discussion with the farmer this morning, he has taken NO biosecurity measures & doesn't see the need to unless the zone extends to include his farm. We are not hacking out on the nearby parkland we have permits for, or going XC schooling at Tweseldown as half of it is inside the zone. However, he is happy for us to trailer our horses provided it is OUTSIDE the zone, & we are not travelling to somewhere that has livestock. As liveries we have take the decision to buy our own disinfectant & spray our trailers on leaving & returning to the yard, if the zone extends we will not go out at all. He has farmed all his life, & knows the farmer affected in the current outbreak. If everyone is responsible & stays well away from the zone, or stays inside it if that's where they are, he felt these measures would work. These are the guidelines he has laid down, we will stick to them rigidly.
 
No i do not agree with total national ban on horse movement, it's probably already been said on here but what about humans, dogs, wildlife etc are they going to stop that too (didn't think so), you can't have one rule for one and not for another. It's been a bad enough year as it is, i haven't been to a single show yet as we were badly hit by the floods and everything keeps being cancelled. I do feel sorry for everyone but why should we suffer, sorry if that sounds selfish but it's the goverment who wont vacc as the foreigners wont by the meet. As long as there are other ways of stopping it i'm sorry but the buck stops with the goverment. Read the post in 'news' about it being eperdemic in other countries and not seem as a problem. What about the equine transport co etc who reply on people moving thier horses, dont forget farmers get compensated (no one else does)!!!
 
I have to take my horses to the vet because the only decent horse vet is outside their visiting area, I'd be pretty peed off if I couldnt continue to do so ( we are nowhere near Guildford) - I would agree wholeheartedly with stopping shows etc if the situation got a lot worse, I seem to remember they were stopped last time but we could still hack/drive out? I did, however steer clear of any areas I knew had ruminants or pigs while I was exercising.
 
I dont think at this point a ban is needed, however people should just be sensible. I am in Norfolk and would not consider travelling too far at this time, nor would I take my horse to a venue with cattle, nor would I take my horse out to a show If I still kept cattle at home. I will also ensure that I do not hack in field that has had cattle in it until the all clear - perhaps I am a little over the top, but better than another major outbreak.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top