Live Transport of horses. WHW

smiffyimp said:
Hi All

Email alert came through today from World Horse Welfare, Re Live transportation of horses across Europe.

Please download the form and send to your MEP

Thanks

http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/help-tomorrow/transport_action
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Whilst I fully support initiative to improve equine welfare the problem with this approach is that it results in more and more EU buracracy for those of us that transport horses in good conditions. EU rules, transposed by DEFRA already add unneccessary red tape and cost by way of licenses and vehicles, for transportation over even moderate distances.

The issue is not about more rules, it is about application of exisiting rules AND better education. Why should the cutoff point be 9 hours ? We might as well suggest that passengers are not carried on long distance flights ! - no, the real issue here is about the conditions of transport, and unfortunately whatever rules the EU put in place there will still be people that will find away around the rules in order to make a buck or two.

In the end the only people that are impacted by these changes will be the people that already treat their horses quite well, such as the Brits. Once again we will loose out as we have a rather naieve tendency to gold-plate EU directives.
 
Well said ReggieP.

We started transportation 21 years ago now when there were very little in the way of rules apart from the normal VOSA and MAFF Regs. Yes we have seen all the changes and the costs associated with implementing them by way of Vehicles and Drivers Regulations and it is a real shame that owners do not appreciate those costs in the quotes they are given.

I can never get over the fact that they pay a lot to buy the horse, thousands for the tack and equipment yet when it comes to transport expect it to be done for pence.

These regulations now (as before) only cover unregistered horses as they always have done. Registered horses are out of scope.

How many Registered horses go for meat on the Continent and so are not covered by the regulations.
 
Lynette said:
Well said ReggieP.

We started transportation 21 years ago now when there were very little in the way of rules apart from the normal VOSA and MAFF Regs. Yes we have seen all the changes and the costs associated with implementing them by way of Vehicles and Drivers Regulations and it is a real shame that owners do not appreciate those costs in the quotes they are given.

I can never get over the fact that they pay a lot to buy the horse, thousands for the tack and equipment yet when it comes to transport expect it to be done for pence.

These regulations now (as before) only cover unregistered horses as they always have done. Registered horses are out of scope.

How many Registered horses go for meat on the Continent and so are not covered by the regulations.
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Im sure all these rules and regs are for two things one is jobs for the boys and the other is to make life hard for the law abiding.. little of the red tape
helps anyone apart from the parsitic army of burcrats, and the asholes will carry on regardless .. No live meat animals need to travel to the continentoftern in vile conditions ,they should go in refrigerated trucks on the hook...
 
Why should the cutoff point be 9-12 hours? Because that is what scientific research supports.That's when horses even transported in good conditions start to deteriorate, showing an increased incidence of pyrexia, and becoming more vulnerable to disease. Oh, and did you know that a shortened journey limit was supported by the European Food Safety Authority at the start of the year after they reviewed the scientific evidence available?

By the way, did you know that studies have shown the effort needed by horses being transported is roughly equivalent to walking - so under the current rules, horses are basically being asked to walk for 24 hours straight. And that's unfit horses, obese horses, youngsters, oldies - anyone fancy loading an arthritic horse onto a walker for 24 hours? Cos I don't. And I can't imagine many of the good transporters taking high-value racehorses off for 24 hours non-stop either. Why? Because those horses have to get off that lorry and perform. Trouble is all a slaughterhorse has to do is die... so that's why no one much cares for their wellbeing, and why it's going to take a change in the law to sort this out.

Is enforcement going to solve it? No. Why? Because the current law is unenforceable, that's why. Horses are crossing 5 or 6 countries, the authorities can't track where they started or how long they've been going for. It's a huge cost in terms of time and money. Bring in a short journey limit and instantly those horses are staying in their own country or maybe crossing to the one next door - enforcement becomes easier and cheaper, diseases are not spread, horses do not suffer. And another thing - it will become immediately obvious who isn't enforcing - at the moment, how can you tell where the enforcement is failing? At the start? In one of the middle countries? At the end? But when you take that away, you will be able to see just where the problems are - and then, the European Commission can take out infringement procedures against the non-enforcers, which can mean a hefty fine.

Oh, and changes are not being proposed for high-value Registered horses - as long as they are not travelling to slaughter their exemption remains as it already is. Nor will it affect horses being travelled for non-commercial reasons. What it will do is stop people dragging slaughter horses and low-value horses from pillar to post with no regard for their welfare.

I am behind it all the way. Can you tell?
 
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