Save them all!! You must save them all, at ANY COST!!

Following on from my post on "rescues" giving me the sh*ts......this post is aimed at horses, but it happens with ALL animals! This post is going to piss some people off, well, so be it. I'm used to being flamed. So here we go.......

WE MUST SAVE THEM ALL!!!

Why do people feel the need to "save" every horse they see at a sale? A sale does not mean an automatic ticket to the knackery. And the ones in the pen are usually there for a reason - as many people have discovered, after an impulse buy, they get home and find the horse has more problems than they are equipped to handle.

By all means, if you are an experienced horse person (or can take one with you that you trust), go to the sales and carefully choose those horses who you believe have a chance at a decent life. Quite often there are some absolutely ripper ones, whose owners have just fallen on unfortunate times - no water, no feed, no money, lost their job etc. Any number of reasons may have led to their need for a quick sale. A stud may be dispersing, and instead of having numerous tyre-kickers traipsing all over their place, elected to run their stock through the sale yards. (Usually well advertised.) They may be in a remote location and people are not willing to travel to see the horse. (Experienced this myself and I am not even "remote!")

BUT......the recent upswing in people, buying old, decrepit, skinny horses via a rescue page is disturbing. Particularly when these "rescues" then transport the horses several hours, before even being assessed by a vet. These horses seem to have one thing in common, from what I have seen - they require a lot of veterinary care and attention, and turn out to be either old as the hills or so badly injured/traumatised that they have no hope of being anything but a paddock ornament. And then, should they not be sold upfront, go back to the "rescue" and are often put through weeks of intense veterinary treatment and suffering, to then hang around "unadoptable" and take up space for one (or more) who may be able to be rehabilitated. And how is it responsible to put these dozens of horses up on facebook and sell sight unseen to whoever coughs up the money first? There's (usually) no history with these horses! How do you know they won't end up back at the sale pens in a few months time, when your rehoming goes sour and the person realises that they can't handle the wild colt you encouraged them to buy? Or worse, someone is injured or killed by that wild colt that you encouraged them to SAVE AT ALL COSTS!! How do you know that the person you have encouraged to buy a horse is not a dealer themselves, or worse, an abuser? Correct. You don't. Thank you for contributing to the problems.

And then there's the transport.....it seems to me that "rescues" are going further and further afield, to various horse sales, then transporting horses all over the countryside to their new homes, while horses and owners in their local area need help, but are ignored. Not to mention the offers of help local to the horse, which are also ignored, in the name of "rescuing" the horse for your glory. And this is serious long distance travel - a risk even to a healthy horse, let alone a sick or skinny one! The unhandled ones will probably be extremely distressed by the trip, likely to panic and upset any other horses in the truck with them, and creating injuries for both themselves and their companions. The unwell ones are likely to collapse, or even worse, they might die on the way - and if there's anything contagious among them, you've just passed it to everyone's horse. Well done.

You cannot have a small committee and a few members and be "Australia Wide" - you just can't. This brings constant calls for land and "foster carers," and even more money for the massive transport bills. But I suppose when it isn't your money, time, or land that you're using, it doesn't matter, right? Mr and Mrs General Public WILL pay, because of that almighty tax deduction and the goodness of their hearts. Yay. I'd love to see the books of some of these "rescues." But I guess you are putting profit into the transport companies too, they'll be loving it.

The other tactic I see a lot of, is ads that read "such and such horse has X number of days before being sent to the knackery." Some of them have "4 days" and yet are sold 3 weeks later! (Seen so many of these ads where the time limit stretches further every day!) Private sellers and "rescue" organisations, as well as dealers all do this. It's disgusting. They are PLAYING ON YOU to get a quick sale! Appealing to the bleeding hearts who can't see past the word "knackery" or "dogger" and will buy it, no matter what condition it's in, or how much it costs. Congratulations. You have now been sucked in, and probably rewarded someone for their neglect and cruelty. But you had to SAVE IT!! Have fun fixing up everyone else's f**-ups, and thank you for your contribution to the problem. They'll go buy another horse now, and just do it again, over and over. The cycle continues.

The horse dealers have cottoned on to this. They still buy their quota, and then "join forces" to rehome the skinny and sick ones - HELLO! They have realised that the bleeding hearts will take the horses off their hands, for a tidy profit, and they don't have to worry about disposing of the horses that the meat man doesn't want. The "rescues" and "rehomers" have done that for them, and PAID THEM to do it! (I think I'm in the wrong game.)  Now, the other sneaky trick, is that every mare seems to be in foal! Even if she isn't. Because we all know that two lives saved is better than one, and that poor foal MUST have a chance!! I can't count the number I've seen in recent times, being bought up by "rescues" or their followers as "going to drop any minute" only to find that it's just a big wormy belly and she is no more in foal than the colt next to her! Sucked in again, well done.

The other side of this coin is that the sales prices are now going to go up, and ruin the horse market for most "normal" buyers and sellers. The market is already difficult for reputable sellers, and all this "rehoming" does nothing for the horses who are well looked after, in work and ready to go. It does not matter if you think you are only bidding against a dealer (I will NOT use the word "dogger," I hate it) - how on earth people know who they are bidding against is beyond me, unless you know every person in Australia! The dealers are beginning to pay a bit more already, as they know that these lovely "rescuers" will sell all their horses for them, at a profit. Wake up "rescuers" you have just become horse dealers yourselves. Congratulations.

And surely all this "saving" and making money for the dealers out of sick, neglected horses is some sort of conflict of interest? Making them a profit......from the very thing you are trying to (apparently) stop? Hmmm. Does that fit within your state's non-profit rules? You might want to check that, before someone gets in trouble. Even if it is legal, it really isn't ethical.

And please, do not EVER advertise a horse from the sales as "bombproof" or "child safe." NEVER!! Unless you have known the horse extremely well prior to finding it at the sales, there is NO WAY that you can guarantee a horse to be child or beginner safe. This is negligence. If the seller is there, that is up to them, not you, to advertise. You won't save a horse by making it out to be something it isn't, in fact you'll probably get it sent right back to the saleyards when it proves to be dangerous.

And don't try to sell your sales horses by giving them popular colours.....taffy, flaxen, etc. Just because it's a purdy colour doesn't mean it's any good! And much of the time they aren't those colours anyway, they're just bleached out to an odd shade because they aren't stabled and rugged 24/7. This is a popular tactic from dealers, because they know that everyone wants the Kyoot Koloured horse! Ask the responsible Paint or Appy breeders - the coloured ones always sell first.

Nor should you ever sell entire male horses. This is dangerous and irresponsible. They don't need "saving," they need GELDING! No male horse should ever leave your possession with his balls attached. This privilege is reserved for a mere few, tried and true, well bred and well performed individuals who have EARNED it, not every "nice" colt you found in a sale pen. Part of true rescue is nut removal, no matter how nice you think he is, particularly if you are trying to enforce a "no breeding" clause when you sell him. Pretty easy to enforce "no breeding" if his tackle is gone! This also works in your favour, by preventing some minute part of the dreadful breeding that occurs in this country. I've even seen a "rescue" raffling off a stallion service to a crossbred, done-nothing stallion! Irresponsible or what?! There is no point "saving" him if he's just going to produce more fugly, crossbred, unwanted babies! Geld him or euth him, your choice. If you think sending him off entire will save you a bit of money, just think about the costs involved with "saving" all his fugly babies.

To have a decent result from rescuing horses, one must carefully choose the horse. While we all wish we could save them all, it is not possible. Sadly, some of them do belong on the slaughterhouse truck. It is a necessary evil, while people continue indiscriminate breeding. Some even come from responsible people who recognise that their horse has a defect and, distressing as it is, are securing their horses' fate - by NOT allowing it to become a statistic. Rehabilitation is time consuming, costly, and bloody hard work. The numbers are not important, it is the QUALITY of the rehab that matters. Spending thousands of dollars on an over-twenty year old horse, whose only prospect at life will be to spend (maybe) a few months or years in a paddock, probably not even able to eat grass, can surely never compare to the younger one, who, with the same amount of rehab, can have a long, happy life, in work and useful. Saving the horse with crooked legs who is likely to never be rideable, can't compare to the young, sound horse whose only fault was to end up with the wrong owner. There are only so many homes, and I don't know a lot of people who need or want companion horses, particularly special needs or high maintenance ones. Certainly, if the horse is in a dreadful situation, being abused or neglected, then get it out of there, but then take off your rose coloured glasses and really assess things - can you actually give this horse a decent life? Will the rehab be more traumatic than the original situation? Is this rehab going to be cost effective? Remember, donated money is NOT your money to spend as you please. Can you, realistically, provide safe and effective handling for the unhandled or frightened ones? This takes many hours, each and every day. If in doubt, you should consider euthanasia. This won't distress the horse, only you. It really is a gift, and I wish people could be given the same gift when necessary. Horses are not "grateful" for being saved - they don't think like us, don't anthropomorphise them to justify your own insecurities. A horse thinks only about what is happening here and now. He will draw on his previous learning and experiences (which is why we can train them to do our bidding), but his actual reactions are in the now. He does not have any concept of "future."

So please, don't go to the sales with the hope of buying as many as you can to "save" them. Where are all these horses going to go, and how will you guarantee their safety? And what about the poor horses who miss out while you fill up with these horses? The ones in genuine need - languishing somewhere with an uncertain future. Confronting as it is, any horse who ends up on an open-topped truck HAS a certain future - the horse stuck with an ignorant owner, starving to death in a back paddock somewhere, or the mare popping out kyoot koloured foals one after the other, does not. Think, people, think, please. Help solve the problem, don't contribute to it. YOU CAN'T SAVE THEM ALL.

Hendra - vaccinate or vacillate?

Hendra - the word that strikes fear into horse owners and veterinarians all over Australia. For those who are overseas, Hendra is a virus that appeared in Queensland in 1994, carried by flying foxes (a type of bat). Originally named equine morbillivirus, it was named "Hendra" after the Brisbane suburb where it first appeared. Four people have died from Hendra virus, out of seven known to be infected. Every animal  that has tested positive has been put down, including a horse who apparently recovered from the virus. So as you read this, understand that yes, Hendra kills. I get that.

But is it the curse it's being hyped up to be? Hendra virus is easily killed - by heat, soap or drying it out. It likes cool, moist conditions. It is not airborne, very close contact with an infected horse's bodily fluids is required to transmit it - in other words, you actually need the snot on you!! It is rare and sporadic - 84 cases since 1994, out of over 1.2 million horses in Australia.

Risks can be easily minimised, by some simple precautions - handwashing, using appropriate personal protective attire, basic hygiene and disinfecting of equipment. I heard a vet complain that they loved working with animals because the diseases were not transmitted from animal to human, and now they would have to use PPE. Well, the health professions (for humans) have been using standard precautions for decades now, it isn't that hard. I was always taught, from my earliest riding days, NEVER to touch another horse, especially one I didn't know, because if it was sick, you could give that illness to every horse you then touched after it. Has this simple rule been forgotten?

For your typical horse owner, there are also some preventive strategies to be used - keep your feed and water away from trees, and cover them up or put them in a paddock shelter. If you have fruit trees, keep your horses away from them whilst the bats are around, and don't leave food lying around that will attract bats. Clean up any fruit debris before allowing horses to graze near the trees again. Simples! No bats - no virus. And if your horse has ANY signs of illness, don't have the farrier out, or the dentist, or your little friend down the road, and INFORM THE VET OF SYMPTOMS BEFORE THEY ARRIVE. Keep your kids away from the horse too, as they may inadvertently spread whatever it is that your horse has. AT least give the vet a chance to sort out precautions - because it has been mostly vets who died, helping other people's horses. I wouldn't blame any vet who refused to treat horses with symptoms of Hendra, however I liken that to a doctor refusing to treat an AIDS patient, and we know that doctors aren't allowed to discriminate like that - but they do take precautions! So give your vet a chance to do the same. It would also be worthwhile keeping a "PPE kit" of your own, with your first aid supplies. It should contain things like disposable gloves, gowns/overalls, masks/face shields, hand cleanser, disinfectant, occlusive dressings for protection in case you have any wounds, and waste disposal bags. You can get the items you need from most hardware shops and pharmacies. And USE THEM!

Late last year, a vaccine was released for use. "Yay" I hear you say. But is it? This vaccine is NOT fully tested, and can only guarantee 6 months protection. The control animals in the published trials are ferrets. Every horse who is vaccinated is then microchipped, and the details sent to the manufacturer, for use as part of their ongoing research. And it costs! Between $150-$200/dose, depending where you are. EVERY 6 MONTHS. Now, if I (and by default, my animals) am part of a vaccine trial, especially without a choice in the matter, I expect the research body to pay for it! I also expect them to trial it on breeding stock - the manufacturer's information clearly states that this is yet to be completed. Another issue that I have is that they KILL all the animals who test positive, well or sick, recovered or not. Surely those well animals, or those who recover, are far more valuable for research purposes than they are pushing up daisies? How is it that some animals  carry antibodies but do not get sick, and how is it that the bats carry Hendra in places such as Victoria, yet no animals have become sick there? There are so many unanswered questions regarding Hendra, and I feel that this is where much of the fear comes from. (Apart from the obvious marketing ploys by the vaccine manufacturer and big push from the veterinary association.) There is even a statement released recently stating that trials are delayed due to issues with the control animals - the ferrets didn't get sick!

But my biggest problem, is that many organisations are now asking for compulsory Hendra vaccination before people can attend events. This includes the NSW branch of Equestrian Australia and some pony clubs. In my opinion, this is too big a step. Hendra is a LOW RISK virus, not highly contagious, and simple biosecurity measures can prevent it. It is NOT like Equine Influenza. Hendra is limited to a small area on the east coast of Australia only, and limited to certain properties - where even other horses living on the same properties were not infected! I find it amusing that EA NSW stipulate that an event where horses stay overnight is a "Hendra Vaccinated Event" yet single day events are not. The risk of catching Hendra are the same - if there's a sick horse, there's a sick horse, doesn't matter how long it stays there!

My belief is that events will suffer, as the every day horse owner decides that the one or two events they might attend per year are not worth the cost, or risk, or inconvenience, of vaccination. Already shrinking competitor numbers will be reduced further, threatening the viability of many events. Those who compete with breeding animals will think twice about whether it is worth the effort. Interesting that the Queensland EA branch, the state where Hendra first appeared, and a rather high risk area, continue to allow voluntary vaccination.

Personally, I believe that compelling people to vaccinate their horses is simply an insurance cover, so the organisers can't be blamed if a horse gets sick. More kids die of whooping cough every year than have died of Hendra, yet vaccination for pertussis is NOT compulsory. Forcing people to buy this pricey vaccine, and be added to the database of a big drug company, if they want to compete, could IMO be seen as discriminatory. Especially since it is NOT fully tested and approved - it's on a "limited use permit" only, and the manufacturer even states that immunity is not guaranteed. Now the little problem of "herd immunity" also comes up - what percentage of horses need to be vaccinated to provide this? The manufacturer states that only 120,000 horses nationwide have been vaccinated. That's not many, out of 1,200,000 total horses! Take human measles virus, this requires 95% vaccination of the population to achieve herd immunity. Granted, it is far more contagious than Hendra, but herd immunity needs to be high to offer significant protection from any virus.

The choice to vaccinate remains a personal one for every horse owner, however I am unconvinced that all the hype is worth it, and I won't be forced into it by any association. I'll take my horses elsewhere, where people are more open-minded to the scientific realities of this low risk virus. Yes, Hendra kills. So do many other things, far more often than Hendra virus.

Why do "rescues" give me the sh*ts?

BECAUSE......many of them seem to be fixated on "saving" horses from saleyards/knackeries, and leaving the ones who really need help! A smart dealer recognises that a horse is too poor to get meat money for, so he calls on the bleeding hearts...WHO ALWAYS BUY THEM! Great opportunity for the dealer, he doesn't lose money on the skinny/sick ones, he doesn't have to fork out anything, and best of all, he can double what he paid! (I think I'm in the wrong game.) Lately they have been especially clever and claim that every skinny mare is in foal - so naturally you MUST save her because there'll be a cute foal in desperate need. Meanwhile, the true "rescues" are languishing away somewhere and nobody is interested. Why? Because they involve hard work and emotionally stressful situations and no glory. It is easy to buy a skinny horse from a saleyard/knackery and broadcast how wonderful you are because you saved it.  Never mind the problems that you don't know about, because you don't know it's history. The same goes for off the track horses - they aren't "rescued" either!

All too often these horses come home to the "rescue" and are proven to be so sick/injured/ancient that the thousands of donated dollars just spent, end up with a dead horse. There was probably a reason they were at the saleyard or knackery in the first place! It doesn't take a lot of smarts to figure out why. That $15,000 you just spent giving one very aged and ill horse a few more days/weeks, probably including a fair bit of suffering through invasive treament, could have actually saved many more, before they ever got to that terrible state. Many more horses that need a little help, but can go on to lead productive lives!

We need to be careful what we "rescue." Unsavoury as it is, we need to save the useful ones, the ones who have a chance, not just grab every skinny horse that the knackery can't get their meat money for. They are just waiting for suckers like you to line their wallets and make their job that much easier. It's nothing to do with having a heart and wanting to give them a chance - it's all business. And that brings me to my next beef (pardon the pun)......

BECAUSE......according to many "rescues," every horse at the saleyards is destined for slaughter and we must save them all! This is not rescue. Sales are attended by the general public, they have many horses who are not unhealthy or in need of rescuing at all, and there are even RIDDEN horses! Sellers CAN set reserve prices, and even specify that the dealers/knackers not buy them. Sometimes the sellers even take the horse back home because they didn't get their price - wow! Yes, all those poor horses were in such desperate need. If you got it from the sales - you didn't rescue it, you bought it. If the meat man didn't get that one, he'll get another. He doesn't care which one.

BECAUSE......too many "rescues" pick up horses that have immense health problems and will cost thousands to bring back to health, if that's even possible, yet other, reasonably healthy horses require their help but are ignored. (SEe my first point above.) Is it because there is more glory in nursing the sick/injured/deformed one back to a life of being a paddock ornament for a few lousy months? How is this saving a life, when a horse requiring minimal care to actually achieve a useful, lengthy existence misses out? This, I do not understand. By all means, use your donations for the one last gift we CAN give them - euthanasia. End the suffering, once and for all, don't prolong it and put them through more for a doubtful outcome. Then, your vet bills won't be so high, you'll have room for the ones who actually have a chance at life, and you'll actually have money to feed them. It ain't rocket science you know! And another point comes to mind......

BECAUSE......every little thing goes up on facebook/twitter/whatever, and every second post is begging for money. I get it - rescues do need money, as even healthy horses are not cheap - but good grief, EVERY F*CKING WEEK?!?! And then it gets spent on gadgets that someone has decided would be nice - things such as equissage, vacuums for the paddock etc, that your every day horse owner DOES NOT HAVE OR NEED. Then comes post after post complaining that feed and vet bills can't be paid! And donated floats......but we still can't go pick up our own horses......we need to pay someone to do that and then get another bill that needs paying by Mr and Mrs General Public. It's all about priorities, people! Driving around vacuuming up your poo to make your life easier does not trump feeding your horse! EVER!

BECAUSE......after all the bleeding heart posts on these social media sites, every keyboard vet jumps right on in with their own magical diagnosis and/or cure - and many people fall for it! Because everybody knows better than the vet, of course, they aren't trying to sell or promote a product, nooooooo. All these horses eating a concoction of herbs, minerals and natural remedies, in a big fat hard feed. Ever heard of re-feeding syndrome? Or perhaps thought that the vet really DOES know what they are talking about?  NOTHING is a substitute for veterinary advice, no matter how many pretty testimonials are on someone's fancy website, or how many letters are after their name that do not include BVSc. Which brings up another point - just because someone seems knowledgeable about horses and calls themselves "Doctor" DOES NOT MAKE THEM A VET. They might have a PhD in pure bullshit for all you know, so check wisely before taking ANY advice. Rescue pages seem to attract this sort of "knowledge" (or lack thereof) so be very careful.

BECAUSE......they all seem to keep one or two as "mascots" who tend to stay on someone's property, usually the founder/self-appointed president of the organisation, FOREVER, and are fed, clothed and maintained with donations. You want to play with the pretty ponies, then go buy your own and pay for it yourself, don't use generously donated money to fund your own horse - and that's what it is! I also see "owned" horses mixing with "rescue" horses and wonder seriously how many of these are fed out of donations. Unless you were completely meticulous, you'd never know just whose bale of hay you jsut opened, and would you REALLY open a separate one just for a biscuit for your horse? Let's face it, we've all had those times where you've left your feed store run a bit late......and it'd be all too easy to just "borrow" from the rescues' mouths. If you want to donate to a "rescue" - check their books carefully. By law, a non-profit MUST make them available, so do your homework before sending your hard-earned money.