Bargain-bin Horses And Dearth Of Foals
Newcastle Herald
Friday June 13, 2008
THE fallout from last year's equine influenza outbreak is still hurting the Hunter with a glut of horses for sale, low prices and few foals expected this season.
Sharon Carroll, of Carroll's Ranch near Rutherford, said the industry in the Lower Hunter remained "very shaky" and there would be trouble for years to come.Mrs Carroll's property was the centre of investigations when the outbreak surfaced last August.She hosted a three-day event attracting riders from throughout the state and 250 horses.Three of seven horses from Centennial Park, Sydney, that attended the equestrian competition were among 11 to test positive for horse flu, and the Government called for every horse at the event to be tested.Yesterday, Mrs Carroll said she had attended most of the inquiry and was pleased with the report. "What the inquiry and the report has shown is that there are giant, gaping holes in the quarantine procedures," she said.Forty horses were infected on Carroll's Ranch, without fatalities."In terms of getting back to normal, that still has not happened."People who started taking lessons at the time of the outbreak have sought other sports and not returned. We now have a glut of horses on the market and their prices have been pushed down and those who are struggling financially because of the outbreak are selling horses they didn't think they would have to."Our next foal crop will be smaller because mares were sick or couldn't get to stallions so you can see this is still taking a massive toll," Mrs Carroll said.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
