NZTR Leading the World in Animal Welfare - Yeah right!

[Chief Stipe]

Welfare Guidelines go global

Mary Burgess

15 December 2020

Following the lead of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) has this week released its horse welfare standards.

The Welfare Committee of the IFHA created the minimum guidelines drawing from work undertaken in New Zealand which resulted in the release of the New Zealand Welfare Assessment Guidelines in October 2019.

Welfare Committee chairman Jamie Stier, who led the IFHA work, emphasized that the IFHA Standards, created for a global audience, represent the minimum standard expected.  “We encourage everyone to go above and beyond, “he said.

In undertaking its work on this document, which the IFHA expects racing jurisdictions around the world to refer to when establishing their own horse welfare practices, the IFHA called upon the expertise of Professor Emeritus David Mellor. 

Prof Mellor, the Foundation Director of the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre at Massey University, played a significant part in the development of the New Zealand Welfare Standards.

NZTR GM Welfare & Sustainability, Martin Burns, who drove the development of the New Zealand Welfare Standards over a two year period prior to their release last October, said it was pleasing to see them now being used to help create a starting point for other racing jurisdictions.

“NZTR was fortunate during the development of the NZ guidelines to have worked in partnership with Professor Emeritus David Mellor, who is globally recognised in the animal welfare field.  His input, along with that of other skilled veterinarians and industry stakeholder groups, was greatly appreciated,” Burns said.

“Our Thoroughbred Welfare Guidelines are created around the Five Domains model of equine welfare which defines optimal provisions and aims to reduce avoidable negative experiences and ensure our horses enjoy a life worth living.”

As part of NZTR’s welfare strategy amendments have also been made to the Rules of Racing to allow for better traceability of thoroughbreds from birth to death.  In addition to the 30-day foal notification introduced earlier this year, NZTR now requires every horse to have an “accountable person” who takes responsibility for the appropriate rehoming of their horse following its racing career.

The New Zealand Welfare Standards, which include comprehensive assessment guidelines for thoroughbred horses at all stages of their lives reflect NZTR’s vision for thoroughbred welfare:

“A Thoroughbred should be provided a good life, with the care and conditions that allow it to thrive and perform to its natural abilities.”

Work in the welfare area continues with NZTR hosting a Thoroughbred Welfare Forum last week which was attended by representatives of the various racing industry sectors; partner organisations; researchers; and organisations with responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act.

The New Zealand Welfare Standards can be found here.

More detail regarding the IFHA guidelines, including a panel discussion which features Professor Mellor, can be viewed here.

IFHA_Minimum_Welfare_Standards.PDF 658507611_NZTRThoroughbredWelfareGuidelines2020Final.pdf

[Chief Stipe]

Give me strength - some real pieces of wisdom in this document.  "Enable eating to be a pleasurable experience."  

[Joe Bloggs]

What a bunch of fucking hypocrites, we witnessed some despicable behaviour by licensed persons during our tenure there, here too, but not to the same degree, what did those cretans do? nada, zilch, and while Mary Burgess has no connection with that I find the hypocrisy of NZTR disgusting.....they knew about it alright, .....

[Chief Stipe]

What does "Minimise thirst and hunger mean"? 

[Freda]

2 hours ago, Joe Bloggs said:

What a bunch of fucking hypocrites, we witnessed some despicable behaviour by licensed persons during our tenure there, here too, but not to the same degree, what did those cretans do? nada, zilch, and while Mary Burgess has no connection with that I find the hypocrisy of NZTR disgusting.....they knew about it alright, .....

More to the point,  how can NZTR have any jurisdiction over a non-licensed person ?

Intentions are all very well, but by the time a retiree has been passed on several times,the last link in the chain may be pretty hard to identify.       Gossip and chat being what it is in the horse industry there are usually ways and means of locating a horse, but NZTR won't have any way of doing this.  They wouldn't know where to start.

[nomates]

If people aren't following these basic cares they shouldn't be having horses in their care . I have seen far more horses not being given basic proper care by people outside of racing than i ever have of racing participants . I have also witnessed and heard of plenty of instances of horses getting the bash for not performing or playing up and misbehaving at eventing comps , usually younger persons have been the culprits .

[Freda]

1 hour ago, nomates said:

If people aren't following these basic cares they shouldn't be having horses in their care . I have seen far more horses not being given basic proper care by people outside of racing than i ever have of racing participants . I have also witnessed and heard of plenty of instances of horses getting the bash for not performing or playing up and misbehaving at eventing comps , usually younger persons have been the culprits .

Definitely. 

I've witnessed horses taken behind the float or into the carpark and thrashed for stopping at a fence or dropping a rail - generally the rider's fault anyway. 

[Joe Bloggs]

If there's an afterlife, can't you just see the lovely horses waiting with a stock whip and/or jigger for their cruel earth masters? can ya?..........there'd be a long queue I'm betting.

[Huey]

I'm glad others see it for the farce that it is. 

Of course its only a tick box exercise for NZTR , so its easy to tell everyone you've done something about it but very difficult when you don't know what that is or what needs to be done.

[nomates]

I had NZTR on the phone to me asking what had happened to 4 horses i had owned , which in itself was sweet , 1 had gone to polo , 1 deceased , 2 rehomed , BUT of the horses that had moved on they didn't ask where or to whom they had gone to . It then becomes a pointless exercise , but as far as they are concerned they are now another sports worry because they are no longer in the realm of racing . They have done their bit as far as they are concerned .

And i have no real problem with that process in itself , but don't go throwing out the shit above to make out like you are all caring .

This is all a publicity stunt , they have to be seen doing it .

[Huey]

The one thing NZTR are too stupid to recognise is :  that there is a high correlation between horses performing to the best of their abilities and the level of care or welfare that is undertaken around them.

That being one of the main drivers behind racehorses being so well taken care of.

[nomates]

This isn't just a racehorse welfare issue , this should be about an all equine welfare issue . If the SPCA and any other bodies that are truly concerned for equine welfare they should be pushing for a central equine information body , where all horses are registered , from miniature through all sports horses through to racehorses , anything that calls itself a horse .

Every horse gets registered there , gets a registration number , and everybody who moves a horse on or receives a new horse into their care must inform this central entity .

If it can be done with cattle , who's numbers exceeded 6 million at the end of last year , then it should be a doddle for the equine sphere to do the same .

[Chief Stipe]

12 minutes ago, nomates said:

If it can be done with cattle , who's numbers exceeded 6 million at the end of last year , then it should be a doddle for the equine sphere to do the same .

Perhaps it's my farming background but why is the horse more of a special animal than a dairy cow for example?  Take the latter after 5 years of hard work does it get a nice retirement somewhere?

[Freda]

17 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Perhaps it's my farming background but why is the horse more of a special animal than a dairy cow for example?  Take the latter after 5 years of hard work does it get a nice retirement somewhere?

Does it hell....but tracking and identification is now a must in the world of bovines. 

[Chief Stipe]

10 minutes ago, Freda said:

Does it hell....but tracking and identification is now a must in the world of bovines. 

Yes but the reality is that it is for tax and disease tracking purposes (won't be long before we humans get an ear chip!).  Not to see if they have a "happy and fulfilling retirement."  Note this Welfare "Standard" puts the onus on the owner to ensure the "full circle" is completed - that will add costs to those that already get their pockets robbed.

How many owners will buy into a horse when they know they may be forced to look after it for 30 years?

[Joe Bloggs]

2 hours ago, nomates said:

This isn't just a racehorse welfare issue , this should be about an all equine welfare issue . If the SPCA and any other bodies that are truly concerned for equine welfare they should be pushing for a central equine information body , where all horses are registered , from miniature through all sports horses through to racehorses , anything that calls itself a horse .

Every horse gets registered there , gets a registration number , and everybody who moves a horse on or receives a new horse into their care must inform this central entity .

If it can be done with cattle , who's numbers exceeded 6 million at the end of last year , then it should be a doddle for the equine sphere to do the same .

You should be in charge at Petone, you'd probably turn them down, even with a 6 figure salary, couldn't blame you in all reality. Great post.

[Joe Bloggs]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Perhaps it's my farming background but why is the horse more of a special animal than a dairy cow for example?  Take the latter after 5 years of hard work does it get a nice retirement somewhere?

Well ones bred for milk, calves and meat, the other for sport, heavy lifting and gambling.....oh and in some countries, meat.....funny that. In a first world country if you breed for human greed and entertainment, such as gambling, humanity and humility should kick in, but human nature is very fragile and conscience unmentionable, so there you go. The treatment of bobby calves in NZ made mainstream media here, peak hour news, the video matched that of the disgusting horse treatment at a QLD so called abattoir, that turned out to be a dungeon of horrors.....humans, what a flawed and evil species we are, all of us a flawed in some way, but only a minority are evil......

[Chief Stipe]

So 3,000 horses a year at 20 years.  60,000 horses to be housed.

[Huey]

10 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

So 3,000 horses a year at 20 years.  60,000 horses to be housed.

Yep can't in reality work surely.

[Shad]

11 hours ago, nomates said:

This isn't just a racehorse welfare issue , this should be about an all equine welfare issue . If the SPCA and any other bodies that are truly concerned for equine welfare they should be pushing for a central equine information body , where all horses are registered , from miniature through all sports horses through to racehorses , anything that calls itself a horse .

Every horse gets registered there , gets a registration number , and everybody who moves a horse on or receives a new horse into their care must inform this central entity .

If it can be done with cattle , who's numbers exceeded 6 million at the end of last year , then it should be a doddle for the equine sphere to do the same .

Interesting all the Nate tagging bought in for the cattle, and they are still trying to trace where all the stock had gone, when bovis struck, I thought that was the reason for having the tracing on stock, obviously another fail somewhere.

[Freda]

In this computer age it shouldn't be that hard to keep track,  whether cattle or horses.   

But what about dogs, sheep, domestic goats....the mind boggles...but are other species any less deserving?

[Chief Stipe]

But why keep track?  Are dogs and cats going to become vegetarian?  Or do we ban them?

The approach being taken is adding oil to the already slippery slope to the end of horse racing in NZ.  We all love our horses (more so the good ones) but do we throw away pragmatism and the facts of life when the day comes to sack the useless slow ones?  Why not let them loose in the Kaimanawa's?  Every three years or so the Government will cull the crop and hardly anyone will protest because it is saving tussock lands and native flora.

When I worked in a stable we used to joke "that one is heading to AB Flutey's soon if it doesn't shape up!"  I'm sure the dog smiled and licked its lips when it heard that.  Although a joke that is what actually happened from time to time - we culled the unproductive part of the herd.  We didn't have acres of spare land to water, graze and supplementary feed (during a hard winter or dry summer) the unproductive members of the herd.

Why would a new owner sign up to a new horse for 30 years?

Reminds me of farming family friends who always named the pet lamb - Lamb Chop (was called Dog one year) or the two Bobby Calves - T-Bone and Eye-Fillet.  The children were made well aware that they were destined for the dinner plate.  I must say that those children have grown into fine young adults.

[Freda]

Which leads to another situation, the reality that not all horses are suitable for rehoming, so does NZTR then intend to police  abbattoirs / freezing works? 

Doubt it.

I had a quick look at the new forms for notifying retirement,  and again, impractical protocols. 

Vet certification required for euthanasia,  what would be the response if I had filled in ' no vet cert, shot in the paddock '  ?

[Chief Stipe]

3 minutes ago, Freda said:

Vet certification required for euthanasia,  what would be the response if I had filled in ' no vet cert, shot in the paddock '  ?

You would probably lose your license to train!  

[Tony]

Who is this Martin Burns chap with the title "NZTR GM Welfare & Sustainability" What are his qualifications for the job. What would the qualifications for a title like this involve.  He obviously isn't a Vet or he would have known the mayhem that the introduction of his Rule concerning Altreno would cause. It only took a month for the realty of the situation to make  a change back to basically what it was. Anybody who had been involved in breeding horses and been involved with cranky fillies or mares would have been aware that when you take them off Altreno they come in season. Obviously page 28 wasn't available to Martin Burns when he took part in the seizure of broodmares in September 2017. By February 2018 NZTR had spent over 40K of Racing's money fattening, paying for care, foaling down, Transport, etc only to ring Majestic's and ask Majestic's to return them to the owner.

Nobody at NZTR was accountable for this expense. They are lucky it is not run under the same principles as a Private Enterprise.