Be Afraid - this Greyhound Issue is coming for both Thoroughbreds and Harness. To think the RIB presented it!

[Chief Stipe]

I was looking through the Greyhound Review - Supplementary Report written by the Racing Integrity Board (RIB) for the Minister of Racing and noticed one issue that will sooner or later bite the horse codes.  That said you'd have to wonder who the RIB works for.  I daresay they got special funding to do the report and if Greyhound Racing is ended then the RIB may be closer to making budget.

 

Adoption 2.12

The waitlist for entry into the Great Mates rehoming programme is growing, moving from 134 in July 2022 to 242 in January 2023, an 81% increase in six months.

2.13 The total greyhounds in the adoption pipeline (both awaiting entry into Great Mates and already in the programme) has grown from 452 in July 2022 to 608 in January 2023, a 34% increase in six months.

2.14 Adoption levels are dropping below GRNZ’s Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of 150 per quarter. Refer graph 1.

2.15 An adoption marketing campaign, launched in late 2022 appears to have had minimal impact on adoption demand.

2.16 The graph below shows the steady climb in the greyhounds awaiting adoption, The number of adoptions is declining, while the inflow is increasing.

Greyhound-Review-Supplementary-Report-16-March-2023.pdf

[Honestjohn]

Greyhounds deserve to go.  Meth used by trainers and administering to  dogs. They really shoot themselves in the foot. 

then they will come for the nags. 

 

Hj

[Chief Stipe]

1 minute ago, Honestjohn said:

Meth used by trainers and administering to  dogs.

Most of those cases if not all of them were environmental contamination.

Sharrock (Thoroughbred Trainer) returned a similar positive to Meth but didn't lose his license.  

2 minutes ago, Honestjohn said:

then they will come for the nags.

It will be Harness targeted next.

[Honestjohn]

Dog trainers were doing Meth.  That's not accidentally administered. 

 

Hj

[Chief Stipe]

36 minutes ago, Honestjohn said:

Dog trainers were doing Meth.  That's not accidentally administered. 

 

Hj

Not the last three that were caught.

But I guess Greyhounds are lucky they don't have to drug test their riders or drivers.

[Honestjohn]

Harness drivers are not immune.  There's guy facing charges in the next few months,  serious charges.

 

Hj

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Honestjohn said:

Harness drivers are not immune.  There's guy facing charges in the next few months,  serious charges.

 

Hj

Who's that?

[Honestjohn]

17 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Who's that?

Two naughty guys. 

Hj

[Shad]

The local dog pound here was broken into and dogs were released, police are following a number of leads.

[Chief Stipe]

Anyway back to the topic - how long before the horse racing codes struggle to find homes for retired horses?

[curious]

11 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Anyway back to the topic - how long before the horse racing codes struggle to find homes for retired horses?

Don't think they are anywhere near there now in which case a bullet is the kindest option.

[Special Agent]

3 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Anyway back to the topic - how long before the horse racing codes struggle to find homes for retired horses?

Chief, there is already a serious struggle.  If NZTR set up a Great Mates equivalent for horses I will put my hand up to run it because there would be a job for life.

From what I can see the rehomers already approved by NZTR are quite fussy in what they take.  Horses that need extensive training to make the grade as show horses, showjumpers or eventers need not apply.

Horses are required to be shod, of good body weight and transported to the rehoming venue.

I don't think NZTR's equation is quite right yet.  There are paddocks and yards full of unwanted horses.

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, curious said:

Don't think they are anywhere near there now in which case a bullet is the kindest option.

But practically they'll never be anywhere near it.  The costs will snowball endlessly.

[Freda]

8 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Chief, there is already a serious struggle.  If NZTR set up a Great Mates equivalent for horses I will put my hand up to run it because there would be a job for life.

From what I can see the rehomers already approved by NZTR are quite fussy in what they take.  Horses that need extensive training to make the grade as show horses, showjumpers or eventers need not apply.

Horses are required to be shod, of good body weight and transported to the rehoming venue.

I don't think NZTR's equation is quite right yet.  There are paddocks and yards full of unwanted horses.

I've always been very careful about where my retirees go..sometimes it isn't possible of course, and yes, a bullet the best option.   Even that isn't as easy as it used to be, and euthanasia by a vet is costly.   

Now we have a number of re-homers ,  registered with NZTR ; it is, I guess, an attempt to 'do the right thing'  but plenty of holes in the system for all that.

They get an admin fee for doing the paperwork,  and a grant is available for outside practitioner fees, ie vet.  But nothing to cover feed etc, and in the case of horses in poor shape, a costly exercise for the business.   I can understand completely why they may refuse welfare cases,  and also - although not ideal for either horse or new owner - why they are moved on in a matter of days sometimes.  Nice pics of the animal jumping a fence and off they go as 'educated jumpers'  .....not.

And once the horse is moved on to its new home, it then drops out of the system and there is no way to keep tracking it, unless the goodwill of the new purchaser runs to contacting the former trainer/owner.

 

[Shad]

It's good policy of yours to careful where your retirees end up going, as their new owners actions could reflect on you down the track, as lucky that our boy went to a good home after winning 7 races and in the money half of his 70 starts, very genuine performer who always tried hard, and gave use a thrill of starting in a nz cup, now used for educational purposes and a hack, a friend of mine just took on a rescue ex thoroughbred who also finished 4th in a nz cup, he's settling in well, of course not all have a happy ending, but the best must be done either way.

[Chief Stipe]

4 hours ago, Freda said:

I've always been very careful about where my retirees go..sometimes it isn't possible of course, and yes, a bullet the best option.   Even that isn't as easy as it used to be, and euthanasia by a vet is costly.   

Now we have a number of re-homers ,  registered with NZTR ; it is, I guess, an attempt to 'do the right thing'  but plenty of holes in the system for all that.

They get an admin fee for doing the paperwork,  and a grant is available for outside practitioner fees, ie vet.  But nothing to cover feed etc, and in the case of horses in poor shape, a costly exercise for the business.   I can understand completely why they may refuse welfare cases,  and also - although not ideal for either horse or new owner - why they are moved on in a matter of days sometimes.  Nice pics of the animal jumping a fence and off they go as 'educated jumpers'  .....not.

And once the horse is moved on to its new home, it then drops out of the system and there is no way to keep tracking it, unless the goodwill of the new purchaser runs to contacting the former trainer/owner.

 

Rehoming every retired racehorse every year forever is not sustainable.  Let alone the cost to the industry of tracking them.

It's another case of kowtowing to the anti-racing brigade.

As for the moot argument about the industry maintaining its "social license".  Why does it have to if the industry sustains itself?

[Freda]

21 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Rehoming every retired racehorse every year forever is not sustainable.  Let alone the cost to the industry of tracking them.

 

Of course it isn't.    Euthanasia is the best option for many.      A difficult horse can be a danger to a pleasure rider, who then loses interest in the new toy - if not frightened or hurt by the animal - which may be kept in unsuitable/unsafe surroundings, poorly cared for, and become yet another welfare statistic.

I've mentioned this point before - that a dedicated equine abattoir where animals are treated humanely and with dignity - could make use of a valuable resource.   But unfortunately, the policing of such a facility would be critical and looking at some of the horror examples often seen, unlikely to fly.