Biosecurity - particularly with recent outbreaks of the deadly Hendra virus - and human safety are just two of the motivations behind the push for a National Horse Traceability Scheme.

Two years after a senate inquiry was formed into the feasibility of a National Horse Traceability Register, the Australian Government announced today that it will contribute $1.1 million towards the establishment of national traceability arrangements for all horses. 

Australia keeps tight regulations around the traceability and registering of livestock around the country, including sheep and cattle, as well as legal requirements for registering pets like cats and dogs. Yet there is no universal system for the registration of horses.  

Instead, different horse industries are regulated separately, and while the thoroughbred industry maintains strict traceability, it doesn't necessarily translate across disciplines where regulations differ or don't exist. 

Today’s announcement is a result of years of campaigning from some parties, who believe that the traceability of horses is crucial to rider safety and animal welfare, as well as national biosecurity measures.   

Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud says that horse traceability will safeguard rural and regional industries and committees.  

“Establishing appropriate national arrangements will also help to bolster trading partners’ confidence in our arrangements, including animal welfare attributes — and in turn assist access for horse product exports to markets.  

The focus on biosecurity measures from horses is a timely one, following a recent case of Hendra virus detected in from a horse in Newcastle early last month.  

The bat-borne disease is easily transmittable from flying-foxes to horses, who can then transfer the disease to humans. For both humans and horses, the virus is fatal. Since 1994, there have been 87 confirmed cases of the virus in Australia, all fatal. Of the seven humans who have contracted the virus, only three survived.  

Key evidence submitted to the inquiry came from long time campaigner for horse traceability Juliana Waugh, who tragically lost her daughter Sarah in 2009 after falling from a horse while completing a ‘Ride and Care for Horses’ class at Dubbo TAFE.  

In 2011, a coronial inquest into Sarah’s death found the horse she had been thrown from was unsuitable for a beginner, given its history in horse racing, having raced just six weeks prior to the incident. It was history that TAFE has no knowledge of. 

“The TAFE teaching staff stated that had they known the horse had just come from the racetrack with no spelling time, or time for any retraining…they would not have accepted the horse to be used in a beginner riding course,” Mrs Waugh said in her submission.  

“What this incident told us, along with many other interactions with individuals and people in and dealing with the horse industry, including members of the NSW Police Rural Crime Command, is that this practice of lying about a horse’s history is and remains commonplace,” said Mrs Waugh.  

While support of a more centralised system of traceability exists across various equine industries and disciplines, there is concern over the costs involved in its implementation, particularly those imposed on horse owners.  

President of Bitless Incorporated Gil Shepherd noted in his submission that the associated costs of establishing such a system, as well as the enforcement of non-compliance make him sceptical of its feasibility. 

“Councils are already overwhelmed and failing in their responsibilities to Companion Animals and adding horses to that is not in anyone’s interests, least of all the animals,” said Mr Shepherd.  

The successful implementation of the national register will inevitably require a larger investment from Government. Moreover, its impact on key stakeholders will vary from industry to industry, from those who are already subject to strict regulations, to those who are not. 

While the contribution will ensure its establishment, the National Horse Traceability Group remains in action to steer its progress and ensure the implementation of the recommendations within the inquiry.