'Ridiculous' - breeders blast parts of Racing Victoria’s equine welfare strategy

A plan outlining Racing Victoria’s equine welfare strategy for the next five years has been described as “a bureaucracy’s thought process, not a horse person's” and one policy branded a possible restraint of trade in the wake of the release of the governing body’s broad-brush document last week.

Among the array of equine welfare focus areas and proposed key outcomes is a plan to have RV implement an “enhanced approval process for stallion registration”, potentially giving the organisation veto powers over which horses can go to stud in Victoria, while other onerous conditions could be placed on the state’s breeders.

The 18-page 2023 to 2027 Equine Welfare Strategic Plan threatens to send shockwaves through the Victorian and national thoroughbred breeding industries.

In part, the plan also proposes to:

• Make it mandatory for all Victorian-based registered breeders to undertake a Five Domains learning course as well as a horse handling and positive and negative reinforcement learning course, which are also to be completed by Victorian trainers and stable employees.
• Develop an accountability framework for breeding in Victoria which will include an enhanced breeder permit and licensing system and minimum standards for breeding premises.
• Conduct “before” racing audits to identify gaps in pre-racing traceability of horses.

Upon learning of RV’s plan, which would see all Victorian breeders undertake horse handling and Five Domains courses, respected Victorian breeder Robert Crabtree of Dorrington Farm said it was not feasible.

Crabtree told ANZ Bloodstock News on Monday: “It’s not practical because what about somebody who owns the horse who doesn’t even know what the horse looks like? There are plenty of people who might have raced a horse in its time and subsequently are breeding from the horse but they wouldn’t even know which end of the horse was which.

“On that basis, it is completely ridiculous because, as I said, if a person doesn’t know anything about the horse, doesn’t live with the horse, doesn’t do anything with them, they can still be the owner, and breeder, of the horse.

“Not only should they not even have to do the course, it would still be impractical as they might not even live in the state. That is a bureaucracy’s thought process, not a horse person’s."

As for the proposal for an enhanced approval process being put in place before stallions will be registered, enabling their progeny to be registered to race, Larneuk Stud’s Neville Murdoch believes such a ruling would be untenable.

“Good luck to them with that," he said. "If you go back to I Am Invincible, he was worth A$2.50 at the time [of his racetrack retirement] and now he’s one of the best stallions in Australia.

“In Germany, for instance, they do have an approval process before they go to stud [where only the progeny of approved stallions are eligible for German breeders’ premiums], but if they started doing that here it would be a restraint of trade, without a doubt.

“There would be a lot of discussion that would need to take place before it came to that.”

Crabtree also echoed Murdoch’s sentiments when it came to RV potentially having a say in which stallions can stand at stud in Victoria.

“That [proposal] would definitely breach trade practices [legislation], just like you cannot restrict a stallion to certain numbers [of mares] even via an agreed-to convention because of the trade practices,” the esteemed breeder said.

“That’s two of their [planned] structural laws, or whatever they’re going to be, that are completely out of kilter.”

Rob Crabtree: 'That is a bureaucracy’s thought process, not a horse person’s'Credit: Tbv

A series of questions were put to RV by ANZ Bloodstock News on Monday seeking clarification about sections of the newly unveiled plan, but the governing body’s general manager of equine welfare Melissa Ware did not respond directly to the issues raised about the strategic policies.

In a statement, Ware said: “Over the next five years we’ll work closely with all parts of the thoroughbred industry to further improve equine welfare in Victoria.

“The seven focus areas outlined in the 2023-27 Equine Welfare Strategic Plan have been developed based on feedback and consultation over the period of the 2019 strategy, which included the breeding sector.

“We aim to work with the breeding industry to co-develop the details outlined in our recently released strategic plan. Helping progress our whole of life approach to equine welfare.

“Where appropriate we will support efforts on a national level to improve welfare outcomes for thoroughbreds, this includes the development of a national horse traceability register.

“While this is still in the works, we will continue to grow our Off The Track community that already supports close to 5,000 members and more than 3,000 claimed horses.”

It remains unclear whether RV has the jurisdiction to enforce the planned training courses on breeders or determine which stallions can go to stud. Those questions were also left unanswered by RV on Monday.

RV has spent A$27 million (£14.9m/€17.3m) on horse welfare over the past three years since the accelerated and expanded equine welfare strategic plan was established in 2019. The money directed across post-racing programmes, safety net and visibility (30 per cent), veterinary and equine welfare operational delivery (30 per cent), risk-reduced racing (25 per cent) and industry reputation and education (15 per cent).

Three per cent of prize-money is deducted by RV from the pool for each race and directed to jockey and equine welfare funds.

When RV released the strategy document last Friday, chief executive Andrew Jones said: “Equine welfare was a top priority for the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry.”

He added: “Our participants work with horses because they love them and we look after horses for a living.

“RV’s 2023-27 Equine Welfare Strategic Plan builds on the A$27 million accelerated and expanded 2019 plan.

“Our seven focus areas will ensure the best possible welfare for all Victorian thoroughbreds.

“This includes three continuing themes – life after racing, injury prevention and traceability – which are joined by four new priorities: physical welfare, behavioural welfare, vulnerable thoroughbreds and breeding welfare.

“We will also continue to lobby for national equine welfare standards, data sharing and traceability. We are confident this will occur in due course.

“Meantime, the 2023-27 Equine Welfare Strategy Plan will help the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry continue to deliver world-class care for our horses.”

RV equine welfare strategy focus areas

• Physical welfare
• Behavioural welfare and human interaction
• Vulnerable thoroughbreds
• Breeding welfare
• Traceability
• Injury prevention
• Life after racing

What are the Five Domains of animal welfare?

• Nutrition
• Environment
• Health
• Behaviour
• Mental state

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