National Horse Traceability Register has lost its way

Please TAKE ACTION now!

We need just a few minutes of your time to steer the National Horse Traceability Register (NHTR) back on course.

1. Sign our petition directed at key stakeholders within government, the working group and horse industries here

2. Send a personalised email/letter expressing your frustration at this situation and your support for an effective and robust register that will achieve what was initially intended - addresses here

3. Share this call to action via socials or email with everyone you know

For detailed information, read our report (available here) co-signed by a collective of animal welfare organisations and individuals who have come together to call on key stakeholders and you the public to take urgent and immediate action.

This report and cover letter has been sent to the QLD, VIC and Federal Minister for Agriculture, the relevant Senate Committee, Racing Australia, Harness Racing Australia, all members of the NHTR Working Group, all state government Ministers for Racing, the VIC and QLD Racing Integrity Commissioners.

Call on authorities to fulfill their promise of an effective National Horse Traceability Register

Hello

I am extremely disappointed to learn that the National Horse Traceability Register has lost its way. The NHTR is now focused solely on biosecurity, leaving horse welfare and rider safety behind. You must take urgent and immediate action to ensure the NHTR is redirected back onto its intended course. As you are no doubt aware, horse welfare, rider safety and biosecurity were the three main reasons given for the need of a NHTR. In September 2020, the Australian Government accepted the Committee's recommendations for a register and stressed welfare and rider safety as the driving reason for its implementation. "The Australian Government agrees that a national horse traceability register could support some biosecurity activities, however, notes that this inquiry and the need for a register was driven by other concerns, including rider safety and horse welfare" (Australian Government, 2020, p. 1). This was then reflected in the Terms of Reference set by Government Ministers for the National Horse Traceability Working Group which was established that same month to "provide advice on matters relating to the design and introduction of a traceability system for horses, donkeys and mules in Australia." Since this time the Working Group has failed to produce any advice that would lead to an effective register and its focus has been shifted off course towards recommendations for a NHTR that will focus solely on biosecurity. This will do nothing to address horse welfare and rider safety, and, as the most recent communication from the Working Group demonstrates will do little to reduce biosecurity risks. The Australian public was devastated and outraged as scenes of extreme and systemic suffering of racehorses caused at knackeries and slaughterhouses played out across the country’s television screens in October 2019. The demand for change was reflected in the subsequent Martin Inquiry commissioned by the Queensland Government: "The racing industry in Australia, in general, has fundamentally failed to intervene at industry level to effectively protect retired racing horses. The public’s disapproval is deafening" (Martin & Reid, 2020, p. 5). Importantly, The Martin Inquiry notes that traceability as a welfare option for horses will not work “unless it is expressly designed into the system and its supporting processes” (Martin & Reid, 2020, p. 32), and made the point that “the contents of Biosecurity Queensland’s submission support the finding of the Inquiry that the animal welfare program has been overwhelmed by the animal biosecurity program.” (Martin & Reid, 2020, p.77). It warned of the potential dangers for animals in allowing a dominance of biosecurity over welfare. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group, presented its report in 2021 (TAWWG, 2021), noting “TAWWG is convinced that complete lifetime traceability and a national horse traceability register are fundamental to assuring horse welfare”, and that without such a register, “it is almost impossible for the horse industry to demonstrate that horses are being cared for in retirement” (TAWWG, 2021, p. 54). They recommended: A national horse register and traceability system should be established with utmost priority. The system must allow for all horses to be individually identified and traced to their current owner" (TAWWG, 2021, p. 18) It has been over three years since the NHTR was first proposed to Parliament and almost two years since the Working Group was established. Yet all their recommendations aim to achieve is a slightly improve existing Property Identification Codes (PIC’s) for the sole purpose of responding to a biosecurity event. In other words, the Working Group has effectively achieved nothing in terms of recommending a NHTR that will achieve its intended purpose. We've seen far too much suffering and have made many positive steps in response to address the issue of horse welfare and rider safety to let this slip away and turn into yet another meaningless government exercise. I appreciate your time and look forward to seeing you work towards ensuring Australia finally implements a lifeloing, sophisticated traceability register the public has demanded and the horses need and deserve.

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A snapshot:

The NHTR was initially called for and subsequently supported by horse industries, the public and the Australian Government to address horse welfare, rider safety and biosecurity. Three years on, the focus of the Register, now in its crucial development stage, has shifted solely to biosecurity - leaving horse welfare and rider safety behind.

The Victorian and Queensland State Governments were both tasked with co-leading the development of the Register, with Agriculture Victoria also taking on the role of Secretariat to the National Horse Traceability Working Group. The Working Group, formed to "provide advice on matters relating to the design and introduction of a traceability system for horses, donkeys and mules in Australia", includes representatives from Racing Australia, Harness Racing Australia, the RSPCA, the Australian Horse Industry Council, the Australian Campdrafters Association, Animal Health Australia and Equine Australia.

Last year the Victorian Labor Government commissioned a report to help guide the Working Group, which interestingly left horse welfare and rider safety out of its Terms of Reference.

"The Terms of Reference for this project require us to focus on the role of a horse traceability system in the context of biosecurity" (Marsden Jacob, 2022, p. 10).

This misguided report has no doubt contributed to the failings of the Working Group to produce any advice that would lead to an effective register. With its focus shifted off course towards recommendations for a Register that will focus solely on biosecurity, the current direction for the Register will do nothing to address horse welfare and rider safety, and, as the most recent communications from the Working Group demonstrate, will do little to reduce biosecurity risks.

In response, CPR has produced a report titled ‘The National Horse Traceability Register has lost its way’ - co-signed by a collective of animal welfare organisations and individuals who have come together to call on key personnel and you the public to take urgent and immediate action to ensure the NHTR is redirected back onto its intended course.

Our report covers the entire process to date, highlighting the original intent of the NHTR, and the steps that have occurred since the Inquiry that have led to its current trajectory.

Our intention is to:
• ensure the public are aware that the Working Group is currently failing to make recommendations based on their own Terms of Reference;
• ensure the Victorian, Queensland and Federal Governments live up to their commitment to the creation of an effective NHTR register and,
• encourage the racing industry to use their strong influence over decision making in high places to guarantee a robust NHTR, especially considering they themselves profess to be in support of such a register

The Australian public was devastated as scenes of extreme and systemic suffering of racehorses caused at knackeries and slaughterhouses played out across the country’s television screens in October 2019. This along with the frequent stories of neglected, malnourished and suffering horses across the country has created outrage and demand for change. An effective horse traceability register for ALL horses is an integral part to achieving better horse welfare outcomes.

We've seen far too much suffering and have made many positive steps in response to address the issue of horse welfare and rider safety to let this slip away and turn into yet another meaningless government exercise.

Please TAKE ACTION now! to help us ensure Australia finally implements a traceability register the public has demanded and the horses desperately need and deserve.

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National Horse Traceability Register has lost its way

Call on authorities to fulfill their promise of an effective National Horse Traceability Register

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