An inquiry has been set-up into to the welfare of racehorses in Queensland and also an investigation into the treatment of horses at an abattoir in Queensland as the racing industry tried to deal with an expose of racehorse slaughter that affected all states.
Following on from an ABC 7.30 report, racing participants expressed shock and disgust at the treatment of ex-racehorses at a horse meat export abattoir, with calls to legislate against racehorses being given up for slaughter.
But at this stage, only Queensland has responded with any investigation into the ABC allegations.
The ABC investigation published further claims today saying that the "ABC had obtained emails proving RacingNSW was told that thoroughbreds were being sold at an unapproved livestock auction" in 2018.
Many top racing people expressed their shame at the total situation of rehoming of ex-racehorses including Channel 7 racing host Bruce McAvaney, trainers Lee and Richard Freedman and Chris Waller, who saw one of his ex-stable horses in the program being sent to slaughter.
There were calls from a leading auctioneer Inglis for a levy on breeders to provide for better rehoming and care of ex-racehorses, and also calls for a national horse register to provide greater transparency on where horses ended up (there is a Senate inquiry into this plan). There were also calls to reduce the number of horses bred in Australia.
Meantime, the Queensland government launched its own inquiry into treatment and welfare of racehorses, while a separate inquiry was launched into the Meramist abattoir at Caboolture, where many racehorses from interstate are sent for slaughter for the European horse meat market. Slaughtering ex-racehorses is not illegal.
The ABC exposed that up to 300 ex-racehorses were slaughtered in just 22 days this year at Meramist.
It extrapolated this to allege 4000 ex-racehorses were slaughtered there in a year.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said an inquiry will be overseen by the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission, to be headed by retired judge Terry Martin SC, to investigate how to end cruelty to animals in Queensland.
"I reiterate that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Queensland and that's why my government has implemented this inquiry with the urgency it requires," she said.
The ABC said the horses slaughtered in the 22 days at Meramist had earned in total more than $4m in prize money while racing. Horses are often sold for as little as $300 at livestock auctions.
Dr Sam Nugent, President of the AVA's Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA) Group said, "The ongoing welfare of horses after their racing career is the responsibility of the horse racing industry.
"We call upon racing authorities to get stronger on enforcing welfare standards for their retired racehorses," he said.
RacingNSW has a code that no ex-racehorse should be sent to slaughter. Trainer Richard Freedman said the code should be put into legislation. RacingNSW has an equine welfare unit and program that involves several rehoming facilities.
The AVA welcomed the Queensland Government's announcement of an independent inquiry into the treatment of retired racehorses and allegations of serious animal abuse at abattoirs.
"We commend the Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk, for her quick action following these highly disturbing reports," Dr Nugent said. "We're very pleased that the Premier has chosen Dr Peter Reid to participate in the inquiry as a representative of the AVA and the wider veterinary profession."
"Dr Reid has over 40 years of experience tending to Australian racehorses through his private equine practice in Brisbane, and there is no better representative for the health and welfare of racehorses than Peter," Dr Nugent said.
"While the inquiry is a positive step forward for the welfare of racehorses in Queensland, the AVA will continue to lobby for a nationwide register to maintain welfare standards across state lines, and we call on other state Governments to work with us to improve welfare standards for all horses, not just those who have had racing careers."
The ABC issued a detailed response to some of the statements by Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys (and others) who initially said he was proud of the way the industry was rehoming ex-racehorses before he had seen vision of the treatment of horses at Meramist.
He later said he was shocked by the ABC footage, according to Richard Freedman.
Mr V'Landys had said in a release after the program that "Racing NSW is the only State in Australia that has a Rule of Racing that prohibits horses from being sent to a knackery or abattoir if they have been predominantly domiciled in the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Industry. Further, in NSW it is illegal for an abattoir to process a horse for human consumption, unlike other States".
The ABC responded: "Both Racing NSW and Racing ACT have a Rule of Racing prohibiting horses from being sent to a knackery or abattoir. The NSW rule came into effect in October 2017 and the ACT rule in March 2018. The ABC made this clear in its reporting. In his interview with 7.30, Mr V'Landys also confirmed that the Rule of Racing extends to horses ending up at knackeries outside NSW."
Mr Vlandys said the rule is targeted at eradicating treatment such as that of the Meramist Queensland Abattoir detailed in the 7.30 Report. "The effectiveness of that Rule is highlighted by the fact that the 7.30 Report did not identify any horses from NSW that had been sent to that facility, which is where this appalling mistreatment took place."
The ABC responded: "7.30 did identify horses from NSW ending up at the Meramist Queensland Abattoir.
"The NSW-linked horses include a group of colts, fillies and mares which were bred, born and domiciled at Hardwicke Stud in Yass, NSW, including a broodmare last raced in the ACT. 7.30 broadcast the vision of the NSW colts, fillies and mares in the pens at the Meramist abattoir and being slaughtered in front of each other. 7.30 also named a list of other NSW-born horses slaughtered at Meramist and showed vision of them being killed."
This is the rest of the ABC response as given to The Land:
"As to the 14 horses identified by the ABC, Racing NSW responded to the ABC in respect to those horses and advised that at least 12 of those horses had either predominately raced or been domiciled in other States (where Racing NSW does not have jurisdiction) or had been officially retired to be re-homed as a pleasure horse. Accordingly, these horses were outside of Racing NSW's jurisdiction and this illustrates why Racing NSW is supportive of a National Horse Traceability Register.
"ABC response: In addition to the significant number of NSW born and domiciled horses identified and slaughtered at Meramist abattoir in Queensland, the ABC also named approximately 19 horses as having been sold at the unapproved Camden Horse Sales livestock auction based in NSW and/or ending up at knackeries based in NSW, not 14.
"The Camden Horse Sales are not approved by the regulator due to the presence of kill-buyers and knackeries, and the sale of racehorses there is a breach of Racing NSW rules. Before the programwent to air the ABC informed Mr V'Landys and Racing NSW thoroughbreds were being sold at the Camden Horse Sales.
"Camden Horse Sales are open to the public, on Facebook and located an hour's drive from the Racing NSW headquarters. Racing NSW failed to detect the sale of horses at Camden, confirming to the ABC that "prior to the interview (with 7.30) Racing NSW was not aware that thoroughbreds were being sold at the facility" and that "now that Racing NSW is aware of this venue, we have commenced working with the proprietor to ensure that no thoroughbred is sold to a knackery".
"Of the 14 horses named by the ABC as believed to have ended up on the properties of NSW knackeries, 13 were born and/or raced and/or majority domiciled in NSW, including three who were also officially registered as retired to Racing NSW. (This is based on information from the Australian Stud Book, the Racing NSW online database, Racing Australia's online database, industry form data and lists of races and trials for each horse, details of retired horses obtained under FOI.)
"Of the further horses named at the Camden Horse Sales, three were born in NSW and one was majority raced in NSW.
One horse formally retired as an "equestrian/pleasure/companion horse" ended up on a knackery's property just eight days later.
Regarding the issue of jurisdiction, 7.30 included this 2018 quote from Mr V'Landys to Four Corners: "It might be 12 months later, it might be six months later, but we want to know how you've looked after that horse. We're not going to stop once the horse has been given to somebody else ... We're going to expand it to the next level. We want to know if it's having a good retirement."
During 7.30's interview this statement was put to Mr V'Landys and we asked how many checks had been done in the 15 months since the public pledge. He responded: "We're doing it to a limited amount at the moment, we're not doing it greatly because we've got confidence in where the horses are going."
. There have been in excess of 10,000 horses retired in NSW over the past three years and even based on the ABC's unsubstantiated claim that 14 horses were found at a NSW knackery this shows that the Rule has been effective.
ABC response: 7.30 strongly disagrees it is "unsubstantiated" that 14 horses were found at a NSW knackery.
No Rule is foolproof and in the racing industry, as in any other element of the community, there is unfortunately 1% of participants who will break the rules despite 99% doing the completely right thing.
ABC response: 7.30 quoted Mr V'Landys to this effect in the program:
PETER V'LANDYS: No matter how good you are as an administrator, no matter how solid your systems and processes are, you'll never eradicate the 1 per cent no matter how hard you try and that goes for everything in the community not just horse racing. There is always going to be an element that do the wrong thing.
. To show Racing NSW's determination to enforce the Rule, it has over a period of time purchased 10 NSW domiciled horses from a Victorian sale located at Echuca which were at risk of being purchased by a knackery and also made bids on many other horses to make it unviable for the knackery to purchase them.
. Racing NSW has also seized over 120 retired thoroughbred horses on welfare grounds and, over a long period of time, brought these horses back to health and then proceeded to re-home them. Racing NSW has also seized retired thoroughbred horses that were to be exported to Asia to race due to concerns about their ongoing welfare.
. Racing NSW has purchased property throughout NSW including 2,500 acres at Capertee to have sufficient areas to enable its rehoming program.
ABC response: 7.30 would like further information about horses rehomed on the Capertee, Princes Farm and The Grange retirement properties. According to the official Team Thoroughbred website, Capertee property is "currently undergoing an upgrade and will welcome the first horses in late 2019". It says of the Princes Farm property that "there are also plans to establish a racing museum on site as well as a home for retired champions of the turf where the public can visit them". These statements suggest neither Capertee nor Princes Farm are as yet accepting retired horses.
. Racing NSW has a specific equine welfare fund which requires 1% of all prizemoney to be assigned to horse welfare, which was over $2.5 million last year. Racing NSW was the first jurisdiction in Australia to introduce this initiative, doing so in 2016.
ABC response: 7.30 featured all of the reforms and rules introduced by Racing NSW since 2016, including: vision of Mr V'Landys announcing the 1% prize money welfare fund; Racing NSW and Racing ACT's Rule of Racing banning knackeries, abattoirs and unapproved livestock auction; and Racing NSW's acquisition of three retirement farms.
. Unfortunately, there will always be people that break the Rules. Racing NSW immediately commenced investigations into the allegations made by the ABC and will prosecute any person that Racing NSW has jurisdiction over that has breached the Rules of Racing and sent a horse to a knackery.
. Racing NSW has not been provided with specific evidence from the ABC in respect to the identity of horses alleged to have been sent to knackeries and will be seeking those details to continue its investigations.
. Despite repeated requests from Racing NSW, the ABC has not returned Racing NSW calls so that Racing NSW could correct some of the incorrect facts that were subsequently aired and to provide any evidence so that Racing NSW can successfully investigate and prosecute breaches of the Rules of Racing.
ABC response: 7.30 conducted an on-camera interview with Mr V'Landys and sent detailed follow-up questions to Racing NSW and Mr V'Landys after the sit-down interview and prior to broadcast. Also before the program aired the ABC sent Racing NSW and Mr V'Landys a list of the names of horses believed to have ended up at a knackery or an unapproved livestock auction so the regulator could make its own inquiries.
This information included evidence that one horse the ABC claimed was destroyed in a knackery was alive and well and that the ABC was aware of such.
ABC response: We assume Racing NSW is referring to 7.30's efforts to confirm the whereabouts of Tahitian Black, named in the program as possibly having ended up at a NSW knackery. At no stage was the ABC ever told Tahitian Black was "alive and well". The former owners told 7.30 they did not know where the horse had ended up and an owner also confirmed in writing that Tahitian Black had been sent "through the sales".
. Racing NSW calls upon any person who has evidence in respect to the mistreatment of a thoroughbred to immediately make contact with the Racing NSW Integrity department for investigation."
In a radio interview on 18 October Mr V'Landys and 2GB's Ray Hadley accused the ABC of suggesting one owner had slaughtered a horse which in fact is still alive.
Firstly, at no stage did 7.30 ever suggest that an owner slaughtered a horse. Secondly, 7.30 made clear it isn't known how horses ended up at livestock auctions and knackeries -- highlighting the porous nature of the racing industry's systems of traceability and accountability."
"The ABC contacted both NSW knackeries to ask them for information about the identity and numbers of the horses ending up at both facilities. Both knackeries refused to answer the ABC's questions. The ABC stands by its reporting."