Names AHIC as being key to bring horse industry together.
After a nine-month process, the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Senate Committee handed down its final report on Thursday into the Feasibility of a national horse traceability register for all horses.
After receiving submissions from across the horse industry and two public hearings, the Senate committee has recommended the establishment of a working group under the auspices of the Federal Department of Agriculture. The aim will be to progress the development and implementation of a national horse traceability register to report back in 12months.
The committee has called upon the AHIC to play a key role in the working group. Namely, to land a unified industry front to engage with Commonwealth, state and territory governments and to negotiate and communicate the specific requirements of the industry.
The AHIC bought invited equine organisations and data base specialist companies already working in this sector for a round table discussion on Friday November 29 in Melbourne to discuss the senate recommendations and to begin consulting with the horse industry.
This followed an industry survey to help us understand the extent of the data and information already being collected. Thank you to all the organisations that have responded so far.
What would best describe your current database, system or organisation best?
· A record of *horses?
· A record of owners?
· A platform for running competitions or organising entries to competitions?
· Or all of the previous?
(*Note when reading horse/horses in the following questions, this also relates to ponies, donkeys and mules.)
If a record of horses, does it require a microchip as means of identifying? Does it require a brand? Does it require both? Does it require no more than a name? For identification do you use a drawn representation of hair whorls, markings and any scars? For the horses do you collect DNA? Do you use/accept any other forms of horse identification? Do you keep a record of parentage/pedigree of all horses in your registry system? Do you keep a record of where the horses are kept? For the address of where the horses are kept do you need a PIC or simply the address?
If a record of horse owners, what information do you require? Address of where the owner lives? Do you record where the horses are kept if at a different location?
If your platform is used to assist in running competitions, does your organisation or system require the owner to provide details of where the horse originated from and where it will go to after the event has been held (biosecurity tracing documentation)? In the entry forms are microchip numbers required for every competing horse? In the entry forms do you simply require a horses name? Must the horse owner use the same name for their horse across all registries and competition platforms?
Please email it to secretary@horsecouncil.org.au
The AHIC is committed to representing the industry during this crucial time. We invite you to join us as members and subject matter experts, and attend our Industry Advisory Committee members.
We will be announcing a new introductory membership package to help engage with you and the broader industry and ensure that government gets a comprehensive and effective voice from the equine community.