What killed the horses
- Thread starter Minimor
- Start date
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That is VERY sad. I know of a few different pathogens that have only ever been found in Australia in horses (thought to be infected by bats, but that part is still just speculation). All of them are encephalitic and deadly. I don't think any of them worked in just a couple of hours, but I know two did result in death within a day of first symptoms. Very interesting and I hope some of the bodies are being looked at.
laughingllama75
Well-Known Member
It doesnt say anything about necropsies being done.....wouldnt that help? I know it would be the FIRST thing I would do. I feel bad for the owners, but worse for those poor horses. That is aweful.
Jill
Aspiring Cowgirl
Seems like some kind of poisoning
from the ticks (but if so dangerous, wouldn't it be well known?) or otherwise.
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hobbyhorse23
Well-Known Member
What a tragedy! I can't imagine what those horses and their owners are going through. Whether the paralysis ticks are responsible for the deaths or not...ick!! I suddenly have no urge at all to visit the Land Down Under. (At least not without a lot of bug spray!
)
Leia
Leia
Minimor
Well-Known Member
I didn't know about tick paralysis until I read that article; makes our ticks here look pretty harmless, and I've always hated them!
Seems odd that two of the last 4 surviving horses went down even after being treated for ticks & after being given the anti-venom or whatever they called it, and odd too that the paralysis didn't quite fit the typical symptoms of tick paralysis.
I do notice that no one lives on the property, and the horses obviously weren't being checked daily since the first deaths were reported by people passing by. Any early symptoms those first horses had would have been missed but perhaps earlier detection & treatment wouldn't have helped anyway.
Just unthinkable to lose such a high percentage of horses.
Seems odd that two of the last 4 surviving horses went down even after being treated for ticks & after being given the anti-venom or whatever they called it, and odd too that the paralysis didn't quite fit the typical symptoms of tick paralysis.
I do notice that no one lives on the property, and the horses obviously weren't being checked daily since the first deaths were reported by people passing by. Any early symptoms those first horses had would have been missed but perhaps earlier detection & treatment wouldn't have helped anyway.
Just unthinkable to lose such a high percentage of horses.
Helicopter
Well-Known Member
I was just reading last Sunday's paper (just a bit behind with my reading) and the article says that the horses had only been moved to that property recently and came from an area where there were no ticks and so they had no immunity.
The article also says that tick paralysis is generally slow and begins at the rear end and moves forward while with these horses paralysis started at the head and "despite exhaustive testing ...the mass deaths continue to defy scientific explanantion".
HOWEVER foul play is suspected. Apparently there is fierce opposition to the reintroduction of Quarter Horse racing by the "elements" in the Thoroughbred Racing Community who percieve it as a threat and it was well known that the horses who had just moved onto that property were there for that purpose.
Devastating and unbelievable.
The article also says that tick paralysis is generally slow and begins at the rear end and moves forward while with these horses paralysis started at the head and "despite exhaustive testing ...the mass deaths continue to defy scientific explanantion".
HOWEVER foul play is suspected. Apparently there is fierce opposition to the reintroduction of Quarter Horse racing by the "elements" in the Thoroughbred Racing Community who percieve it as a threat and it was well known that the horses who had just moved onto that property were there for that purpose.
Devastating and unbelievable.
Sue_C.
Well-Known Member
That statement strikes me that this entire scenario is rather odd. Wouldn't you think that racehorses, which should of been in training...would of had daily exercise? Who was feeding them?
Minimor
Well-Known Member
Sue, that's what I thought to. I don't quite get it--I would have expected some of these horses to be in training and so would have daily work. If they're meant for racing then they would be in training & only on the property to train and race...but these sound like they were just being boarded there until such time as the track was up and running. Just seems odd to me.
Sadly, if sprint racing is has so much opposition there then I can surely see someone giving something to the horses to sabotage the plan before it even gets under way. Sadly I know there are those people who are just sick or evil enough to do something so sick and evil!
Sadly, if sprint racing is has so much opposition there then I can surely see someone giving something to the horses to sabotage the plan before it even gets under way. Sadly I know there are those people who are just sick or evil enough to do something so sick and evil!
Until reading that article I'd seen no mention of foul play, in fact every other refrence I've seen leans quite far away from the idea. I wonder if it's just the media doing it's usual routine and wanting to spin a better story?
I'd also never heard of people opposing it, I mean we're already running Arab races down here in VIC along with jumps racing and the standardbreds so maybe no one down here cares if the QH join in?
I'd also never heard of people opposing it, I mean we're already running Arab races down here in VIC along with jumps racing and the standardbreds so maybe no one down here cares if the QH join in?
Katiean
Well-Known Member
There are trainers that will do just about anything to stop what they don't want to happen. To some the race horses are only a pay check. To some, horses in general are a way to make a quick buck and do not care if they live or die. So I would not rule out foul play. Also, have they looked at the owners? Some people can put on a good act...Just sayin'. The artical said all but 4 were insured.
