Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Thoroughbred breeder and owner Nea Clark was on Monday night still coming to terms with the death of two yearlings, who she believes have died suddenly from an unidentified illness. Clark, who runs Kyark Thoroughbreds - a 30-acre property in Narre Warren North, 45 minutes south-east of Melbourne, has another three horses that are “very sick”.
“We’ve still got very sick horses, we don’t know what it is,” Clark told TTR AusNZ.
“We’ve lost two yearlings and we’ve still got three that are extremely ill. We had two go downhill (on Monday) quite rapidly and the one that was doing well that was on close monitoring, she’s become unwell again as well.”
“We’ve lost two yearlings and we’ve still got three that are extremely ill.” - Nea Clark
The yet-to-be-determined illness, which has caused at least 10 horses in Victoria to die, has prompted the racing and breeding industries to be extra vigilant.
Following reports on Sunday that 10 horses were confirmed dead on separate properties on the Mornington Peninsula, in south-east Melbourne and south-west Victoria since July 4, authorities were on Monday busy trying to establish a cause. All 10 horses died quickly and were displaying what Agriculture Victoria described as “short-term non-specific signs of illness”. Thankfully, testing has not revealed any sign of Hendra virus or anthrax.
Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria (TBV) Executive Officer, Carrie Hu, told TTR AusNZ they are treating the matter extremely seriously.
Carrie Hu | Image courtesy of Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria
“We have been in contact with the majority of the farms in the Mornington Peninsula area,” Hu said.
“We have been collecting information from the farms as well, just in case.
“We don’t yet know the cause, but Agriculture Victoria and Racing Victoria are investigating and we await further updates from them. As soon as we know anything, we will inform our breeders.
“The farms we have spoken to are doing the right things; the majority of them are quarantining their horses and restricting horse movement. We have asked them to contact us or Agriculture Victoria if they see anything abnormal, but for now, it’s about remaining calm.”
“As soon as we know anything, we will inform our breeders.” - Carrie Hu
TBV has written to its members, urging them to consider developing a biosecurity plan, if they haven’t already done so.
“A comprehensive farm biosecurity plan can play a vital role in safeguarding the well-being of our horses. The Horse Venue Biosecurity Workbook provided by Animal Health Australia offers valuable guidance on creating and implementing such plans,” TBV said.
“We understand the concerns and uncertainty these incidents may generate, but it is crucial to stay vigilant and proactive during this time. By staying informed, reporting any incidents, and implementing necessary biosecurity measures, we can collectively support the well-being of our horses.”
Racing Victoria (RV) continues to remain in contact with its trainers and authorities.
“We are aware of the reported equine sudden deaths in Victoria and are liaising with Agriculture Victoria to understand the causality,” RV said.
“We have advised trainers to be vigilant whilst the cause(s) are established and to contact their local veterinarian if they have a case(s) of sudden death and or any sudden onset of illness in their horses.”
Studs and trainers on guard
The areas being investigated, which include Mornington, Cranbourne and Pakenham, feature a number of stud farms, as well as training centres, racetracks and private training facilities.
Tarcoola Stud - a 250-acre farm situated on the Mornington Peninsula - is responsible for breeding the dual Group 1 heroine Sacred Choice (Choisir) and the 2013 G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago). Proprietor Ken Williams told TTR AusNZ Tarcoola Stud will continue to monitor the situation very closely.
Ken Williams
“We’re not panicking. Given the number of horses on the Peninsula… we’re only talking about a handful or so at this stage,” Williams said.
“There might be something to it, but hopefully that’s not the case.
“Obviously, we have got to be careful.”
“Obviously, we have got to be careful.” - Ken Williams
John McArdle - a Group 1-winning trainer based at Mornington said it was business as usual for now, when contacted by TTR AusNZ.
“None of the thoroughbreds have been affected, to my knowledge. At this stage, they all seem to be okay,” said McArdle.
“We monitor the horses’ temperatures every day, we monitor how they eat, the vets are there twice a day, so we’re on top of things whether this is around or not.”
John McArdle | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
The Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock stable, which is based at Cranbourne, also confirmed with TTR AusNZ that their stable has not been impacted.
Veterinary response
Agriculture Victoria is working with private vets and experts in order to ascertain the cause of the illness.
“Lethargy, diarrhea, more of what I would describe as Colitis, Colitis-X with the X meaning these horses can die very quickly,” Equine vet Dr John Russell from Woodgrange Specialist Equine Hospital, which is located in Bayles (33km east of Cranbourne), said.
“Certainly, if a horse’s temperature gets to 39 or 40 (degrees celsius), that is really concerning, so contact your local vet.”
Victoria’s chief veterinary officer Dr Graeme Cooke said an investigation remains ongoing.
“The investigation is in the early stages. It is not yet known what has caused these deaths and to date common links are not evident,” Dr Cooke said.
“The investigation is in the early stages. It is not yet known what has caused these deaths and to date common links are not evident.” - Dr Graeme Cooke
“While we do not yet have any clear indication of the cause, early testing for some known diseases in horses has been negative.
“Multiple horse deaths on a single property are uncommon. When they occur, investigations prioritise infectious causes and ingestion of toxins, however it is not always possible to definitively identify a cause.”
