Sample Collection Day!

Monday 21 June found Glen Haven Park inundated by test tubes! Vet, Dr Julian Willmore, attended to obtain blood and urine samples from the Singapore horses - a full comprehensive swabbing procedure. With all the testing (for disease and/or drugs) required prior to export, each horse needed several tubes of blood taken. So, a major production line was put in place, withdrawing the blood from each horse and also taking a nasal swab, then completing all the paperwork required.

We soon had a smoothly running system in place and the majority of the horses were very obliging with giving their blood and nasal samples. Urine was also taken from several horses for drug testing - luckily we had obliging geldings - the girls didn't want to know about it!

Aussie Fodder - Singapore Bound!

As any horse person knows, horses need to eat and they need to eat alot! So, as well as caring for and training the Singapore horses leading up to their departure and preparing for Pre-Export Quarantine, we've also been organising the feed that the horses will eat when they arrive in Singapore.

It was decided to export the feed from Australia, so the horses would feel comfortable and happy eating fodder they are familiar with. The feed being shipped, included a refrigerated container load of bagged feed from Barastoc/Ridley Agriproducts and another container full of Lucerne Hay. The bagged feed was dispatched directly from Barastoc in Toowoomba and the hay, which was originally sourced from Collington, Queensland, was loaded into a container here at Glen Haven Park (We are now an AQIS approved, registered facility for exporting feed). There is also a shipment of feed supplements the horses will need being sent to Singapore.

The containers are traveling via ship from Brisbane and are expected to arrive in Singapore in early July, where they will then be taken to the venue and unloaded in time for the horses arrival on 15 July. We are sure it will help their comfort levels and ease their settling in period, when they are able to feast on their preferred Aussie fodder!

Vaccinations and Trot Ups

Veterinarians, Dr Julian Willmore and Dr Paul Hatten, visited Glen Haven Park this week to administer the second lot of Influenza IE-T Plus and Japanese Encephalitis vaccinations for the Singapore horses. The horses need to be immunised against these diseases prior to their export to Singapore. Blood and nasal swab samples will also need to be taken for various testing.

Whilst the vets were attending the horses, they watched all 38 perform a 'trot up', which all passed with flying colours and Drs Willmore and Hatten were very impressed by their soundness. However, Paula reckons she didn't feel quite so sound after performing 38 trot ups!

Quarantine Starts!

After weeks of preparation, including extensive installation of signage and barriers, pre-export quarantine for the Singapore horses began at Glen Haven Park, on 15 June 2010. AQIS visited on Tuesday and issued their 'Approval of Premises for the Pre-Export Isolation of Horses' Certificate, so all was in order to begin quarantine immediately. The horses will be in pre-export quarantine from 15 June to 15 July - when they fly out to Singapore.

What does Pre-Export Quarantine mean for the horses and people of Glen Haven Park?

It means that the horses must be isolated from all other horses who are not going to Singapore and will only have limited contact with authorised personnel (grooms, trainers, farriers and vets). However, their training at Glen Haven Park will continue as usual, up until their departure for Singapore. They also have an extensive vaccination and testing schedule to prepare them for export.

For personnel, quarantine means staying away from all other horses, wearing dedicated outer clothing and footwear in the quarantine area when handling the horses, walking through a disinfectant footbath and washing or sanitising hands on entering the quarantine area. There is a visitors log now in place at Glen Haven Park, which everyone who enters the premises must sign, even if they are not going into the Quarantine area. There is also a list of personnel, who are allowed to enter the Quarantine area, posted on the gate and if you are not on the list there is strictly no entry into the area.

Quarantine is a serious business and everyone at Glen Haven are taking it very seriously indeed, following all rules and precautions to the the letter. So, we have no doubt that the horses will do us proud and be in perfect health when the time comes for them to jet off to Singapore!