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Queensland Flood UpdateBy Kentucky Equine Research Staff · February 11, 2011
Equestrian communities in the flood-affected areas of Queensland, Australia, have been heavily impacted by the events of the past month. Because many of the worst-hit areas around Brisbane, Toowomba, Ipswich, and the Lochea Valley are densely populated with horse owners, hundreds of horses were lost in what is known as one of the worst natural disasters in Australian history.
The full extent of the damage caused by the floods to homes and properties is difficult to comprehend; it will be months before the infrastructure is rebuilt and pastures are restored. On some properties the force of the water caused extensive erosion, filling dams with silt and leaving craters where gently rolling paddocks used to be.
The generosity and goodwill of the locals became increasingly evident in light of the disaster. Numerous temporary depots, such as the Ipswich, Gatton, and Toowoomba show grounds, were established throughout the flood-affected areas for distributing donated feed and supplies to those in need. All depots were managed by teams of local volunteers that worked tirelessly to supply much-needed feed, hay, rugs, halters, and vet supplies to the affected flood victims.
Produce was donated from all over Australia, including the Hunter Valley, parts of Victoria, and even places as far away as Perth. Kentucky Equine Research (KER) joined forces with the Queensland Horse Council to help support the affected communities by providing feed, supplements, and equine nutrition advice.
One of the largest contributors of products in the initial few days after the floods was Horseland, which donated over $10,000 in hay and Horseland products to the rescued horses. Supplies such as halters, leads, cotton and light rugs, cohesive bandages, fly masks, grooming products, shampoos, and medical equipment were delivered through their Ipswich and Toowoomba stores.
The University of Queensland Equine Hospital situated just outside Brisbane also acted as a temporary depot, and provided veterinary care for injured horses. Many of the horses treated at the clinic suffered lacerations and wire injuries, as well as pure exhaustion and lung damage from extended periods spent in the water. Because most of the horses that arrived at the clinic were unidentified, efforts were made to locate their owners or provide temporary foster homes once they were well enough to leave the clinic.
One month on from the devastating floods, the only depot continuing to operate is the Toowoomba Show Grounds, and local suppliers are now able to support their areas again. As the people of Queensland slowly move into the recovery stage, the focus now is on locating and identifying all horses, and offering a form of closure to their owners. The Queensland Horse Council is handling the lost horse register and acting as a contact point for lost horses, found horses, and found dead horses.
Since the floods, many horses have been reunited with their owners, or their owners know they are safe. There are also around 40 horses reported in about four different makeshift herds in areas that have since become one huge property due to the fencing being washed away. The people in the area are fairly certain they know who these horses belong to, though accessing them has been difficult.
One of the hardest tasks the Queensland Horse Council has to undertake is finding and identifying dead horses. Microchip scanning has been utilized with limited success. Sadly, out of the 175 horses found dead, many were unidentifiable.
Fundraising efforts from various organizations throughout Australia are continuing to raise money for affected horse owners. Along with donating their own products, all 50 Horseland stores across Australia have been acting as drop-off points for new, uncontaminated goods purchased through any equestrian supplier. These items are being distributed through their stores in Toowoomba, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, and Jindalee to horses and owners in need. It is estimated that approximately $10,000 worth of product has been donated, but this estimate might be conservative. Horseland also supported the Flood Relief Appeal run by Quest Equine Welfare, which managed to raise over $20,000. This was put towards feed, medical treatment, and other urgent supplies for those affected by the Queensland foods.
Further fundraising efforts are being carried out by horsezone.com.au. This is an equine classifieds site that has joined forces with Equestrian Australia to carry out an online stallion services auction. Numerous stallion services have been donated by owners throughout Australia, and these will be auctioned off online from February 14 to 18. All proceeds from the auction will be used to help horses and their owners get back on track after the flooding disaster.
The generosity of the horse community in Queensland and throughout Australia has been overwhelming, and along with organizations such as the Queensland Horse Council, Horseland, Quest Equine Welfare and horsezone.com.au, it has been made significantly less challenging for the people in the affected areas to pick up the pieces and continue with their lives.
Further information on how to make donations is available on the following websites:
