Equestrian Australia and Equestrian Queensland have launched the Flood Emergency and Recovery Assistance website to aid those in need of assistance with flood stricken horses during Queensland’s current flood crisis.
The immediate issues are critical and far-reaching across Queensland. Hundreds of horses are lost, traumatised and injured – entire studs have had their stock simply swept away. Many horses that have been located alive are in immediate need of assistance due to injury and many which have survived, whether injured or unscathed will suffer health issues from contamination of food and water sources and bacterial infections which will build over the coming weeks from mosquito plagues, lesions and skin conditions such as greasy heel and rain scald.
It is difficult to fathom the extent of loss suffered and the assistance which will be required in the coming weeks and months will be critical for many. Properties and belongings have been submerged and lost to the flood waters and once receded, the flood will reveal contaminated pastures, dams, water supply and structures - in many heartbreaking instances, there will be carcases which will require immediate removal or burial. This is added heartbreak to those who have also lost their homes and in some instances, loved ones.
There has been an incredible volume of people, from all over Australia, offering assistance with flood proof pastures, donations of horse feed, products and services to aid those in need and those who have lost everything in the surge of flood waters. Accordingly, it is the hope of Equestrian Australia and Equestrian Queensland that the Flood Emergency and Recovery Assistance website will become the portal of information and resources for those within our equestrian community needing assistance and for those wishing to provide assistance.
The website contains two very important menus – One for submitting requests for emergency assistance and the second for those wishing to submit offers of assistance. The forms will submit directly to Equestrian Australia where a matching process between offers of assistance and those in need will take place.
Any offers of assistance will be significant to those in need. At this time, due to the logistical issues with transport across Queensland, those wishing to assist are advised financial donations for purchase of feed and veterinary aid and products will be the most beneficial. In the coming weeks when transport is an option, equestrian product donations such as feed, rugs, equipment and veterinary supplies will be more manageable.
Equestrian Australia has established a bank account to help our equestrian community in need. A terms of reference for the distribution of donations is currently being determined and will be posted on the website when available. The Chair of Equestrian Australia, Paul Cargill, will head a committee that determines the distribution of funds to impacted members and this will be done in a very swift and timely manner. The Donations account information can be found on the website, under the menu listed ‘Make a Donation’.
The Flood Emergency and Recovery Assistance website will host a variety of resources relating to equines in flood crisis including emergency assistance and recovery assistance registers, fact sheets and critical care factors for equines in floods, discussion forums, latest news and information on the Flood Crisis Committee. In addition to this information portal, a dedicated email address for all flood related communication has been created: floods@efanational.com
To help make a difference and to make sure we do all we can to assist those in need, we urge all equestrians to visit and use the Flood Emergency and Recovery Assistance website and to share this important resource with all your contacts.