Japan's Equine Industry Copes With Aftermath
A photo in the Wall Street Journal of a pup rescued from floating debris a mile from Japans shoreline touched hearts worldwide broken over the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami. T sweet little fellow became a poster child for the animals that have died or are suffering in the aftermath. I’m Susan Allen this is Open Range I’ll be back to tell you the about ongoing efforts to rebuild Japans once booming equine industry, one I might add, very dependant on Northwest hay. Japan had a thriving equine industry, notably in horse racing and while the sport has resumed in western Japan, more than 1.1 billion in donations have poured in from trainers, jockeys and owners through the their racing association to aid breeding farms, riding clubs and feed producers in the Miyagi region that are struggling to rebuild. It is known that at least four large facilities were submerged by the tsunami and to date at least 75 show or race horses perished. Other farms in the quake damaged region are struggling to find enough feed and concentrates. The Japanese’s have provided us an amazing example of organization and fortitude throughout this crisis thus there is already an effort in place to transport feed to areas near the center of the earthquake. In addition, the Japanese Racing Association is conducting a variety of charity events to support and rebuild their equine industry. While it appears that the horse industry will be revived, it remains to be seen how our Northwest Hay Growers will be impacted in their efforts to export product. I’m Susan Allen
