I also have read the Auburn Study and have it saved. The Auburn Study crucified the TWH big lick people so I don’t understand how you can say that because they paid for it, it is garbage used to exonorate them.
Examaple 1: Phase VII. Simultaneous Use of Chemical and Chains for Soring Horses
The objectives of this study were to determine the effects on forefeet of horses of detergent, mustard oil and chains, before and after exercise for a duration of two weeks and to determine if pressure readings from the forefeet of sored horses will correlate with the thermographic findings. Three horses (Nos. 3, 5 and 6) were exercised several days in a normal fashion and the animals were monitored to establish pre-treatment physical condition of the forefeet. Data were obtained by pressure testing, thermography and by taking rectal temperature. Liquid detergent was liberally applied to the pasterns of the forefeet and they were then wrapped in plastic and cloth bandages. The next day the bandages were removed and # 3 was exercised 15 minutes with chains on both feet, # 5 with a chain on the right forefoot and # 6 with a chain on the left forefoot. Ten ounce chains were used. The next day 18 drops of oil of mustard were applied to each pastern after the horses had been exercised in chains as previously described. Plastic and cloth wraps were applied and left on overnight. Wraps were removed the next day and the: horses exercised in •chains for 15 minutes each day (except weekends) for 8 more days. The horses were then exercised in a normal manner 5 times during a 10 day recovery period. Results of this study showed that the combination of detergent, chains, and mustard oil caused the clinical signs of a sored horse described by Nelson (1975). Horse # 3 (chains on both
legs) and # 6 (chain on left leg) had some bleeding in the pasterns 8 days after detergent was applied. Horse # 5 did not bleed but had swollen and scabby pasterns. Thermal patterns of the foot were altered by the treatment with chemicals and mechanical devices but since detergent and mustard oil were applied to both pasterns of the forefeet of all three animals, and in 2 horses chains were used either on left or right foot, unchained feet were only sored chemically, were similar to the one with both chemical and chains. Thus inflamed area with or without chains showed similar results on thermography. Rectal temperatures were slightly higher during the period of treatment than for periods of non—treatment. The combined use of detergent, chains and mustard oil on the pasterns of horses causes lesions and tissue damage visible to the naked eye. They also cause alterations of the horse’s behavior that are predictable. The pressure device is consistent in charting trauma caused to the feet of Tennessee Walking Horses. There is a wide margin between the pressures 'that an unsored horse will tolerate compared to those a sored horse can endure.
Example 2:Phase X. Use of 8 and 10 Ounce Chains on Scarred Horses
This study consists of two parts. In the first part of the experiment two horses were scarred using chain and mustard oil. . Along with these, two scarred horses were bought. The second part of the study consisted of using 8 and 10 ounce chains and 14 ounce rollers on the scarred horses to evaluate their effect on the scar. –
Part 1 of Phase X, Scarring Processes: Two horses were used to produce scars using 16 or 14 oz. chains with clinical soring described previously. It took an unpleasant 2 months of detergent, mustard oil and chain use to produce minimal scarring of two horses. Bleeding of pasterns first occurred in about 7 to 8 days, while
exercising in chains. Evidence of inflammation of the pasterns was noted on thermovision the day after presoring and chain use, particularly after exercise. The thermal pattern became more diffuse and abnormal as the study proceeded. Drop in pressure readings occurred with continued use of chemicals and chains. The animals displayed many signs of discomfort and distress during the use of chemicals and chains. Some were stiffness, trotting instead of gaiting, lying down in the stall, reluctance to move, vagueness as to surroundings, bearing more weight on hind feet, stumbling, falling, hanging the head, wobbling, altered facial expression, and a peculiar stance when standing. Although the horses were seldom exercised in chains more than 15 minutes per day and were not exercised each day because of rain, thrown shoes and weekends, it was apparent that 14 and 16 oz. chains inflict more trauma than 10 oz, chains. Scars can be produced on pasterns with chemicals and chains but despite 2 months of efforts to do so they were small scars and barely discernible in one horse. Thermograms and pressure readings readily distinguish a normal, unsore horse from one being treated with chemicals on the pastern and exercised in chains.
and you say that this is supposed to be the “Gold Standard of the soring defense crowd?” That it was “designed by its sponsors” for exonoration?
That is laughable.
And as far as equine injury…
Some of the horses I have trained have had pads, some have worn bands especially in our wet Florida summers when the ground tends to stay mushy and hooves gets softer. The bands help keep shoes on so the nails don’t pull out of moist hooves as easily. Some of my horses have worn rim pads. Some have been flat shod with a 16 ounce shoe for our classic pleasure classes.
I don’t run a large facility, the most I have had has only been 36. I turned professional in 1998.
I have had the following injuries:
zero founders
two navicular (and they were keg-shod lesson horses without pads)
zero suspensory tears
one suspensory bruise (horse pulled bucket off wall at show and got tangled in it)
one superficial flexor tear (21 year old lesson horse barefoot in pasture)
one carpal hygroma (from a kick to the knee in turnout)
zero quarter cracks
three cases of DSLD (which is hereditary)
one supra-scapular nerve pinch {from a spooking incident in the washrack}
What I do see a lot of are deep sulcus thrush during our very wet Florida summers, and occasionally stifle injuries if the footing in the arena gets too soft and deep. The horses work better with a firmer and shallower footing.
Now, before I started working with Morgans and saddlebreds, I spent 15 years with hunter/jumpers. We had lots of injuries there. With the saddle seat horses, not so much. I attribute it to the fact that we can customize our horses shoeing to what makes the horse comfortable for his or her performance.
The use of pads and soft silicone or Magic Cushion hoof packing eliminate concussive injuries.
The use of wedges helps to maintain healthy angles so that there is less strain on the suspensory apparatus and flexors that you would see on horses with underrun heels and low hoof wall angles.
The use of wedges with underrun heels also helps prevent negative palmer angles that can occur and cause all kinds of issues in the hoof capsule.
The use of wedges with underrun heels to raise the angles also helps prevent laminitic tears at the toe which could lead to mechanical founders.
The addition of small amounts of lead attached to the pad can help to balance a horse that hits himself (like a horse that toes out). I had a horse that came to me with a fractured splint bone because he hit himself. We added a 3 ounce lead on the problem hoof and he didn’t hit himself afterwards. It is like balancing a tire on your car.
The ability to customize shoes for what our horses need is paramount to keeping horses comfortable and sound and with longevity to their usefulness.
It is a shame that you see everything in black and white. I hate to think of what will happen to all of the horses that will no longer be able to compete without the ability to use pads…some of those big trotting horses (even barefoot) pound the ground pretty hard. It would be detrimental to so many horses if by the time they were 7 or 8 they were too body sore or hoof sore to keep competing. It would be a shame if every time a club footed baby was born it had to be culled because its options were limited.
