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Today’s Tennessean newspaper had the story. As expected, industry spokespeople and veterinarians called the practice “deplorable.” My question is: have there been any trainers that say that they DON’T sore, but their horses win classes when competing against sored horses?
A lot of us suspect that the only sore horses win, but I’ve never heard otherwise from a reliable source. A friend of mine quit showing walkers years ago because she said her non-sore horse would always place lower than a sored horse given the judging standards.
Another question: if the HPA is a federal statute which prohibits the transportation and showing of sore horses, is there some way it can be ammended to allow seizure of trucks and trailers used for that purrpose? That would be a major expense and/or inconvenience for anyone who got busted, and would probably make commercial shippers avoid TWH shows.
It’s great to hear that horses have left training barns in Shelbyville. I posted a thank you on Pepsi’s facebook page, as did many other people. Going forward, I’d like to see a billboard somewhere near the Celebration grounds in Shelbyville with a picture from the video, and the caption, “Why do they call it a Celebration?”
I wonder if the 100 taken out of training were the McConnell horses. His barn is empty. Where did the horses go ?
I beblieve they were, WIW. Click on the article in the post above that also has a “complaint” in it - they’ve been indicted!!! Under federal law!!! We should all be celebrating!!!
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Go to Ford’s Facebook page and leave a comment asking them to pull Ford’s corporate sponsorship of the Celebration event!
[QUOTE=WalkInTheWoods;6323660]
I wonder if the 100 taken out of training were the McConnell horses. His barn is empty. Where did the horses go ?[/QUOTE]
According to the articles I’m finding 8 horses were seized from McConnell’s barn, here’s one of those articles: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/17/former-ut-vet-school-dean-humane-society-expose/?print=1
Well we were intially looking at purchasing an F-250, but I sent a note to Ford advertising asking them to reconsider sponsoring the event and that we would be looking at purchasing a Chevy 2500 in the meantime.
Soring is disgusting.
Where I lived in South Georgia, there was a big lick barn there that the owner/trainer kept consistently getting fined and banned from events due to soring (I believe he was on probation for 5+years,) but “funny” enough, he and his horses still competed in various TWH events…and the Celebration.
Edwards & Sons, Sasser, Georgia:
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2011/oct/15/local-rider-completes-family-trifecta-astride-hors/
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I am assuming that the 100 horses were removed by their owners.
Thus leaving some trainers without their source of income.
I hope more owners do the same if they suspect or know how their horses may be treated while in training.
Thank you, thank you to everyone on COTH and in the real world who have and will act in these horses’ best interest.
I already received a response from Ford:
Dear [HydroPHILE,]
Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company. We appreciate the time you have taken to write us about the Tennessee Walking Horse abuse.
We are happy to hear about your interest in Ford Motor Company. Our customers are our greatest assets and we do value your opinion. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience our recent advertisements on the TN Celebration site may have caused. Your feedback is very important to us and it has been documented for further consideration. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience.
Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company.
Sincerely,
Christopher
Ford Motor Company
Ford Marketing Program Headquarters
Totally agree.
And the “compromise” they speak of in MO is a bunch of crock.
“In the new law, Missouri requires anyone with pictures or video of animal abuse or neglect to share them with law enforcement within 24 hours. The originals remain as property of the owner, who does not have to give them up.”
I can tell you that the majority of LE in KY wouldn’t give a rat’s behind if they received pictures of horse neglect/abuse/cruelty. Been there, done that.
And, while the picture taker does not have to give up the originals, there is no reference to whether he/she is allowed to use them for other purposes.
Or do they become “evidence in an ongoing investigation” and are off limits.
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/HPA/faces/pdf.jspx?rt=1&sd=&ed=&hio=ALL
There is a list of violations for the last two years from the USDA website, warning it’s a PDF file.
I just passed it along to the journalist that put out the story with the Nathan Clark interview where he downplays how rampant the problem of soring is in the TWHBEA, and told her exactly where she could find his own four violations.
ETA: This is the article with the Nathan Clark interview: http://www.waaytv.com/news/content/newsatten/story/Tortured-Tennessee-Walking-Horses-Get-National/FX07YMsDE0Ko99zlLPFYBQ.cspx
I also emailed Ford yesterday but no word back yet. I did tell them that as much as it would pain me to do so I would be looking to Chevrolet or Dodge for my upcoming truck purchase, as I cannot in good conscience do business with a company that sponsors events held by an organization that turns a blind eye to animal abuse.
[QUOTE=Watermark Farm;6323681]
Go to Ford’s Facebook page and leave a comment asking them to pull Ford’s corporate sponsorship of the Celebration event![/QUOTE]
Link here http://www.facebook.com/ford
My complaint was promptly pulled from their wall but you can still see it and others in the recent posts mini section on their page. Post away people! They’ll only stop when the money runs out!
[QUOTE=Watermark Farm;6323681]
Go to Ford’s Facebook page and leave a comment asking them to pull Ford’s
Done.
I hope that this is finally the beginning of the end of the hegmony of Big Lick people as far as the Celebration and the oldest breed organization the TWHBEA is concerned.
This battle has been a VERY long one and it did not sart in the 1990s with Champagine Watchout. Those of us whose families have been involved with walking horses since even before the breed association was formed know that there are hundreds of people who who have worked to end soring thd the artificially produced Big Lick. These people have had their training, riding or horse breeding careers, and their horses’ careers negatively impacted on several levels because they stood up against soring and the sorers.
As a point of information we know of at least two other flat shod horse owners who attempted to enter THEIR horses in the World Grand Championship Stake prior to our attempt in the mid1980s. All of these attempts were thwarted when the show officials refused to accept entries that were not on stacks and wearing chains.
Many, many horses and some people did not live to see this day when it looks like FINALLY the national media has decided to tell this story-- a story that is almost 60 years old. My late husband is one of these people. As I mentioned before, CNN did a whole show on the soring and abuse of the Tennessee Walking Horse in the mid-1980s, but the story didn’t have any staying power. CNN did not yet have an established reputation back then as it has now. Perhaps that is why the “major networks” like ABC, CBS and NBC did not pick up on the story back then.
All I can say is it is time to keep the preasure up on the TWHBEA and the Celebration, its sponsors and the civic organizations that sponsor THW Shows as fundraisers throughout the Southeast and elsewhere.
[QUOTE=BansheeBreeze;6323810]
Link here http://www.facebook.com/ford
My complaint was promptly pulled from their wall but you can still see it and others in the recent posts mini section on their page. Post away people! They’ll only stop when the money runs out![/QUOTE]
AND done! Im also going to HIGHLY SUGGEST everyone spam their FB page with link to the documentary! Over and over and over again until they pull their funding.
[QUOTE=RougeEmpire;6323891]
AND done! Im also going to HIGHLY SUGGEST everyone spam their FB page with link to the documentary! Over and over and over again until they pull their funding.[/QUOTE]
Done this too.
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