Tennessee Walking Horse Soring Issue *Update post 1*

[Fairfax]

[QUOTE=WalkInTheWoods;6694953]
Here is a comment from a Texas farrier.

I’m a Master Farrier and YES these stacks/pads CAN and DO far more often than not cause permanent lifelong damage to the bones/joints/ligaments, bone loss, mechanical laminitis, navicular, abcessing, arthritis. I get so tired of seeing TW horses crippled specifically from this abuse ALL the time. It’s said often in the farrier community that any farrier that applies stacks should be ashamed of themselves and clearly doesn’t truly understand the hoof or care about the horse. Because it is “shunned” by good farriers, trainers/owners learn to do it themselves since farriers who have the HORSES best interest at heart, not the owners wants just for a damn ribbon, will always refuse. The destruction this form of shoeing causes goes beyond the hooves and legs, these “contraptions” that don’t remotely resemble a normal shoe, along w/ soring/chains/pressure pads often also cause irreversable back, neck, hock, shoulder pain from being so contorted structurally and mechanically for so long, EVEN if given small breaks from the shoes here and there. It’s wrong, and their supposed “self policing” all these years is ridiculous. For the horse with no voice, laws need to FINALLY be enforced.

AFACJF
Texas’s 14th district[/QUOTE]

Anyone can state they are a master farrier. There is no group wuch as AFACJF as it comes up The American Finance Home Page. Try it with Texas and you get Mutual Fund Advice.

I am not for high stacks however I have had horses where we have used pads according to the USEF rules and breed standards “and for a reason”. Theraputic pads, usually in small stacks still allow many a horse to continue with a life rather than slaughter or pasture ornament.

Since you ran the letter can you direct me to the source? Thanks

[MistyBlue]

AFACJF = American Farrier’s Association, Certified Journeyman Farrier.

The AFA is the name of the association and the CJF is his “rank” in that association.

Most farriers just don’t put a space in the designation. Mine doesn’t.

He also clearly states he and other farriers are against stacks/stacking pads. Stacks or stacking are terms used by non-Big Lick folks as the type of excess used that require bands to stay on the hooves.
And also that he’s against pressure pads…I would assume you are against those also.

He’s not meaning other types of pads.

[aarpaso]

i find it very hard to believe that any human being could even think its their contitutional right to abuse their horses,yes you read it right! thats what has been reported a woman at the TWHBEA meeting in Lewisburg Tn said. I pray it was reported wrong.

[Guilherme]

It’s been reported that the Moon is made of green cheese. I don’t think that’s what the Apollo astronauts found, however!

AFAIK the highest, reputable rating a farrier in the U.S. can achieve is the CJF rating from the AFA. There are a couple of groups that offer “Master” certificates but the good farriers I know laugh at them. If the farrier comes from Britain or the Continent then, yes, they might have a real Master rating as those countries have a very comprehensive system of farrier training.

Even if the writer is “gilding the lilly” on their qualifications what they’ve written is true and correct. The Big Lick process, even without the chemicals, will cause long and short term negative consequences for the horse.

G.

[MistyBlue]

Even if the writer is “gilding the lilly” on their qualifications what they’ve written is true and correct. The Big Lick process, even without the chemicals, will cause long and short term negative consequences for the horse.

Yes. :yes: Remove soring and pressure shoeing and you’re still left with a ridiculous change in the angle and conformation of the horse by jacking up it’s front end, changing hoof angles (wedging heels does not compensate for lifting feet or growing toes) and then forcing the horse to basically crawl on it’s hind legs. Add it flailing it’s malformed and stacked fronts up and out. Mother Nature and evolution designed horses in a way that they carry the majority of their weight on their front end vs hind end. (60/40) That padding and bastardized way of moving in the Big Lick contradicts everything the horse is designed to do. Other disciplines will train a back to front movement…but without forcing it by actually tilting the animal to tip to it’s back end, jacked up like a car with 2 front flats.

This is not opinion…it’s physics. It’s not my (and everyone else outside of Big Lickers) opinion that this is detrimental to the animal. It’s basic physics 101.

A horse is NOT a monster truck. You’re not supposed to jack it up, FFS. :no:

[cordial]

[QUOTE=The Preacher;6694658]
There’s Something In the Air;

This account is my point of view of what I personal saw and heard or was told to me by someone that directly there when something was said
Jennie and I attended the TWHBEA Committee Meetings today in Lewisburg, TN

I always love to go to these meeting because I get to hear other’s points of views, have things I may have thought dispelled, and inform others of things they may not have heard. I always believe this…whenever you are talking to someone you are doing one of two things ~~~ you are being told something you did not know ~~~ so you are learning ~~~ then when you speak you are telling the other person something they may not know ~~~ you are then teaching ~~~

You don’t get to be an ol’ dude like me without having some internal, spiritual awareness of the way things are going ~~ whether you get that fight or flight feeling or the feeling like you are winning…

There’s something In The air!

I’ve been attending these bi-annual meetings for a few years ~~` you ever play sports when you always get beat by the other person, whether in the ring or court or card game ~~~ we all have someone we HAD to beat! Sometimes you lose by the skin of your teeth, and you tell yourself you gonna practice,

Today ~~ I witnessed a “Wave of Empowerment” that I knew was for real because of the way it presented itself…Several people, at different places at different time with ONE VOIOCE that they did not even know others across the building were saying the same thing!!!

What was being said respectfully, clearly, unflinching ~~~

ITS ENOUGH, WE WILL DO DA RIGHT THANG FROM THIS POINT ON !!!
The few, and I must say FEW from what I heard, people concerned that TWHBEA should in some sort of way or fashion, continue to support the belief that everything is okay and that everyone involved on these committees and board members should stay the course with The Padded and Chained Horse and just ignore what people things, feel and believe should just be dismissed as not knowing what the real truth of The Padded Horse Division ~~~

It was raised in The Bylaws Comm. AGAIN that some believe that the board members should pledge to support ALL aspects of TWHBEA, that they are worried that a complete division may be erased and discharged from the ranks of TWHBEA.

That was responded to that you can’t do that citing first amendment rights…this was an attempt to circumvent democracy, free will and majority rule.

I heard people speak up ask questions, respond to comments without wavering in their beliefs that a major over haul is needed, done without attacking, name calling, calm but with resolve ~~~

Tomorrow promises to very interesting…, I’m gonna stop here, reason being, first I’m am exhausted, second, I think what’s gonna happen tomorrow will be waaaay more interesting and final to report…so pleas forgive me but I am wiped…

Maybe I’ll take Watchout with me and let him give you a live on scene report from his laptop…but let me see how he feels about that LOL!

The Preacher[/QUOTE]

And by the way…how do you feel about Tracy Boyd being elected??

[BradleyDick]

I think it’s great TB got elected. He will do a lot of good things for this breed.

[katarine]

Why did Marty suggest changing the name from TWHBEA to TWHA in his last letter?

[BradleyDick]

He thinks it’s a better name.

[katarine]

How so? What makes it better? It is not a small to rebrand an organization.

[hurleycane]

:lol: “FFS”

[hurleycane]

Its my hope folks walk away from TWHBEA and TWHA - and what ever the stacked folks dream up.

[Guilherme]

It’s a “deception attempt.” By changing the name you imply that you’ve changed the underlying structure, philosophy, leadership, etc. You’re right that it’s not a small thing and that adds to the aura of “change” that the organization wants to create.

And, in an Internet world, you divorce the new group from all the on-line evidence of evil associated with the old.

To truly understand the move, watch the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJG75FJkjr8

G.

[katarine]

LOL, well played, G! Love it.

[The_Preacher]

Today; The Humane Society of The United States announced their choice of:

Humane Horseman of the Year
Our very own

                                   [B] Roy Exum[/B]

Journalist Recognized as a Champion for Tennessee Walking Horses and the Horse Protection Act

Please join me in congratulating The HSUS’s most excellent choice

(Dec. 3, 2012)—The Humane Society of the United States has named Roy Exum the 2012 Humane Horseman of the Year.

Each year, this award is given to an individual who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to protect America’s Horses.

The HSUS chose Exum as this year’s recipient because of his unwavering commitment to exposing the cruel reality of the Tennessee walking horse show industry. In his opinion column in The Chattanoogan, Exum shined a light on the corruption and abuse behind the celebrated “Big Lick” gait, which is achieved by torturing horses through a practice known as “soring.” Exum reported on The HSUS’ undercover investigation into the industry and closely monitored the industry’s biggest competition, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn.

“The Humane Society of the United States applauds Roy Exum for his perseverance in the months leading up to the Celebration,” said Keith Dane, director of equine protection for The HSUS. “Roy helped The HSUS lay bare the torture these horses endure, and he advocated that they be treated with kindness and respect. His newspaper columns played a key role in exposing and publicizing of the mistreatment of these beautiful creatures and greatly helped The HSUS in its mission to put an end to the cruelty.”

In nearly 20 columns and counting on the topic, Exum held nothing back when criticizing the Tennessee walking horse industry. In response to the federal sentencing of Jackie McConnell for Horse Protection Act violations, Exum wrote: “The ruling, although just, dashed the hopes of ‘many, many hundreds’ who had written Judge Mattice to ask for stronger justice. But because of woefully-inadequate federal laws against the depravity that has plagued the walking horse industry for well over half a century, the Horse Protection Act has been as lame as the horses it meant to protect and a plea arrangement was deemed at the very onset as the best ‘legal solution.’”

In a column praising the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new regulations to crack down on soring, Exum opined, “Call me callused or a cynic but when the top 20 trainers in the fabled Rider’s Cup standings have a total of 161 violations in the past two years and eight of the last 10 ‘Trainers of the Year’ have violated the Horse Protection Act, the only thing that will ever make a difference is placing anyone who would purposely injure a horse in the dark and dank basement of a jail.”

In response to public outcry about the cruel treatment of Tennessee walking horses for the show ring, Congress has introduced H.R. 6388, the Horse Protection Act Amendments of 2012. The bill will significantly strengthen the Horse Protection Act, originally passed in 1970 to stop the cruel practice of “soring” – the deliberate infliction of pain to Tennessee walking horses’ hooves and legs in order to produce a high-stepping gait and gain unfair competitive advantage at horse shows.

H.R. 6388 would end the failed system of industry self-policing, ban the use of certain devices associated with soring, strengthen penalties, and hold accountable all those involved in this cruel practice. H.R. 6388 is a necessary step to strengthen the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s enforcement capabilities and end this torture for good. In a recent column, Exum expressed his support for the bill, writing, “The amendments are badly needed since there has been continued and rampant abuse of soring in the Tennessee walking horse industry this year.”

[WalkInTheWoods]

What a nice thing for them to do. Roy has helped the TWH so much.

[walknsound]

I so appreciate them recognizing Roy, he deserves it!!!

[walknsound]

SORED HORSE PRISON BLUES
I hear the trainer comin’, he’s coming down the aisle,
And I ain’t seen the sunshine for a very long, long while.
I’m stuck in Sore Horse Prison and time keeps dragging on,
But that trainer keeps on comin’, comin’ to break me down.

When I was just a baby, my mama told me, son
Always be a good boy, just let them think they’ve won,
But I kicked a trainer’s face in … just to watch him die
But those trainers keep on comin’, now I just stand and cry.

I’ll bet there’s rich folk drinkin’,
their cocktails while they wait,
They don’t seem to care ‘bout much, except my big lick gait,
They say it doesn’t hurt me, I know I can’t be free
And those trainers keep on soring and they’re who torture me.

If they freed me from this prison, these chemicals and chains
I’d show ‘em I’d walk beautifully without this constant pain.
I’d flat walk from this prison, that’s where I’d want to stay
And I’d live without this torture and dream my blues away.

[luvmytbs]

Roy really, really deserves to be recognized. I wish we could clone him!!!

[Appsolute]

AVMA – American Veterinary Medical Association releases the following today:

http://atwork.avma.org/2012/12/03/its-time-to-end-soring-take-action-now-on-h-r-6388-the-amendments-to-the-hpa/

“With respect to “a few bad actors,” we’d have an easier time believing that if we didn’t have evidence of a culture of abuse that has existed for more than four decades. When you have 37 of the 52 horses at the 2011 National Celebration testing positive for one or more anesthetic agents; convictions of trainers like Barney Davis and Jackie McConnell (now with a lifetime disqualification); a 9% HPA violation rate at the 2012 National Celebration (virtually no change from the 9.5% rate at the 2011 event); and violation detection rates that are consistently 5 to 10 times higher when USDA is present at shows to inspect, compared with shows where the industry self-polices; it becomes apparent that this is not “a few bad actors,” it’s a real industry problem.”