Well, McConnell will probably get “only a slap on the wrist”- by that I mean no jail time. I am surprised-- NOT!!!
You all do know that to end soring and the other atendant abuses, one REALLY doesn’t NEED the Federal government or even state or local government to “pass a law” against soring, or chains, pads, action devices, etc…
All that really needs to happen is that the people who make the horse show rules that are used at these shows need to buck up and prohibit the stacks of pads, heavy shoes with hoofbands and action devices in the show ring and on the show grounds.
If the show rules PROHIBIT something-- then you cannot do it---- A prime examble of this is how the horse show rules were changed to make sure that a horse HAD to wear stacks to be able to enter the “performance horse” classes of which the most important is the World Grand Championship Stake hald as the last class at every Celebration. This was done AFTER Champagne Watchout was shown in that class without the stack of pads and the action devices.
Anothe older example were the old limits and rules for the lite shod and the Plantation classes. (I’m using these as an example because I dont know the current rules since I don’t show and haven’t since 1990)
But, in my time, the show rules-- which were formulated by the old National Horse Show Regultory Committee-- stated that no horse showing in a light shod or Plantation class could wear a tail brace or any artificial switches, capts, etc. So, guess what? People didn’t try to go into the ring in THOSE classes with those things on their horses. They know if they did, they would be dismissed form the class and whould have wasted their entry fee.
These two flatshod classes also forbid the use of gag bits and of bits with shanks longer than 8 inches (if I remember correctly) So, naturally, no one tried to enter the ring in those classes with that equipment.
The rules also set forth the exact measurements for the shoes as far as width and thickness and prohibited hoofbands. They did specify that a lite shod horse could compete with the lighter shoe in the plantation class but NOT visa versa. I beleive they even specified that they shoes had to be made of iron, and stated that the shoes could not extend past the natural hoof walls-- anywhere even in the back.
The rules for the flat shod horses back then also specified that these horses could not be worked “with chains or action devices anywhere on the show grounds including aisles, practice rings or any other area.” It als meant that horses could not stand in their stalls with action devices on either.
And, again, no one went in those classes with shoes that could be challenged as being prohibited. No one put chains, rollers, collars or any action devices on their flatshod horses at the shows.
All that really has to happen is for the various HIO and SHOW and whoever else has jurisdiction over the Tennessee Walking Horse Shows (non-governmental groups, people) to get together and re-write their show regulations to prohibit the use of pads, heavy shoes (specify the acceptable nmeasurments, weights and metals) and action devices. Just prohibit the use of these things on show grounds, period.
They would need to agree than anyone caut using any soring method- chemical or mechanical- should be banned from showing and fined–and make those penalties stiff.
The TWHBEA’s board needs to meet and agree than anyone caught soring a horse whether -trainer-owner-or exhibitor- will face losing membership and its privilages, either for a set period of time-- or permanently depending on how serious they want to be about getting rid of the abuse and soring.
Really folks, it’s just that simple.
In the meantime, to help all those good folks realize it is in their best interests to get rid of all “that junk” in the show ring, we need to really contact anyone and everyone associated with the TWH show world and let them have an earful about how awful it is they have been allowing this abuse to go on for so long.
(There --now all you ASB people, Morgan people and what ever other breed fan and fans of theraputic pads-- you all can relax now.)
