Tennessee Walking Horse Soring Issue *Update post 1*

[pony4me]

[QUOTE=Horse with No Name;6339196]
I am totally ignorant about TWH (and I have not read all 51 pages so this question has probably already been asked and answered) so this will seem a very dumb question to most of you but can judges tell if a horse has been sored? If so the judges need to say “If you sore you will not win.” As long as this behaviour is rewarded it will continue.[/QUOTE]

As mentioned earlier, the judges are part of the problem. It would be an incorrect generalization to say that the “sorest horse wins” but one can certainly say that the highest stepping most exciting Big Lickin’ horse wins. Therein lies the problem: was the horse sored in such a way that he goes like that? You’d have to guarantee that all horses in the class were not sored in any way at all. Hard to do. The rules have to be enforced, but unfair enforcement is not good. The testing has to be accurate, and a false positive doesn’t help anyone; not even the horse. $omewhere, $omehow, the dollar$ have to $top so that no one gain$ a dime from $oring.

[Malda]

Everything she said is correct. Scrap the whole thing and start over. Even if there wasn’t soring, the big lick people need pacey horses and as a result, they’ve bred the gait out of the breed and it’s a rare walker these days who has a true, natural gait that doesn’t require extensive training. The breed is pretty much ruined.

[QUOTE=rmh_rider;6339561]
They should just discontinue the classes all together. Only way. Not make it a part of their breed. Start fresh like right away. SO WHAT if the celebration loses money for their for profit show business. They should. I see the TWH’s ass’s’o’s loosing more breed support than gaining it with the padding. They just may very well be driving people to other breeds.

The RMHA breed is very strict on gait and feet. TWH ass’s’o’s should seriously adapt and learn from other breeds.

Outside the show ring there is no reason to have the padding, and the horse can not be used for anything else. Nor ever really be turned out. It is like they are caged like chickens. But this caged chicken is going to be there a long time, and forever possibly to be ruined mentally and physically. The horse’s life will not necessarily be ending in a couple months (like chickens who live in such cages for slaughter) but long time down the road.

All classes need to be totally discontinued. Immediately. Forever.

This is not my breed, but a horse is a horse, and absolutely no horse should have to have this done to them - ever![/QUOTE]

[King_s_Ransom]

Well, I think it’s time to put together a protest at the Celebration. Who is organizing?

[GaitedGloryRider]

[QUOTE=King’s Ransom;6339606]
Well, I think it’s time to put together a protest at the Celebration. Who is organizing?[/QUOTE]

Wish I had the time and experience to organize but the fact of the matter is I just don’t. I’d be doing the cause a disservice by trying. If someone were to spearhead a protest though I’d definitely commit as much time as I could to helping, and would gladly forfeit my vacation to instead use that time accrued at my job to show up at the Celebration to protest.

I’m a good little worker bee and anyone up for organizing a protest is more than welcome to put me to work for them.

[WalkInTheWoods]

Rbow “I think the only way to BEGIN to put an end to this disgraceful piece of our heritage is to eliminate the padded performance event for the breed.”

But how ? The TWHBEA has no reason to ban performance horses. The feds have already got my tax money. I want to have a say in how it is allocated. Fund the USDA so it can step up inspections and keep the pressure on.

I personally detest the sort of action devices used by TWH performance horses. But yes, the biggest issue is the soring, which makes the chains bang around on sensitive skin and the pressure shoeing. Get rid of the chains in the show ring and there would be no reason to sore the pasterns,would there be ? No chains, no soring ? Then more attention could be placed on pressure shoeing.

Am i missing something ? is there any reasons to sore up the pasterns if no chains are used ? Since it will so hard to get TWHBEA to ban performance or change their stance on equipment i am back to saying, that for now- since TWHBEA wont change and laws could take forever - step up the USDA inspections.

[WalkInTheWoods]

On one hand i would like to travel and spend the money to go to Celebration
just to be able to walk out. It would have to be organized because there is safety in numbers. There are plenty of classes that turn my stomach - the young gangly padded up two year olds carrying heavy hunched over riders makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. Its not just that final WGC class. Dont know that i could sit through seeing the youngsters ridden like that just to walk out of the WGC class.

What would be a good walk out strategy ?

[scrtwh]

@rmh_rider;6339561

They should just discontinue the classes all together. Only way. Not make it a part of their breed. Start fresh like right away. SO WHAT if the celebration loses money for their for profit show business. They should. I see the TWH’s ass’s’o’s loosing more breed support than gaining it with the padding. They just may very well be driving people to other breeds.

This…

[walknsound]

[QUOTE=WalkInTheWoods;6339640]
On one hand i would like to travel and spend the money to go to Celebration
just to be able to walk out. It would have to be organized because there is safety in numbers. There are plenty of classes that turn my stomach - the young gangly padded up two year olds carrying heavy hunched over riders makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. Its not just that final WGC class. Dont know that i could sit through seeing the youngsters ridden like that just to walk out of the WGC class.

What would be a good walk out strategy ?[/QUOTE]

All good points. Sound horse people need to attract as much attention as possible during the walk out. I’m not sure how to best accomplish the walk out, and at what point. Come on smart folks, come up with an answer to this. I would be willing to go and participate (and best friend has my bail money! LOL!)

[pony4me]

Walking out only works if everyone does it. For years, I’ve been not attending the “Celebration.” I doubt if they ever missed the money from my admission ticket, hot dog and soft drink.

Is there some way we/they/somone can come up with Big Bucks to add money to a flat shod class? Or some other class that favors a non-sored horse? I have not looked at the class list, or what money is added to each, but taking the money away from Big Lick would be good.

And while I hate to send money to HSUS, I would love to see them sponsor a $10,000 added flat shod class.

[pj1]

[QUOTE=pony4me;6339582]
As mentioned earlier, the judges are part of the problem. It would be an incorrect generalization to say that the “sorest horse wins” but one can certainly say that the highest stepping most exciting Big Lickin’ horse wins. Therein lies the problem: was the horse sored in such a way that he goes like that? You’d have to guarantee that all horses in the class were not sored in any way at all. Hard to do. The rules have to be enforced, but unfair enforcement is not good. The testing has to be accurate, and a false positive doesn’t help anyone; not even the horse. $omewhere, $omehow, the dollar$ have to $top so that no one gain$ a dime from $oring.[/QUOTE]

It is my humble opinion that any horse that does the “big lick” is sored in some way.

Also in my opinion Judges are a big problem since they seem to place the most unnatural going horses.

This subject makes me literally sick to my stomach. Combined with the pure rage I feel it’s a bad feeling. Not nearly as bad as the lives those poor horses live though.

I will never forget confronting a trainer at a show forty years ago who was coming out of his trailer where he’d just treated his horse who already carried bad sores to get ready for their class. He looked me right in the eye and informed me that they loved their horses and took excellent care of them…really??
Could he really have believed that?

[King_s_Ransom]

I envision a peaceful demonstration / protest with protestors carrying signs and posters of the grotesque abuse that goes into “training” a horse for Big Lick – coupled with a strong PR campaign to get television coverage.

How about we “Occupy” the Celebration?

[WalkInTheWoods]

Im not going to send HSUS money. They have lots of money. They need to spend it ! Good idea about them promoting the flat shod class.

[CFFarm]

[QUOTE=WalkInTheWoods;6339573]
Lets brainstorm and come up with a good strategy to keep this issue alive. Good horsemen from around the country can help. Good people who are not into horses can even recognize the abuse and many will help. Using Roy’s good advice about contacting the politicians is probably the only way to accomplish anything. Those in charge at TWHBEA have self interests and will not be influenced by public outrage. The laws have to change and be enforced. USDA inspections have to be stepped up. People also need to walk out of the Coloseum.

I belong to a few horse groups with HUGE mailing lists. Lets come up with an action plan for email distribution stating the problem, showing footage for the visual effect and showing people what they can do. This would include asking senators, congressmen and governors what their stand is. Scrutinize those running for office. What resources should be included in our communications ? The HPA violation list ?

Throw your ideas out. Lets get an effective plan to help the good folks in Tennessee fight this monster.[/QUOTE]

As I said a few pages back, I emailed the board of directors (well most of them until my computer went haywire). I was respectful and let them know I realized they were all horse lovers but asked them to review the purpose of the whole division. That they should realize that the division is just an opening for this kind of abuse. The horses can be judged without the artificial devices. I also added a link to this thread. I would love to see them get a flood of emails.

Oh, and I never heard back from Ford in regard to my second email asking if they even read the first one since they responded “regretting that the television program upset me”. Chevy’s looking better all the time.

[PeteyPie]

Environment of Fear

[QUOTE=WalkInTheWoods;6339392]
Dont miss Roy Exum’s column this morning.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/5/27/227077/Roy-Exum-And-Now-The-Real-Big-Lick.aspx[/QUOTE]

I’ve read for years about threats of physical violence towards critics of TWH abuse, and it is interesting that Exum commented, “People have written me all week, warning me to ‘watch my back,’ claiming that there are seedy types who will burn down my barn and shoot my livestock…”

How do the people of Tennessee and Kentucky put up with this? Really? Still threatening to burn barns and kill living things? It is so reminiscent of KKK tactics. It’s hard to know how many of the people who wrote him to “watch (his) back” were actually delivering veiled threats, and how many were victims of a successful campaign of fear generated by this industry and truly worried about Exum’s welfare.

These are the same goals used by terrorists, to use violence, and threats of violence, to engender fear in the populace. What thugs.

[PeteyPie]

[QUOTE=PeteyPie;6339920]

These are the same goals used by terrorists, to use violence, and threats of violence, to engender fear in the populace. What thugs.[/QUOTE]

Meant to say, “These are the same tactics used by terrorists…”

[Graymaresrule]

More info and a video of the inspections

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120527/NEWS0207/305270079/Tennessee-Walking-Horses-step-under-scrutiny?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

and links to petitions etc

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120527/COLUMNIST0101/305270045/Gail-Kerr-You-can-help-stop-Tennessee-Walking-Horse-abuse

[GaitedGloryRider]

[QUOTE=King’s Ransom;6339852]
I envision a peaceful demonstration / protest with protestors carrying signs and posters of the grotesque abuse that goes into “training” a horse for Big Lick – coupled with a strong PR campaign to get television coverage.

How about we “Occupy” the Celebration?[/QUOTE]

I’d be in for that definitely. If this thing gets enough steam it might be a good idea to start organizing car pools, I’d be up for driving anyone in the OH/IN/KY tri-state area that wants to go.

[katarine]

The Celebration grounds are private property. Proceed with caution if you plan to Occupy Private Property,

http://www.aclu-tn.org/pdfs/your_right_to_protest.pdf

[WalkInTheWoods]

Another writer at the Tennessean keeping it real.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120525/NEWS21/30525004

TN attorney general asked to investigate soring
Show managers have a duty, Humane Society says

The Humane Society of the United States asked Tennessee’s attorney general Thursday to investigate the role horse show management plays in allowing sored horses to compete.

Soring, an abusive practice aimed at producing a higher gait among walking horses, is illegal under federal and state law.

In a letter to Attorney General Robert Cooper, the Humane Society said state law imposes a duty on show management to disqualify anyone showing a sored horse and to report the violations to local prosecutors. Failing to do so is a misdemeanor.

“Tennessee has a good tool to improve the chances that the walking horse industry will think twice before abusing horses to cheat in these competitions,” Keith Dane, the Humane Society’s director of equine protection, said in a statement.

“Show managers are currently either unaware of their duty to report sored horses or are thumbing their noses at the law.”

Sharon Curtis-Flair, a spokeswoman for Cooper, said the attorney general’s office received the Humane Society’s letter Thursday afternoon.

She called the allegations “serious” and said the office will review the Humane Society’s letter and determine what actions to take.

Industry vows crackdown
Tennessee Walking Horses have a naturally high gait. But over the years, some trainers figured out that the training could go faster if they burned the horse’s ankles, a practice known as soring.

Dripping harsh chemicals on the horses’ front ankles forces them, because of pain, to lift their legs higher. The walk is prized in walking horse competitions.

Walking horse industry groups have pledged for decades to crack down on soring. Leading industry groups condemn the practice and say a small number of trainers are giving the sport a bad reputation.

But dozens of owners and trainers are on suspension for the practice and with the recent release of undercover video detailing soring and other abuses, the Humane Society is asking federal and state officials to do more.

In the letter to the state, Jonathan Lovvorn, a Humane Society senior vice president, said the case of trainer Jackie L. McConnell proves the need for more action. The Humane Society secretly filmed McConnell at his barn soring and beating horses.

McConnell pleaded guilty in federal court this week to felony conspiracy to violating the federal Horse Protection Act. He faces separate state animal cruelty charges in Fayette County.

Industry groups have been quick to ban McConnell from their events, including the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville. The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association was the latest, barring him Thursday from transferring or registering any walking horse in his name.

Based on his guilty plea, Lovvorn said the Humane Society is concerned that, when McConnell entered sored horses into competitions, show organizers probably never reported the problems to authorities.

“We respectfully request that you open an investigation into this problem, make horse show managers aware of their legal obligations, and take steps to prosecute those that have not conducted themselves in the matter required by Tennessee law,” Lovvorn wrote.

Contact Duane W. Gang at 615-726-5982 or dgang@tennessean.com

[bayou_bengal]

[QUOTE=WalkInTheWoods;6339412]
CNN report from 1985 exposing soring - 27 years ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcpbMB1iqzU

Soring and stewarding 2012 style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19TYF6toTvk

Will soring end or will we be looking at more footage in the year 2039 ?[/QUOTE]

GREAT POINT!! That CNN report came out while we were very involved in showing our flatshod walkers. We really thought it would bring about the END of soring. It did NOT!!!

In fact it was the after that report aired that our attempt to enter one of our flatshod walkers in the World Grand Championship Stake was firmly and unapolegically refused by Celebration show management-- two years in a row. And we were advised by several-- not one- but several TWH industry “insiders” to “shut up” about the soring, chains and pads, if we ever “expected to get anywhere in this business.”

Our mistake was that we didn’t walk away right then. Instead of walking away or shutting up, we continued to try to work from within to change things. But after we realized it was hopeless, we decided to stop feeding our money to the Big Lick Monster-- and we turned our back on Middle Tennessee.

Again, ALL that needs to happen is that the “performance class” rules need to be changed to eliminate the stacks of pads, heavy shoes and hoofbands as well as all the actiondevices AKA chains.

Show clean flat shod naturally gaited TWHS, let the artifical Big Lick become a thing of the past. It is not attractive; it is not natural; it is not GOOD for the horses.