Walking Horse Chat "Truths" Seems To Be Wishes Instead

A recent article in The Tennessean seems to have the Big Lick crown a bit ruffled.  In response to this story, Walking Horse Chat posted a response....an ill thought out rebuttal, of sorts.  The Big Lick crowd wants to set the record straight with the TRUTH.  Upon closer examination, however, it looks as though those "truths" are anything but, and can be proven false.  Oops.

#1: (THE TRUTH- PADDED SHOES AND ACTION DEVICES ARE ALLOWED, THEY ARE JUST NOT SCHEDULED AT CERTAIN WHOA HIO SHOWS)

Not sure where that truth is coming from, as in the WHOA rule book I just counted 25 instances where it specifically states that hoof bands and/or action devices are not allowed in any classes or anywhere on the show grounds.

#2:  (THE TRUTH- WHOA WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND ONLY PROFITED WITH PERFORMANCE SHOWS WITH SOLICITED CORPORATE SPONSORS, AND BASICALLY WENT BROKE WHEN THE SHOW HIO WAS FORMED AND WHOA NO LONGER WERE ALLOWED TO SELL AMATUER CARDS)

Do WHOA’s recordkeeping books reflect this?  It seems as though they are doing quite well, and not broke at all…..not even a little bit.  Just how profitable are the padded shows these days?

#3:  (THE TRUTH-AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE JAMIE LAWRENCE’S TRUCK APPROACHES…WHY IS THERE NO TESTIMONY FROM THIS PROTESTER AND ALSO WHY DIDN’T THIS PHOTOGRAPHER NOT GET A PICTURE OF THE ATTEMPTED ASSAULT ON THERESA BIPPEN IF IT INDEED HAPPENED?)

First of all, the trial hasn’t happened yet.  That is where witnesses and additional evidence will be called upon to come to the stand to give their testimony (I believe, someone correct me if I’m wrong).  All that happened so far is that the GrandJury decided that there was enough evidence to suggest that a crime may have happened, and to bring a case against him and investigate.  Don’t get your panties in a wad trying to speed up his trial, it’s going to be just as speedy as is should be according to the law.

#4:  (THE ONLY SCIENTIFIC STUDY DONE WHICH WAS BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY SAID PADS AND ACTION DEVICES DO NOT SORE HORSES)

No, it doesn’t.  It concluded that chains do sore horses, and that more studies need to be conducted on chains and pads to conclude anything. 

#5:  (THE TRUTH-THAT AUDIT WAS COMPLETED YEARS AGO AND THE SUGGESTIONS WERE ISSUED IN WHAT WAS CALLED THE WHITE PAPER AND MANY IF NOT ALL SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN APPLIED)

I’m not sure what argument you’re trying to make here.  It never said that the audit was still ongoing, and it never said anything about what has and has not been implemented.  It just says that the audit is still being reviewed.  None of “truth #5” either accepts or denies, therefore it’s pretty much null.

#6:  (THE TRUTH- DEE DEE MILLER LIED…AND EVEN IS QUOITED IN THIS ARTICLE AS SUPPORTING THE PAST ACT)

Again, no.  DEE DEE MILLER personally supports the PAST Act.  She didn’t say that WHOA supports the PAST Act.  Reading for comprehension.

#7:  (THE TRUTH- WHOA ONLY GOT INTO THE HIO BUSINESS WHEN THEY PARTICIPATED IN THE DISSOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL HORSE SHOW COMMISSION AS A RESULT OF SUGGESTIONS IN THE WHITE PAPER)

How does this in any way lay false to the statement above it?  The calling out of a “truth” suggests that a lie has been told.  This is not so in this statement either.

#8:  (THE TRUTH-ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD KNOW THAT ANYTIME YOU CLAIM A HUGE INCREASE IN NUMBERS ALONG WITH “NO ONE CHEATED” THERE IS A LIE IN THERE SOMEWHERE)

You are speculating that there is no way possible that a show could not have violations.  Your standards must be incredibly low.  Just because you don’t believe a statement, without being able to point out a fact, it can’t be disproved.  Just because you have a gut feeling, doesn’t mean it’s accurate.

#9:  (THE TRUTH-NO LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN  ANY CASE WHERE THERE WOULD BE “EXTRA” PADS AND CHAINS)

As I’m sure you know, the “extra pads and chains” refer to what is currently allowed in the Padded Division.  You’re just trying to twist the meaning of the statement around to mean something else, but the original statement was clear cut enough that your attempt is transparent.  No go.

#10:  (THE TRUTH-THATS CORRECT OUT OF THOUSANDS…ONLY 31 SHOWED UP)

Yet again, this “truth” does nothing to disprove or even somewhat contradict the preceding statement.  In fact, it agrees with it.  So again, no special “truth” to be found here.

#11:  (THE TRUTH-THIS PICTURE PRESENTS SEVERAL UNTRUTHS. IT DEPICS A LARGER THAN NORMAL SHOE SIZE…THE CHAIN IS LARGER THAN A 6 OUNCE CHAIN ALLOWED, AND THE FLAT SHOD SHOE PRESENTED DEPICTS A SMALLER SHOE THAN WHOA PRESENTLY ALLOWS IN SEVERAL CLASSES.)

Actually, this “truth” is absolute B.S.  The package shown is not out of sorts with what is legal in the Performance classes, the angle looks to be correct with what the horses are currently wearing, and so does the chain minus the leather straps.  Also, the horses have toes that are so overgrown that I’m sure a ‘normal’ hoof looks tiny comparatively.  But no, that horse shoe shown in comparison to the package is not tiny with the package huge.  Welcome to your own world.  Also, there is no minimum size limit to shoes at WHOA – even barefoot horses are allowed to compete so again, this “truth” is nothing but B.S. and either misconceptions or outright lies.  WHOA does have MAXIMUM size limits to horse shoes for the different divisions, and none of those maximums allow action devices or hoof bands.  Guess which division that eliminates...?

#12:  (THE TRUTH-THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSISSIPPI FOCUSED ON HARASSING A CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO NOT TAKE A DONATION OF $50,000 FROM THE MISS CHARITY HORSE SHOW…A CHARITY BENEFITING CHILDREN WHO CAN NOT PAY FOR THEIR MEDICAL BILLS)

First of all, there is no way to tell how much $ the show would have given to the hospital before the show was even held, unless all of the sponsor $$$ was lined up and a pre-determined donation was set up.  That theory would go to prove that the horse show itself doesn’t raise squat, the show managers begging for money from corporate sponsors does.  Also, no – the hospital was not harassed.  They were presented with facts, and they made a decision based on those facts and how they agreed or disagreed with their moral compass.  You say all the time that the “cat ladies” are completely irrelevant and ineffectual, yet now you somehow think that they strong-armed a powerhouse like the hospital into refusing a little bit of feel-good pocket change?  Puh-leeeeze…

#13:  (THE TRUTH-THE SHERIFFS DEPT DID NOT HAVE TO INTERVENE…THEY WERE DIRECTING TRAFFIC AND A PERSON WAS ACCUSED OF TRYING TO HIT A PROTESTER AND THE CHARGES HAVE NOT DEVELOPED INTO AN INDICTMENT)

Actually, the Sheriff’sdepartment is on video intervening….  They stopped the vehicle because they witnessed the driver swerving towards a pedestrian.  In case you haven’t heard, he HAS been indicted and the case will go on through the legal system.

#14  (THE TRUTH-NOT LIKELY)

Once again, that’s not a “truth”.  That’s a hope.  Totally different things.

#15:  (THE TRUTH-MAGGIE MOORE IS A LONG TIME HORSE PARTICIPANT WHO SHOWS AT BOTH WHOA EVENTS AND OTHER EVENTS THAT ALLOW PADDED SHOES AND ACTION DEVICES…NOT JUST WHOA EVENTS)

ONCE AGAIN, this is not a “truth”, as it does not contradict the statement that it is supposedly telling the truth about.  No where does the article claim that Maggie ONLY shows with WHOA.  Reading for comprehension – fail.

#16:  (THE TRUTH IS-CARL BLEDSOE WAS CAUGHT BY INDUSTRY INSPECTION ORGANISATIONS PRESENTING SORE HORSES…THATS WHY HE IS NO LONGER IN THE HORSE BUSINESS)

False:  Carl Bledsoe is still in the horse business, he's just not in the Big Lick business anymore.  The only fact in this “fact” is that he was caught violating the HPA. 

#17:  (THE TRUTH-HE WAS OUT OF BUSINESS ANYWAY WITHOUT SPEAKING ABOUT ANYTHING AND WAS A VERY UNSUCCESSFUL TRAINER EVEN WHEN HE CLAIMED TO BE CHEATING)

Well, according to show records, he sure has a lot of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place finishes in a bunch of classes and shows spanning from 2002-2012 including the Trainer’s Show.  How odd.

So, "truths", or wild hopes in an attempt to give the feeling of new information when in all reality they are just vocalizing out of their posteriors?  I'd say the latter.

Ride safe all,

~The Roadqueen

Barefoot Best - Testing, 1, 2, 3

Having been fascinated with everything to do with horses my entire life, I grew up as a young child reading Equine Encyclopedias, Training Texts, Veterinary Publications, Magazines and every book that my local library held having to do with horses - Fiction and Non-Fiction alike.  Didn't matter what was in between those covers....as long as it pertained to horses.  I remember how devastated I was at around 12-13 years old when I discovered that I had read everything my library had to offer.  NOW what would I read until 3am because I just can't put it down?!  Nothing else was as interesting or worth the effort.

Singular passion - I haz it

Thank GOODNESS the age of the Internet came.  Even though I no longer read books very often at all, I read as much or more than when I was a child spending days at a time with my nose in a book.  Because of the internet, I've been able to continue to expand my knowledge base every day.  It's amazing to me how much modern science has shown us that what we once knew, was wrong.  People who keep, train and breed horses are a special breed.  Despite the age of technology, much of the knowledge in the horse community is based on tradition not founded in fact.  

"Really?!"

Although I've not been an easy sell myself, one of those traditions that I have taken a long, hard look at, are hooves, and nailing metal horseshoes to them.  For centuries, man has nailed metal shoes onto horse hooves to prevent chipping, splitting and cracking.  Domestic horses have to have their hooves trimmed on a routine bases to avoid growing slipper feet - yet, their feral counterparts do not need horseshoes or to have their hooves trimmed.  They live their entire lives without ever needing a farrier.  Why is that?

"I don't know, why?"

Enter the Barefoot Movement and the ways that this movement, through scientific testing, study and observation, have decided is the best possible environment for horses to be kept in domestication.  One only has to do a rudimentary search for the terms "barefoot hoof" and they will be inundated with website after website of dedicated hoof care professionals who are preaching this 'new' way of feeding, trimming and housing our horses to allow them to have the best hooves they can in captivity.  This leads to overall better soundness and health over the course of the horse's life.

A picture of health - and barefeet

Here's the skinny of it:  Horses are designed to travel around 20 miles per day, finding food, water, shelter and so on.  They travel these 20 or so miles on most often very rugged terrain. Mustangs, Brumbys, and many other types of feral horse live in fairly arid, rocky areas.  Their hooves acclimate to these conditions, and therefore are perfectly sound and comfortable galloping across these harsh surfaces.  However, once you capture a mustang with these rock hard hooves and keep him in a pen for domestication, it will then need to be trimmed.  Why?  Lack of movement.  Our horses would not need trimmed either if they were running over 20 miles of that kind of terrain.  

Now knowing this about the feral horse populations and studying the reasons for "why" and coming up with the "how", we can see where we are going wrong for our domestic horses and why they do not have hooves as healthy as their wild relatives.  So, we nail on metal horseshoes, the holes introducing bacteria inside the protective hoof wall, preventing the hoof from flexing, contracting and expanding as we now understand is what it needs to do, reduces blood circulation in the lower extremity and keeps the frog and sole from doing their part in the program - the frog needs to pump blood back up the leg each time the horse takes a step and compresses it, and the sole needs to be able to develop a hard callous to protect the sensitive tendons and bones that are suspended inside the hoof by the laminae.

Horses shod with traditional metal horseshoes commonly have complications from this type of hoof care, but because it's tradition it's hard for shoers to acknowledge this.  Contracted heels, long toes, chronic thrush, white line disease, abscesses, sheared heels, navicular pain (generic term used to describe hoof pain), mechanical founder, bone spurs, atrophied frogs, thin soles to name a few.  All just part of keeping horses shod.  So I asked myself, "Is it really too much trouble to change?"

Low sugar diets, living space containing abrasive surfaces and tracks that encourage movement are paramount.  Performing a balanced barefoot trim using the feral horses as the ultimate goal is mandatory.  Hoof boots that can be put on for riding and taken off when the job is done while the horse is transitioning and developing the best barefoot hoof he can possibly have.  Compared to the long list of complications that I'm simply used to dealing with, is it really too much trouble for a healthier, happier, sounder horse?  No, it's no trouble at all.

Well, maybe it's a little trouble.  Let's just say, there's been a slight learning curve when it comes to handling the trimming tools.  Especially that #($*&%^ rasp.

I've got the trimming down now, for the most part.  My horse's hooves have never looked better.  He is still tender on sharp rocks, but he has hoof boots for riding where rocks will be an issue.  We go on in-hand walks on back roads so that the abrasive yet comfortable surface can help him develop that sole callous that will ultimately keep him comfortable on rocks even without his hoof boots.  The water trough and grazing areas are separate and he has to travel to the barn in order to get a drink - encouraging movement.  I have plans in the planning stages to add a large track of gravel in the most heavily traveled areas that tend to be mud pits.  Might as well eliminate the mud and grow beautiful hooves all in the same process right?

Walking down the road together.  Exercise for both of us and hoof conditioning for Guinness!

Guinness has not worn a steel shoe since the beginning of October, 2014.  They say that it takes about a year for a horse to grow a completely new hoof.  I'm confident that I'm doing right by my horse, and that we will both reap the benefits in the long run.

"Boots Are Better!  Thanks Mom!"

Equestrian Spring Maintenance - Equine Dentistry

Ah, Spring.  FINALLY!  Actually, in Northeast Ohio we skipped Spring and went straight to early Summer.  We had snow still falling clear up through mid-April and then BAM!  We've been hitting the 70's the past couple of weeks and it's glorious.

Springtime has a lot of meanings.  New life, fresh starts, clean abodes (Spring Cleaning) and for people with horses, it means a lot of $ expenditures.  People who shoe their horses for the summer are getting the iron nailed to their horse's hooves, many have the vet give annual vaccinations, massages, chiropractors and dentistry.  All to make sure our ponies are the healthiest and soundest they can be before the riding season gets underway.

Monday May 4th was Guinness and Beezley's day to get their teeth inspected and floated.  Good thing too, because there were issues with both horses.  If you've never watched a horse get it's teeth floated, it's quite a different experience involving Mouth Speculums, specialized power tools and buckets of antiseptic liquid to keep everything nice and clean and sanitary.

Bucket 'O Tools

It's generally convenient to perform the procedure in the stall, as the horses are given make-you-dopy medicine and sometimes they need a wall to lean on to stay obliviously upright while the dentist does his work.  Guinness was skeptical of the goings on at first, and with good reason.  Nobody really likes going to the dentist.  Or having the dentist come to you, for that matter.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm pretty sure I don't like it."

Once the dopey drugs are allowed to do their work (about 30 seconds) our Equine Dentist was ready to start his work.  Guinness was a little extra dopey from the drugs for some reason this time, so we backed him into the corner of his stall and I held him up by pressing on his hip to keep him leaning against the stall wall.

It's very important to have a horse's teeth floated about once per year, as their teeth continue to erupt, or grow, throughout their lifetime.  As the teeth grow and are worn down, they do not wear evenly and get very sharp edges, ramps and hooks on their teeth which make it difficult and painful to chew or carry a bit.  Guinness had one tooth that was so sharp, it was cutting a large sore into his cheek.  :(  Many times when people have issues with their horse undersaddle, the problems stem from pain and discomfort in the horse.  They can't speak English, so they tell us something is wrong the only way they can.  It's up to us to interpret the signals that they give us and make them whole.

Sleepy Guinness Zzzzz......

While Guinness certainly had his own set of tooth problems, Beezley definitely got the short end of the stick.  Not only did he have the regular work needing done, he had recently broken a tooth and it needed to be pulled.  Poor guy.  But again - good thing that we had the dentist out to take a look at all of this stuff.  Now Beezley can heal fast and be healthy and comfortable.  They were both out munching grass a couple of hours after their dental appointments once the dope wore off and it was safe to turn them out again.

Beezley getting some extra love from his momma.

That's about the extent of interesting extracurricular activities for me, it's been more work than play.

Ride Safe All!

~The Road Queen

The Cavalry Group: The Light Of Truth Is Evil's Worst Enemy

This organization has a reputation for standing up for people's rights across the Nation.  It battles the likes of the HSUS, ASPCA and other "Animal Rights Terrorists".  Any situation where unscrupulous people hurt animals "because it's their God given right!" and the authorities are compelled to step in is met with chants of "animals are property!  The Govmit ain't gonna take away our RIGHTS!"

Noble cause, don't you think?

They are PRO:  Puppy Mills, Horse Soring, Canned Hunting, Factory Farming (think chickens, cattle, pigs, sheep, etc living in filth/cages with no room to move or lie down right up until they hit your dinner plate), Cockfighting, Dog Fighting, and quite frankly anything else they dream up to use their animals for.  Anyone who is opposed to animal cruelty in any way is labeled a:

"Liberal animal rights activist/terrorist, who is a homosexual vegan/vegetarian and thinks that animals are superior to humans and should not be owned or used in any way - probably has never owned a pet, hates all animals and humans and hopes that people loose their lives and children starve while all animals domestic and wild are set free to roam the Earth and die miserable, wilderness inflicted deaths."

They will quote the Bible all day long, 'Good Christians' that they are, using part of Genesis 1:26 (not the whole verse, mind you, just a few words) "God gave man dominion over all the animals!"

Oh, shut up, you illiterate, heartless, hypocritical fools.  

This is my response to their ramblings:

So you are also against Animal Welfare? Animal Rights and Animal Welfare are two totally separate issues, but you already know that (even though you lump them into the same category when complaining about Animal Welfare). The first deals with giving animals the same rights as humans and removing their property status. Animal Welfare is simply the notion that animals should not be treated poorly and cruelly, no matter if they are someone's property or not.

Numbers 22:32 ESV: And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.

Luke 12:6 ESV: Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

Exodus 23:5 ESV: If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

Ecclesiastes 3:19 ESV: For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.

Proverbs 12:10 ESV: Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

God gives us dominion over the animals, but it is not without compassion that we are supposed to treat them. This is made clear in verse after verse in the Bible. We are not to hurt animals, but are to use them for food, clothing and to carry our burdens. We are to use them kindly, with regard to any unnecessary suffering.

To pretend that Cock Fighting, Dog Fighting, Bull Fighting, Horse Soring, Factory Farming, Canned Hunting, or any other means of "harvesting" animals in a cruel fashion is condoned by God is nothing more than Satan's speak. The Devil has a forked tongue, and his language is deceit. Do not confuse gentle use and ownership of animals with blatant cruelty without regard for God's creation.

The Cavalry Group appears to be nothing more than a hate group, that condones outright abuse using lies and propaganda to further it's "right" to torture living things. I love animals, and I own and have owned many kinds of animals. From rats to horses and cattle, I have owned and used many - but never have I inflicted pain for personal and Satanic satisfaction.

The Universe has a way of balancing itself.  Evil seems to have the scales tipped these days...I sense a purge coming.

Ride safe all.

~The RoadQueen

Abusers Abuse - Species Doesn't Matter

A man from Shelbyville, TN was arrested at Dallas/Fortworth Airport recently. 

McCleish Christmas Benham is a Big Lick Tennessee Walking Horse trainer.  His whole family is involved in the Training, Showing and Breeding of Big Lick Tennessee Walking Horses.  Now, why is this relevant to his outburst in Texas?  Because there is a correlation between abusing animals also manifesting in the abuse of humans.

There are countless articles and studies that indicate this:
New York Times Article

COPS Article

Animal Advocacy groups such as:
ASPCA

The Humane Society of the United States

With a list of incidents of Horse Protection Act Violations (horse soring abuse) a mile long just for Mac, not including all of the violations that his relatives also own.....I think the correlation in this case between animal abuse and abuse perpetrated towards humans is quite clear.

We need to pass the PAST ACT to protect the Tennessee Walking Horses and their close relatives, the Spotted Saddle Horse and the Racking Horse.  Please, call your representatives today and encourage them to co-sponsor this important legislation.

Ride safe all.

~The RoadQueen

Alum Creek 2014

Last weekend Mom and I headed South with the horses in tow to Alum Creek State Park.  This was not an organized club ride, which was nice as it provided an even more relaxed and informal atmosphere.  We met up with one of our friends for a weekend of camping and riding, and we got our bellies full of food, horses, nature, friendship and adventure.  

Friday Night Campfire

The three of us headed out for a 3 hour tour on Saturday that ended up being a 4 hour adventure.  We got lost several times, faced quite a few hairy circumstances created by man and nature and earned a few more battle scars.  All three horses were superstars and got us through mostly unscathed, and I've been reassured just how much I love my horse.  

Nothing like facing a few demons and coming out on the other side of the fire alive to strengthen the bond between human and beast.

Saturday Morning Breakfast!

View from the horse trailer.  Nothing better.

Mom and our friend, Nancy leading the way.

Rest Stop in town

With only an hour and 15 minutes in the saddle, we came to what we THOUGHT was the 1/2 way point of our ride.  All three horses had started out with a fire in their bellies and were moving out quite quickly.  The place where we chose to rest was in the little town of Kilbourne, in the parking lot of a tiny local grocery.  You can get food or drink here, and they have a hitching rail for the horseback riders camping at Alum Creek.  

This part of the journey is what impressed me the most with Guinness.  He is notoriously a freak when it comes to anything to do with civilization.  He can become uncontrollable and inconsolable around houses, stores, strange people, cars, etc.  Generally when we enter a populated area, I have to dismount and walk to help him through the scary buggers as he will gallop in place, spin, run sideways and just generally be a dink.  As you can see in the above picture, he was an absolute gentleman and so very brave for me.

I didn't think to get any pictures of it, but while we were taking our rest, a man and his little girl of no more than 3 or 4 years old approached me and asked if they could pet Guinness.  Now, I know that he is usually very tolerant of children, so I supervised while they said hello to him.

He not only tolerated her (she was so stinkin' cute....curly blond hair, blue eyes, all smiles) but seemed very interested.  He sniffed her hair and face, presented his nose for her to pet and stood still as a statue for her to love on him from the safety of her father's arms.

Talk about one proud horsey mama.  :)  After they had their fill of hands on interaction, they got loaded up in their car but sat and waited for us to mount up and leave so they could watch.  Of course coming into the parking lot from the trail and heading back down the road to the trail Guinness was pretty fired up and prancing like a circus horses (I'm sure it looks cool, but it's not much fun to ride), but was completely under control and not doing anything stupid.  Like spooking into oncoming traffic, which is always nerve wracking.

After our little adventure in town, we found the trail head to complete our round trip going down the other side of the lake.  It took us another 3 hours to make our way back to camp, through difficult terrain, getting lost on side trails and me almost getting my knee taken off as Guinness turned a bit too sharply around a tree, but we had a great time in spite of the few hiccups and have more memories to hold onto.

OUCH!

There were a few mud bogs to traverse in the valleys of the large hills that we were climbing up and down.  All three horses's butts looked similar from the mud, so I thought I'd take a picture of Guinness' muddy butt.

Now that's some rough riding!



Ride Safe All!


~The RoadQueen

The Plight Of The Tennessee Walking Horse

It's no secret that my biggest passion in life is my involvement with horses.  As a life long equestrian, I love learning, training, caring and riding.  There's almost no greater soul soothing experience for me than being astride my partner, Guinness, as we meld together; our thoughts, emotions and senses becoming one.

Yes, it really is that magical.  Now, not every equestrian is as bat-shit horse crazy as I.  I don't care for and converse with my horse just because I like horses. I do it out of an emotional NEED.  I've tried to do without in the past, and it was one of the most miserable years of my existence.

Some are much more casual in their approach to horse ownership, and as long as they educate themselves at least enough to properly care for their horse and take care of basic needs, that's fine by me.  They own horses simply because it's a fun hobby, and there is a sense of satisfaction in being able to say that they own horses.  

Then there are those who seek fortune and fame, at all costs, and at the expense of the health and well being of the horses that they claim to 'love'.  Abusive training practices, using pain and fear to get better performances quicker, rather than taking the time it takes to develop a horse along in it's training in a humane way.

There are abusive trainers and owners in every aspect, of every walk of life.  Cheaters are around no matter what your drug, be it auto racing, cycling, baseball, football, or showing any breed or species of animal:  cats, dogs, cattle, and yes, horses.  This brings me to where my personal conviction and fight for injustice lies:  The Tennessee Walking Horse Performance Division, AKA The Big Lick, perpetuated, protected and encouraged by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeder's and Exhibitor's Association.

My horse Guinness, as you may recall from previous posts, is a Tennessee Walking Horse.  I have no papers so I do not know his lineage, but his conformation, gaits and temperament are unmistakable markers as to what breed he hails from.  

Guinness

I was given a B.S. story as to why he did not have any papers when I bought him, and I knew it at the time.  I suspect what his life was like before coming to me at 8 years old, but I have no papers to trace him with (quite convenient).  This is the way of the Big Lick.  If they don't 'make it' in the show ring, shred the papers and dump them at an auction or pass them off as a trail horse....whether they've ever seen a trail or not.

Let me explain the Big Lick:  Pictures are worth a thousand words.  

"Big Lick - Big Lie"

That, is the Big Lick.  A high stepping stride in the front, rear feet reaching well underneath the horse.  The above picture is the exact moment in time that the Big Lick supporters like to use to promote their chosen way of using a horse.  In this exact moment, it looks graceful, elegant.  Once you get past the horrific 10" or longer shanked bit that causes more than enough pressure in the horse's mouth to crack a walnut, the gigantic stack of rubber pads that weigh on average between 5-10 lbs....which is heavy enough to have to use a metal band around the top of the foot, as nails will not keep them on the foot.  You've also got chains wrapped around the front legs to hit them in the sensitive, bony part of the leg and cause pain so that they will pick the legs up higher than they normally would, even with the horrific shoes on.  

Since the chains by themselves do not create enough of a reaction from the horse in lifting higher, caustic chemicals are applied to the front legs where the chains lie in order to create an incredible amount of pain each time the chain strikes the pastern when the horse takes a step.  This is called Chemical Soring.  There are many, many methods that the Big Lick 'trainer' use to sore a horse in order to get them to perform the Big Lick gait.

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

Here you can clearly see the bands used to hold the 'stacks' on.  Side note:  They can also over tighten them using the adjustment screw to purposely hurt the animal.  This is one method of 'pressure shoeing'.

Chains around the front legs, used in conjunction with chemicals used to burn the horse's skin where they strike. 

Caustic chemicals 'cooking' under saran wrap to burn the skin and make the chains hurt enough to make them pick up their legs higher.

Skin peeling off from chemical burns.

If the stack does come off.....the use of the band means that it breaks the whole hoof off.  If the horse trips, this is what happens.  Once the entire foot is ripped off, usually the horse must be put down.

So, you have the prettied up version (if you can still call it that), and then you have the rest of the story.  These are other moments in time that don't portray quite the image that the Big Lick crowd would like to look at on their wall:

This horse's front feet and legs hurt so bad, it's trying to put as much weight on it's back legs as possible to try to alleviate the extreme pain that standing on his front legs causes.

You know what's even better than pictures?  Videos!

Isn't this pretty???   Side note:  The Walking Horse industry doesn't let people embed their videos.  Guess they don't want people to see it if they can help it.  Notice the disclaimer that these horses were 'inspected'?  That's right, these horses are supposedly protected by the HPA - Horse Protection Act.  They have to endure inspections designed to determine if they have been sored or not.  (Trick question - they're all sored.  The key is, have them sore enough to win a class, but not sore enough or be able to hide it well enough to pass inspection.)

So, the horses have to tolerate this in addition to being in excruciating pain:

Notice the horse's leg flinching when the inspector starts palpating the leg?  That's a no-no.  A Big Licker never wants their horse to respond to pain during inspection, because it means trouble for them - as in, it being obvious that their horse is sore.  In order to prevent the horse from reacting to pain and making it harder to detect the fact that the horse has been sored, they "steward" the horse:

Because of the fact that soring or 'fixing', as it's called within the Industry is not only illegal, but is also feeling pressure from society as no longer acceptable, all trainers deny that soring is going on in this day and age, and all but a few sorers have been eliminated!  Their horses are sound and clean as any horse on the planet!

Hogwash.

This next video features Jackie McConnell.  The man in the stewarding video, shown beating his horses in the head with a 2 x 4, using a cattle prod to electrify the metal bit in the horse's mouth, applying caustic chemicals to the legs, when the pain is so bad that they just lay there in agony to lesson the pain, he whipped the crap out of them to force them to stand back up, and using a pair of scissors on a horse that has been sored and twitched to cut the ligaments in the tail so that the tail can be held more upright.  No pain medications required, of course, to cut the ligaments in the sensitive underside of the tail.  Just twitch it hard enough to where it won't kick you.

Jackie was convicted of conspiracy to violate the HPA, as well as animal abuse at the State level.  In Tennessee, it's a felony to sore horses.  He was required by the court to make this video.  Now, you DID watch the video of how he treats horses, right?  Watch now as he STILL tows the party line, saying how he's seen SO MUCH CHANGE recently, and how only a few trainers are still soring horses, and his biggest regret is how much he's embarrassed his family, and at about 5 minutes into the video, he TEARS UP and says just how much he "Loves them horses".  

WHAT???  Come on.....

What a total waste of human flesh.

Now, I'd hate for anyone to think that the Big Lick is the only thing that can be done with Tennessee Walking Horses.  Quite the contrary.......they can do anything.

It's estimated that the Big Lick segment of the breed only consists of about 3% or less of the total Walking Horses worldwide.  The rest of us enjoy them the way they are naturally.  Athletic, smart, very forgiving, and stoic.  The same traits, unfortunately, that make them easy targets for abuse........because they will tolerate it.

Here's how the rest of us enjoy our Walking Horses:

Source:  http://trailridermag.com/article/go-gaited-tennessee-walking-horse-faqs

^They can be classy and elegant on the rail^

^Dressage, anyone?^

^Endurance, too!^

^Jumping to the Moon!^

^Barrel Racing!^

The real question is - What CAN'T you do with a Tennessee Walker?  Well - nothing, actually.  ;)  They can do it all with class and smooth as glass.....and they deserve way, WAY better than the BIG LICK BIG LIE.

There is currently a bill in Congress waiting on a vote called the P.A.S.T. Act.  Prevent All Soring Tactics.  This is an amendment to the HPA or Horse Protection Act of 1970, and it would make those giant stacks and chains illegal to use for showing horses.  Of course, the sore horse advocates that are in support of the Big Lick are kicking and screaming and doing everything they can to keep it from getting voted on.  They'll be able to take those stacks and chains when they pry them from their cold, dead fingers.  Fine by me.

Pass the PAST ACT!!!!

Ride safe all, and don't be an abusive a-hole.

~The RoadQueen