Stop Horrific Abuse of Tennessee Walking Horses
By Kristin HarknessTarget: U.S. Congress
Goal: Strengthen policies in the Horse Protection Act to end horrific and all-too-common abuse of Tennessee Walking horses.
A new undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States revealed that workers at a nationally known Tennessee Walking horse training barn used caustic chemicals on horses’ front legs to produce an artificial high-stepping gait that wins competitions. This cruel practice, known as soring, is common in the Tennesse Walking horse industry. The horses were filmed being whipped, kicked, shocked in the face, and violently cracked across their skulls and legs with heavy wooden sticks during and after the application of chemicals. Policies must be strengthened in order to stop this horrific, yet standard practice.
Soring has been illegal for more than 40 years under the federal Horse Protection Act. However, due to a flawed system industry of self-policing and lax penalties, this practice continues to thrive. Industry judges reward the artificial gait, referred to as the “Big Lick,” encouraging the continuation of this practice. The chemicals are so caustic, horses often fail to stand up, and suffer more abuse as callous workers hit them until they get up.
A 2010 industry audit by the USDA Office of Inspector General revealed that trainers go to great lengths to avoid detection of soring. The audit concluded that harsher penalties are needed, and the system of self-policing must be eliminated.
Unless action is taken to better regulate this industry, innocent horses will continue to suffer excruciating pain. Urge Congress to strengthen policies in the Horse Protection Act to end the horrific practice of soring.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Members of the United States Congress,
Horses in the Tennessee Walking horse industry continue to suffer horrendous abuse because of a flawed system of industry self-policing and lax punishments. Policies in the Horse Protection Act must be strengthened in order to stop this abuse.
Industry judges reward a Tennessee Walker’s artificial gait, known as the “Big Lick,” which encourages the cruel practice of soring, whereby caustic chemicals are applied to a horse’s front legs so they step higher out of pain. The chemicals are so caustic that it is often too painful for them to stand.
A 2010 industry audit by the USDA Office of Inspector General revealed that trainers go to great lengths to avoid detection of soring. The audit concluded that harsher penalties are needed, and the system of self-policing must be eliminated.
Unless action is taken to better regulate this industry, innocent horses will continue to suffer excruciating pain. Please strengthen legislation to stop the horrific practice of soring.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
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25 Comments
There are ways to train a horse without abusing it !!!!
Please sign this to stop this horrible abuse to these
horses!!! People are sick!!!
If this training method is still being used then it must be stopped. It is abuse! When will we learn to care for all living things?
This is apalling. All about the money as it always is. Needs tighter regulation.
Stop this crap…enought…we no longer need to be entertaine by circus or other animal act that causes pain to animals…that stuff is from the past..find something else to do!
I lived in Tennessee for a short while with my husband, and all they live for is drinking, hunting, killing animals, bragging about it, and of course, making these poor ‘walking horses’ deformed and maimed!
They must be in so much pain, and then they get the cruelty on top of it. THE LAW MUST CHANGE IMMEDIATELY!
Those horrendous human cowards, deserve to have their legs turned back to front permanently!
Everyone……………this is urgent and critical that we stop these evildoers. We should cut this bastards head off and place it under the covers of one of the abused horse’s owners.
I hope congress stops this horrible abuse, unbelievable! that people can be this cruel. these horse shows need to be ended!
Are you kinding me? Anyone with half a brain knows this is wrong! These people have no redeeming value. Prosecute, prosecute, PROSECUTE!
or terminate..terminate..terminate
If we want a compassionate society, then we need to take action to educate and spread the word. Keep telling everyone you know about these abuses to shed the light on these evil, dark practices. KEEP ON TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT THIS AND TELL YOUR LEGISLATORS!! AND OF COURSE, TELL THE SPONSORS OF THESE HORSE INDUSTRY EVENTS!!
The Judges of this sport is as much to blame as the owners, and trainers of these horse, stop the judges giving the blue ribbon to the horse with the biggest steps, and give it to the one with the smallest step and change it around, so they lose with the highest stepping horse, then half the battle would be won. the owners and trainers are only doing it because the judges are giving them first prize, the judges should give them last. most the problem are the judges.
DISGUSTED
Please sign my petition on this also. Thanks, Susan
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/352/543/565/end-torture-of-tennessee-walking-horses-enforce-the-horse-protection-act/
Please also stop the abuse of Hackney horses:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/23/South-Africa-Stop-Hackney-Stud-Abuse/
When their trainers undergo the same treatment, then justice will be served!!! Stop inhumane treatment of animals!!!
This is the most horrible animal abuse I have ever heard of…these poor horses with no where to run. I wish every horse that is abused like this would strike with both feet with those horrible shoes on right into thoses abusers head…till they died…AMEN
STOP IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
We can not turn a blind eye to human sadism! Legislation and policing must stop this abhorrent practice which subjects animals to such unwarranted pain and abuse.
This horrible abuse must be stopped immediately. It hink the same treatment should be done to those who torture these beautiful, defenseless horses. Shameful that this is allowed to continue. Do we have no conscience?
Sickening. How can any human being revel in torturing these beautiful animals in the name of vanity? Why must artificiality in gait and stance be celebrated. There are naturally high stepping breeds such as Welsh cobs, who do not need any artificial means to look spectacular. But these sadists would not be content with that, everything has to be extreme at the cost of the poor horses and with cruel indifference to their suffering.
Instead of hunting down those who do it, how about fining the judges who give prizes for it? Hold those accountable who offer such rewards, instead, disqualify any horse who does it or take away points, make all of us accountable–go do a show and let them know how you feel. Only if we all stand up and refuse to be entertained by these atrocities will they be stopped.
Are there any men who are outraged? A quick look suggests that it is a matter of concern to women…only?
Freedom from discomfort;
Freedom from hunger and thirst;
Freedom from fear and distress;
Freedom from pain, injury and disease;
Freedom to express natural behaviour.
I can’t believe this. I had always thought that the legs were weighted to produce the Big Lick gait. It’s a beautiful gait, don’t get me wrong, but simple training weights, like a normal human being would wear to increase muscle strength surely be better than torturing them?
But I suppose even that could be taken too far. If it were me, I would start easy like any human would and slowly increase the weight, but not to the point that it would hurt or deprive the poor animal. *shakes head* The cruelty of humans is astounding.
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