The Sadistic Treatment of Tennessee Walking Horses

Laura you need to talk with Elizabeth

Own a few and mine do not move when the DQP picks up their feet. You probably need to spend a little more time with your horse so that it stands still. Inspections are not going away!

But if you want to get em through inspection, the key here to know is you sore the crap out of them and keep those chains off them before show time. Then clean um up and let em hunt till you find the right chain combo, level em out and show that sucker. He ain't sore but he damn sure was back at the barn!Just need to make sure there is enough time between when you stop cooking so they are not sensitive at the show.

Amazing how stupid these walking horse owners are with their darkly tinted glasses, they see nothing.

By the way, I am a DQP.

Mr. Nibbler

Thank you kindly for your rudeness, but I DO know what I’m talking about!

Have you ever shown a horse…in fact even owned a horse? I know many owners/trainers that treat their horses like their own children. They are pampered w/ state of the art barns, best of the best horse feed, and loved by their owners. It sounds to me that you like to comment on things you’ve heard not actually seen! I have seen, with my own eyes, a horse turned down because he was a little jumpy when his foot was lifted to be inspected. Some horses just don’t like to have their feet bothered with; especially by strangers!! This industry has been around for way to long so you might as well ‘shut the gates’ and enjoy yourself some walking horses.

Please educate yourself before you so rudely comment on other people’s postings!!!

Well Elizabeth ie Girl from Kansas

You have no idea what you are talking about!

Owingsville horse show grounds scattered like buckshot when officials arrived

Why would trainers risk the HARASSMENT/fines of a perfectly sound horse?!? There have been several instances where horses have passed inspection (by several USDA inspectors and veterinarians) yet turned down for some unknown reason or another. Note to all; the USDA can and will call you back and DEMAND they inspect your horse if they show signs of being ‘sore.’ That’s the key though, they must show a sign. These animal activists and liberals are pouring too much money into shutting down the Walking Horse industry to just shut them out and not comply w/ what they want; to end this long time industry. They are merely harassing the Walking Horse Industry and it’s affecting the livelihood and generation of families that have been a part of this industry.

I have been around Walking Horses all my life; my grandmother showed for years in smaller horse shows. It saddens me to see this taking place! The trainers HAVE cleaned up their act (which was probably needed) but you have to be fair. You don’t see the USDA looking into other horse breeds, dog fighting, cock fighting, etc. I’m looking forward to my family vacation in August for the TWHNC and all I can say is…’Let ‘em walk on!”

Kuekisjz

lDUIKU

No one is blaming the whole industry!

Well, the weeks are counting down and the trainers are scratching their heads. Should I show or not show, should I wait and just show at the celebration? What should I do? If my customers find out that these high dollar horses cannot pass the USDA inspection, will the leave my barn? How will I make it? Fixin and ridin padded walking horses is all I know.

Well it is payback time, the USDA will not back down and are going to descend on the Celebration and as was said when "Free The Breeders" took control of what they thought was destroying the Padded Show horse, The Gates of Hell have been held at bay but the doors are open and will be spewing tickets this year at the celebration.

As I have said many times before, the owners and trainers of the SHow TN Walking Horse have created this mess and will all go down with the ship. Hope you have enjoyed the ride!

For those that read this, please be aware that the Show TN Walking Horse is only a fraction of the overall TN Walking Horse Industry. he fact that some very ignorant owners and trainers have taken the docile, beautiful, and graceful TN Walking Horse and have put a black mark on the rest of the Industry.

TWH show was a disgusting sight

I just came from a TWH walking horse show, and was greatly disgusted, with a lot of the people and the way they showed the horses. Now before anyone gets upset, I also have been to TWH shows that do not use any of the barbaric practices and also find it disgusting the way some show thier horses. What I observed were some horses that had huge built up pads held on by chains on the front feet these horses had a very un-natural gait, thier hind ends were way down, putting great stress on the hocks, joints and lumbar area. I could see muscle spasms in the lower back area. They were checking all the first place winners, by having them go through the cones and then lifting the frt.feet to check (there would be no way to check under the pads, unless taken off, which is not done) these horses then are sent to a holding area (they call it quaratine area) in this case the warm up arena, they are not taken back to the stalls (a good way not to have to turn them out for drug testing purposes.) One partucular horse which I observed and over heard converstaions regarding, had been picked for drug testing, the drug tester had to stand in the warm up arena in hopes the horse would urinate, the trainer had the groom walk the horse around in small circles and not let the horse stop to see if he indeed would uninate, the trainer told the tester that the horse could not stop, because they would never be able to get the horse to go again, he said the horse was clumsy and would just fall over, that he was used mostly for trail riding by his owner (now how could that be, if the horse would just fall over), the horse looked like he would fall over, he looked as if he was druged and in constant pain. I consider this animal abuse. How do people get off by saying you have no idea what goes on and that it is not as bad as it seems, and that the chains on the feet don't weigh that much. I saw it first hand, and it was awful. I do respect the ones (I have been to thier shows too) that do not use this type of training and practice. I also might add that I could since that the people in the arena where the drug tester was standing, clearly did not want them there, because they know exactly what they are doing is wrong. How could people be so cruel to animals is beyond me.

Have you thought ahead?

I am against animal cruelty. I am also against uninformed idiots. Have any of you thought of the abundance of unwanted and devalued horses that someone will have to deal with when you put the industry out of business? Have you thought about all the charity dollars you have prevented from being raised? Have you thought about the fact that ours is one of the few industries that still has healthy horses showing in their 20s? Have you thought about the cruel things that people do to other breeds? Have you thought about what your field horse would do if someone squeezed mercilessly on his feet til he moved? Didn't think so - get off your soapbox and do something that helps an animal instead of destroys it

I agree...

I find it amusing how defensive some of these Tennessee Walking Horse owners are when people write articles. Bonnie clearly states that not all of the TWH owners do this (so don't defend yourself if you supposedly aren't doing it, because it's not directed toward you), but obviously it's still going on or this article wouldn't be written, would it? Horses and animals do, indeed, have rights because they are living creatures. We are no different than them, just another living, breathing creature on this planet that we share. I, as a horse lover, have witnessed first-hand the way that even "light-shod" Tennessee Walkers are treated and it makes me sick. I jump my horses and my trainer has put a belief in my head that horses are our partners, not just a thing that we sit on. It is embarrassing for horse lovers to see the way that some of these TWH owners treat their horses. Some may not physically abuse them, but they have the mind-set that a horse is an animal that we can bully into doing exactly what we want them to do. For all you people that have that mind-set, as well, I highly reccommend Pat Parelli. He even has his own website! *gasp*

TWH SORING

I FEEL IN ORDER TO WRITE AN ARTICLE ABOUT SOMETHING, YOU SHOULD SEE IT LIVE AND IN PERSON. MAYBE THEN SHE WILL SEE IN LIVING COLOR THAT WALKING HORSE OWNERS ARE NOT MEAN SADISTIC HORRIBLE PEOPLE. SHE WILL SEE THAT TWH OWNERS LOVE THEIR HORSES AND THEIR BREED. I LOVE MY HORSES AND I LOVE SHOWING MY HORSES,AND NO, I DON'T SORE MY HORSES. THE TORTOROUS CHAINS SHE SPEAKS OF WEIGH 6 OZ. PROBABLY LESS THAN WHAT ANKLE WEIGHTS WEIGH. SO BONNIE I PERSONALLY INVITE YOU TO ANY WALKING HORSE SHOW ONE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. BRING THE FAMILY! IT'S FSMILY ORIENTED. MY 5 YEAR OLD LOVES HORSE SHOWS!!