The Sadistic Treatment of Tennessee Walking Horses

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This deeply grieves me.

Rita Teater of IA 6:39PM May 13, 2013

Why not have the judges look at the hooves? It would be a simple solution to shutting down this cruel practice and not have to worry about the small amt of money allotted to the Ag Dept for checking this stuff out.

Linda Hoffecker of PA 1:06AM December 18, 2012

Training horses using cruel methods to train a horse does not achieve anything long-term; unfortunately many of the horses that are “trained” using cruel methods are left with permanent injuries and emotional scars that may never heal. Many of these horses are sold to people without them being told, abandoned, or die prematurely from the pain and chemical exposure. I know this because I not only own an ex-sored TWH but my mother and I have also started an organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating these innocent animals. We are The Wounded Heart Tennessee Walking Horse Rehabilitation Center, www.thewoundedheartcenter.org.

Cara of NE 4:06PM June 13, 2012

All people who take part in animal cruelty should be sentenced to life in prison. And when they die I pray they burn in hell.

Lindsay of MN 12:42AM May 17, 2012

Training horses using cruel methods long term achieves nothing and trainers who practice it are deluding themselves and damaging horses for no reason. It takes skill and talent to train horses who enjoy the work we ask of them. Those trainers who achieve this end up with horses who will alway give them 110% for years and years without damaging their health or souring their attitude.

Leonora Falcon 5:01AM April 03, 2012

I was at this show, and all eight of my horses were inspected and shown..I ride, I I don't sore..but as the years pass and the hope that the cruelty will stop, disappointment floods my heart at each show I attend... There are a choice few that are STILL getting by with the cruel soring and beatings that began this whole issue..I know for a fact that one small training barn lost at least 6 horses, it's been told it was as many as 11 within 4 months, from the mistreatment they received.. This guy still trains, shows, and acts like he's a king or something.. So yes I have lost faith in what I thought would end all this unnecessary cruelty..

meridith morgan of KY 1:11PM January 06, 2012

How can a "trainer" think they have a love of this incredible animal by torturing it? Common sense folks...heard of it? It's basic, torture is WRONG, causing pain, harm or perm. damage is WRONG. Read the White Paper written by vets that KNOW what soring and stacks cause. The mechanical look of movement is UGLY, TORTURE. I would much rather see a natural moving horse free of pain, happy calm eyes and a true performer capable of more than just hoping wildly across and arena with a fat billy bob riding him and spuring him on with red necks chearing at the heat of it. Sick Sick Sick. I am tired of explaining to people that I do not do that to my animals. You saying that someone will never win a ribbon again if you find out who they are! Who in the heck do you think YOU are! I don't care about ribbons, I care about the ride and know mine are honest! I know my horses move much better and are much happier than you torturous bastards that continue to abuse animals. Someday soon you will be stopped and I will CHEER! Then what will you do? Crawl back into your hillbilly cave and cry!

HORSE LOVER of MS 11:49PM February 05, 2011

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the best weight loss of 9:24AM March 28, 2010

THERE WERE OVER 400 HORSE PROTECTION ACT VIOLATIONS AT THE 2009 CELEBRATION. TYPICAL SORE HORSE ADVOCATE RESPONSE. MINIMIZE THE PROBLEM.

SUZI CLARK of OH 6:18PM January 04, 2010

This is addressed to the author of the first comment-- You honestly think only twenty or so people sore their TWH's. Maybe twenty in your area or your group of friends but do you honestly think the government would set aside money to pay inspectors for twenty bad apples? No. Either you are a teen or a clueless adult. Soring is a big problem in the industry. The number of soring violations has gone up in the last two years so it's not going away. People can blame overzealous inspectors, the sun, the moon, whatever they want but that doesn't change the fact that soring is a huge problem.
Maybe you grew up in an environment where these practices were used and therefore you are so accustomed to it that you fail to see the big picture and just how cruel soring is. I can understand that mentality. We do what we know and what we've heard all of our lives but there comes a time when we must think for ourselves and say enough is enough. Many people that used to sore or have horses in barns where soring occured have since changed their practices. Its pathetic what humans will do in order to boost their ego and win a ribbon that cost a couple bucks to make. They want the fame, to be a notoriously "good" trainer that will get your horse to be in the ribbons, all that crap. Many owners don't care what it takes to get a horse to move like that, they just want the glory of the win at the horses expense.
Cruel training methods are used in every industry involving animals. Check out western pleasure training methods used on Quarter Horses for example. Tying their heads up so they hang low, using bicyle chains for bits, using wire as a curb strap. Literally filleting the horses sides with spurs. Racing Thoroughbreds so young their knees aren't even closed yet! When they don't win they get hauled to the auction and are often bought by kill buyers where they are taken to a feedlot and fattened up for a couple days before setting off on a one way trip to the slaughterhouse.
TWH's are abused in a way that I just cannot comprehend. Its so over the top its unbelievable the crap humans do to win. I mean come on-chemicals, road foundering, horses moaning in pain, horses laying down all the time in their stalls and needing to be whipped to rise, horses never getting turned out because they have those stupid looking stacked shoes on and they might rip off a hoof is allowed out of their stalls. It's just sick sick sick sick sick.

JLJ of WA 11:52AM November 20, 2009