This blog is about all the shameful things that happen in the equine show industry. If it's bad to do to a horse we're going to bitch about it here.
Lets take this blog to the next level
If you have a photo of crappy show riding, know of a jerkwad trainer or judge, or someone in the show world that is an abusive piece of shit then send the info to me. This blog is not anti-showing, it's anti-abuse. So there is no truth to the claims from the TWH, ASB, western pleasure and dressage zombies that I'm trying to shut showing down. Instead I'm trying to make showing more honest and to get abusive practices out of the showring! Email me at shameinthehorseshowring@gmail.com
I have a request for my readers: If you have successfully rehabbed a show horse, or gotten a rescue and taken it on to a show career then let me know, I'd love to feature you here!
A bill that would create a database registry for animal cruelty offenders convicted in Albany County, N.Y. took a step toward becoming law on Tuesday (Oct. 11) when county lawmakers unanimously passed it. The measure establishes the second county animal offender registry in New York State. In 2010, Suffolk County lawmakers voted to establish a animal abuse offender registry there.
Introduced in September by County Legislator Bryan Clenahan, Local Law "K" requires those convicted of animal cruelty in Albany County to submit their names, addresses, and a photograph to the Albany County Sheriff's Office for inclusion in a county-wide database. Inclusion fees paid by offenders would cover database operation and maintenance costs. The Mohawk and Hudson Humane Society would maintain the database. Offenders who fail to provide information for the database would face penalties including fines.
In addition, breeders, animal shelters, and pet stores operating in the county be required to consult the database before selling an animal or placing an animal into an adoptive home. Under the measure, anyone who sells or places an adopted animal with a registered animal cruelty offender could also face penalties.
Clenahan said that on Oct. 11, members of the Albany County Legislature passed the unanimously measure. The bill now moves on to for approval by County Executive Michael G. Breslin before becoming law.
Mohawk and Hudson Humane Society Executive Director Brad Shear said the measure will ensure that animal welfare organizations operating in the county do not inadvertently place animals with convicted abusers. He would like to see registry requirements expand beyond Albany County.
"In fact, our hope is to see (registration legislation) go statewide," Shear said.
Clenahan said some other New York counties have expressed interest in establishing animal offender registries of their own.
"Albany County Executive Breslin has 10 days to sign the bill. The bill goes into affect 90 days after Breslin's signature.
Let's push to get these registries country wide. And every asshole Big Lick Trainer that gets busted should be on it, as well as any trainer found in violation of drug and abuse rules for competition!
Contact your elected representatives and lets get this registry put in place across America!
I really try to move on past my dislike of the TWH industry. I know that there are other areas within the equine industry that need my attention and public denouncement. But every time I try to get past it I stumble upon more crap on Youtube that just sends me into a rage. I’ve touched on the TWH bunch in several previous blogs
I swear, it’s like following Lindsey Lohan around. You only have to wait a short time and then next big screw up falls right in your lap. In a time when PETA is in every glossy magazine and even HSUS has a facebook page I find it staggering that this crap is still going on in public places. There are people who cheer this crap on! Who are these sickos?
Mississippi Charity Horse Show 2011: I can only hope that the charity if for rehabbing these poor abused horses. There is no section of society so stricken that it needs charity based on the abuse and torture of animals.
A show for horse abusing asshatstrainers that highlights that some people can be paid to be abusive assholes and still show their face in public. Makes you wonder what they’d do if a burning building full of puppies needed their help.
2011 WHAT National Trainers Show
It obvious that this type of abuse isn’t new, although it has been refined to a degree. This video is from the early 80s and it is a shining example of how far people are willing to go to get the artificial gaits needed to win in the show ring.
Horse Abuse
This crap needs to stop. It’s as abusive as the shit Michael Vick pulled. The only reason it continues is because horses are not vocal in their pain like dogs are. If every horse that entered the ring was groaning and whinnying in pain this shit would be over. This crap has gone on far too long and it is unbelievable that people actually try to defend it. I hear enablers and their spawn women and kids trying to justify using chains on a horse; it’s like a bangle bracelet. Really? Put some mustard on your ankles, add an 8 ounce chain and run around all day and night in six inch heels and see how you fucking feel about bangle bracelets. I can’t wear heels for an hour without wanting to kill myself, I can’t imagine having them nailed to my feet. And the whole tail bracing thing. WTF is up with that? Aren’t we past the age when nicking a horse and bracing his tail is acceptable? If you want your horse’s tail to fly up then make him happy, not miserable.
Enough is enough people. This shit is not going to stop by playing nice. It’s not going to be “cured” by the USDA. It is only going to stop when the people that oversee the USDA and every other organization are publicly humiliated. Write them, catch them on tape, post videos, contact every news agency in America and hammer away at the matter. This is YOUR breed, stop letting the public image, and that of every respectable owner, be tarnished by the animal abusing assholes exhibitors in the ring.
I cannot do it alone. Those of you within the breed have to work to get this done.
There are resources, and people, that want to see an end to this abuse. Contact them and get involved. Be prepared to fight and fight hard. The horse deserves your help.
Wow, some complete asshat just tried to hack my Blogger account. Probably the same stupid bitch that emailed me griping because her horse is on one of the PSSM lists. Hacking is a federal offense stupid, blogger has been notified!
PSSM: Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy
For those of you that haven’t heard of it PSSM is the new HYPP in the stock horse industry. It’s a genetic defect found in many breeds, but is easily traceable within the stock horse industry to certain sires and dams. It’s a genetic defect that is largely being ignored because, like HYPP, it is silent, doesn’t cause gaping wounds, can be covered up with drugs and can be managed, if the horse is fed properly. PSSM has gone by many names: Monday Morning Sickness, Tying up, Azoturia. It’s actually a disease that has been discussed and documented for a long time.But until recently there wasn’t a genetic test for it, and people were unsure of how it was inherited. That’s all about to change.
What does PSSM look like? It looks painful and it looks like a problem. Don’t ignore the symptoms and don’t think that just because you haven’t seen it your horse doesn’t have it.
Ethical breeders like Jan Taylor of Taylor Made Appaloosa and Loretta Grossett of LL Appaloosas are testing everything and working hard to educate breeders. There are a few facebook groups about PSSM that are worth joining.
It’s sad to note that the Appaloosa sire Dreamfinder is being found in so many PSSM horses’ pedigrees. The correlation is too great to ignore. If you own a Dreamfinder horse get it tested, and if it’s positive don’t breed it!
This list of PSSM positive horses will grow as long as people keep breeding and not testing. It is a fundamental shame of the horse industry that they will not remove a genetically defective line as long as it is winning in the show ring. HYPP could have been wiped out in one generation, but greed and a complete lack of ethics has kept it going 20 years after Impressive was outed. I hope people will take a proactive stance on PSSM and try to eradicate it from the stock horse industry. Ask before you breed, ask before you buy. If an owner won’t disclose PSSM status then walk away. Once the demand for these horses is zero then people will quit producing them.
Isn't this cute, I'm already getting threats of legal action for posting the list of horses! Well the truth hurts!
UsuallyI ignore the natural horsemanship trainwhores. They don't show and there abuse is more focused in the round pen and expo than the show ring and warm up pen. But awhile back Fugly Horse of the Day outed this idiot and I wanted to do a follow up after a rash of posts on an Arabian horse forum. Evidently Mr. Byers is not only a horse abuser he's a international criminal. He's no longer listed on the John Lyons' site as a trainer John Lyons Homepage
This was posted on the Arab forum, looks like someone is in trouble!
FACT: Randy Byers is NO LONGER a Lyons Certified Trainer, due to his unscrupulous training techniques. Randy Byers is NO LONGER a Royal Champion Supplements Endorser due to his unfair treatment of horses. FACT: Randy Byers is in jail in Canada up on 3 counts of contravening the Immigration and Customs Act. Evading Customs, Failing to Report to Customs, and Failing to report for Examination. This IS PUBLIC INFORMATION. Call the Courthouse at 519-333-2950. He has been incarcerated since Sept 8th. His first video court appearance was Sept. 20, his second video appearance is Sept 22 at the Sarnia Courthouse, presumably to face more charges. Now....would you like any more proof of his horse beating???? I'll invite some of his victims on here, and you can hear their testimonies. Fugly was right.
Looks like he needs to stay in jail. Pity they can't let the other prisoners bend him over and ride him like he did this horse.
Natural Whoremanship is NOT the way to train your horse! Don't let these money hungry jerks ruin your horse's productive life by creating these bad habits.
I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know a whole lot about Missouri Fox Trotters. I know they are a nice, tolerant breed, with a rather interesting history. I know they make a great family horse and that they are known for their smooth gaits. I’ve seen a few in real life and admired what I saw. The horse below is a treat to the eye and he’s everything a relaxed, happy, gaited horse should be. He’s not wearing ridiculous pads, he doesn’t have his tail nicked or in a brace, his headset is natural and he has a kind eye and demeanor. He’s a far cry from a jacked up, in pain, head-cranked-back walking horse or saddlebred.
I would have gone about with this comfortable illusion if a reader hadn’t tipped me off to the rot in the MFT industry. I would have preferred to remain ignorant, but the videos are just too fricking much to bear. Exactly when did it become okay to ride a horse like a drunken idiot, wearing ill-fitting clothing, using western styles that have been dead for 20 years (buckstitching, really?) and jerking the shit out of your horse’s mouth? Well color me fricking surprised, but last year’s MFT Celebration seems to be the happening place for all of these things to happen.
To quote someone that was at the show: In the open 5+ Performance, Entry #579 “Grand Central” with Thomas J Williams became “World Grand Champion 2010”. It will be forever a secret, how 5 judges could make it possible to place 1st this horse with this rider. A certain group of visitors was enthusiastic, screaming hysterical about the manner, in which “Grand Central” made his rounds with much animation, but the question remains open, how he could get such an evaluation in Walk, Foxtrot, Canter, Conformation and EQUITATION.
EQUITATION? Are you fricking shitting me? The rider looks like Quasimodo’s brother, after a serious bender, riding the most pissed of horse in creation. I SO wish that poor horse would just LOSE it and dump his hunched over ass in the dirt and then fox trot over his head!
I give WP and HUS riders hell all the time about their lack of equitation but this guy really reaches a new low. And I don’t want to hear SHIT about how “that’s how you ride a gaited horse.” Bullshit! The guy on the palomino doesn’t have his toes pointing at the ground! He’s not hunched over like he’s about to barf all over his horse. And that head nodding that is supposed to be so natural is being brought about by jerking hands and spurs. We can see with our own eyes that the horse that won the class was the LEAST suitable! What a load of horse shit! Shame on the MFT Celebration judges for placing this travesty of riding! So after watching that 15 minute video I thought: Surely this is an isolated incident. I’ve never really heard of the MFT having the abuse and other industry problems that the other gaited breeds have. How wrong I was! (see it can happen even to me!) I searched youtube and came up with some more videos that made me want to hurl up my angrily chewed M&Ms.
Here we go again, same sorry-assed rider on a TWO YEAR OLD ( and we all know how that pisses me off!) and he’s doing the same crappy riding method!
WTF are you doing with that shank bit on a two year old? You abusive bastard! Get your big ass off of that horse and walk for yourself. You look like a caveman on a Shetland pony for Christ’s sake. And the judges placed this shit? It makes watching the Reichert bearable. I’d have to tune into the TWH Celebration just to get the images out of my mind! ( By the way Tom, the constantly jerking up and down of your hands makes you look like you’re beating off on this poor horse’s back. I’m sure you’re getting off on the ride, but no need to let the rest of us know how much you enjoy it.)
These are just “are you fricking shitting me” video moments! I had no idea that this crap went on. It surely can’t be the norm. So I looked further and found a few MFT videos that didn’t look like some un-evolved creature having sex with his hands on a horse’s back.
Here’s another case of the kids riding better than the adults. Can’t say I’m too crazy about the long shanked bits and buckstitch, but the equitation is leagues above the other guy!
And here’s an amateur class that looks many levels above the World Champion ride Mr. Tom “Let’s jerk the shit out of my horse” Williams turned in.
I could ride one of these stalwart fellows all day (minus those shitaceous bits) So why can’t the pro trainwhores figure out how to ride and make it look natural? Why does every pro make riding seem like it is such a chore? Just to clear the bad taste in my mouth out I went and looking for some more natural MFT videos and found this one:
What a nice horse, what a nice ride. Kudos to Far West Fox Trotters for riding in such a relaxed manner. Why can’t the pros figure out that THIS is what it’s all about. Not that jerking, spurring, hunched over and making the horse Missourable.
This year’s MFT Celebration is going on now, if you get interesting video let me know and I’ll do a follow up blog. Missouri Misery loves company!
It's still going on and it is horrific. When is the state of Tennessee going to get off of their ass and do something about this level of abuse?
Rather than posting another rant I'm providing a link to a TWH blog that covers all the aspects of the breed. Read it and weep, it shows we have not evolved to the point that we should have.
I usually don’t have a beef with the Arab performance crowd. They don’t block tails and their horses usually don’t drag their heads around like zombies. Also the WP riders know at least a modicum of equitation and don’t lean back like they are about to tip off over the ass of the horse. But photos from the 2011 Scottsdale Arab show really got my blood boiling and confirmed why drawing and quartering is an acceptable form of punishment.
Let’s talk about horse training for a second. Horse training is such a simple process. You make the horse do what you want him to do, by making him think he wants to do it in the first place. Let’s face it, unless you’re dealing with miniature horses you are at the mercy of an animal that is much bigger and stronger. A person can equalize the relationship with talent and training, or, as the dickheads in the below photos show, with cruel equipment and harsh methods. It never ceases to amazes me how people can take something as simple as a snaffle or bosal and turn it into a torture device, yet it gets done at every show, in every warm up pen.
The Arabian is a gorgeous animal. He is intelligent, dynamic and spirited. An Arabian running across a grassy meadow is proof that the hand of God has touched this world, even if only briefly. To take such an animal and subject it to harsh methods is a crime.
My first example is how a good piece of equipment can be bastardized to become something abusive. A bosal is about as gentle a piece of horse gear as you can find. It’s a simple loop of braided rawhide with a heel button. Fitted correctly and used properly it is the first stage to creating a “bridled” horse. Made out of other material it can become a tortuous device as shown below.
A bent metal bosal? This thin? You can see the mark on the horse’s jaw where this thing has created a pressure point. And the damn thing is riding too low on the nose too. Is this the kind of thing you want on your young horse? Is this acceptable as a training measure? Hell no! This sucks and it should never be allowed on a show grounds
The next most basic piece of equipment is a snaffle. Most snaffles are fairly benign bits. They usually have a regular jointed mouthpiece and work by direct pull. It’s pretty hard to mess up a horse with a regular snaffle, so the trainwhores have figured out how to make this seemingly innocuous bit into a torture device.
What’s wrong with this picture? Where do we start? Some asshole stuff a thin twisted wire snaffle on a horse and cranked it until the horse’s lips are screaming at the seams and he’s foaming. Then they added a running martingale and draw reins. Really? Like one of those wasn’t enough to slow your horse down? You’re in a warm up pen, just how much crank control do you need? I wish this poor horse had flipped over on your dumb ass like you deserved. This is the kind of shit that makes people want to sit in the stands with a deer rifle and pick idiots off.
A step up from the snaffle is a curb bit. Curbs are leverage bits. They produce poll, mouth, tongue, and chin pressure. The standard curb bit has a 1½" cheek and a 4½" lower shank, thus producing a 1:3 ratio of cheek to lower shank, a 1:4 ratio of cheek to full shank, thus producing 3 lbs of pressure on the chin groove and 4 lbs of pressure on the horse's mouth for every 1 lb placed on the reins. In other words, keep your fricking hands light and stay off the bit. The standard rule of thumb that any GOOD trainer uses is that you don’t use leverage devices with a leverage bit. No martingales or draw reins on anything with a shank, it’s simply too much pressure.
The person below missed that lesson and decided to add even more leverage and use a German martingale with the curb bit because ten pounds of pressure across his horse’s tongue just wasn’t enough!
Can you say “Asshat”? I can. Are you really so incompetent that you can’t train without cranking your horse’s head to his chest with 15 pounds of leather? How would you like to try to work with this much crap on your head?
For some reason in history people decided that one bit wasn’t enough and created the Weymouth. I know people use them in upper level dressage and saddleseat, but really the point escapes me. However, when used properly they probably don’t do too much damaged. The problem with them is that you don’t have to pass a test before using such equipment, so these bits end up in the hands of people that aren’t qualified to pick their own noses, such as the dimwit below.
A martingale on the curb and the snaffle rein? What a complete dick you are! And that’s an illegal bit for dressage anyway, so why are you training in it? You horse sure looks unhappy! How would you like to have two bits pressing down on your tongue and the bars of your mouth? I can’t stand to have a fricking hair lay across my tongue; I can’t imagine how this shit feels.
Sadly it’s not only the English riders that do this stupid shit. For a long time western trainers didn’t use shit like draw reins and martingales, especially not with a shanked bit. Looks like times have changed and now every trainwhore in the country is using draw reins to take shortcuts in training.
Doesn’t this look wonderful? Don’t you wish that the judges could see this shit and rate it? Nothing like an 8 inch shank bit with a set of draw reins on it. Maybe we should just throw out all the show rules and let people ride in classes like this so everyone could see up close how sucky these trainers are. Think about it, isn’t this shit in the warm-up pen kind of like models who get their photos airbrushed to cover up crows feet and cellulite? Ten minutes after this photo you expect us to believe that your horse is trained perfectly and will make a balanced consistent ride? Liar!
Once thing that is consistent in all of these photos is the whole tight nostril-tense lip look that every one of these horses display. They are in pain and they are frustrated. These are not happy horses; they are pissed off and fearful. They should be allowed to buck these idiots off and then stomp their heads.
Shame on the trainers that perpetrated these abuses and shame on the show management that allowed this kind of abuse in the warm up pen! Where the hell is the oversight that would have prevented this crap? The AHA needs to step up and put a stop to this kind of thing!
We've all heard horror stories about train wrecks, but these videos are first hand accounts of the stupidity that goes on in the horse world. Not all are show related, but they do indicate that the mentality of the horse owning community slips pretty low sometimes. This first video is just horrific. I can't believe people this stupid are let out without keepers.
How fricking stupid do you have to be to hitch up a horse with NO training, no safe fencing, no safe clothing and equipment that belongs in the trash? And then to do this crap in a neighborhood, with kids around, just puts you at the top of the dipshit heap. I really like the segment where you have the kid ride bareback n front of the crazed horse, as he lunges up and down, almost hitting the pony, in his efforts to break free.
Gotta say I love this one:
And the no-riding dumbass on his back should have kept his spurs out of Cutter's sides because he caused the prolonged bad behavior. Looks like your horse doesn't appreciate your sloppy riding and poor handling.
I get the fact that reining has changed from the good old days. I know the "fencing" is an accepted practice. But when did reining horses start to hang their heads like WP horses? And when did the constant jerk and spur become standard? And when did reining trainers stop learning how to actually RIDE a horse? These people look like shit. I wouldn't place them at a local show. No posture, bad legs, horrible hands, the horses look miserable and stiff. Where is the beauty of reining?
These next two videos showcase something that is very wrong with the show system: The warm up pen. Show management better get off their asses and start really monitoring the warm up pens. It's bad in everything from reining to dressage. The two following videos show how awful the riding and treatment are outside of the ring. In my opinion these riders should have been banned from competition.
And WTF is this? You haul so hard on the reins that your horse's tongue turns BLUE? Fricking BLUE!!!! Why wasn't this asshole dragged off that horse and beaten to within an inch of his life? Someone needs to rolkur this jerk for several hours until he learns to ride without his hands holding him on!
Really, there is so much to be ashamed of that happens behind the scenes that we should be ashamed of, but to see this kind of blatant abuse in front of spectators, other competitors and show personnel is disgraceful! It has got to stop!
A huge thank you to epona TV for featuring some of these idiots and refusing to back down from showing abuse!
This is copied from another forum and all credit goes to Dr. Tanis MacDonald DVM
EHV-1 – What Do I Need To Know RIGHT NOW?
For the purposes of this post right this moment, I am not going to get into a lot of scientific details about Equine Herpes Virus 1 (EHV-1) – you can find the science with a Google search. What I am going to give you the down-and-dirty version of how it works and what you need to know RIGHT NOW to prevent this in your barn.
First, the EHV-1 virus has been around for a long time. This disease is nothing new. However, it is the kind of virus that mutates frequently. This makes it hard to target long-lasting vaccines toward the virus.
EHV-1 can cause 4 kinds of disease in a horse – but we are going to focus on the respiratory version and the neurologic version. In many horses that contract EHV-1 viruses, they spike high fevers, become lethargic, have clear runny noses and generally feel like crap. Many horses only get the respiratory version and clear the virus after a few days and have no further problems with it.
In some horses, and no one understands why they do this, the respiratory form can become the neurologic form. Literally, the virus gets into the spinal fluid and causes a myeloencephalopathy – a severe viral brain and spinal fluid infection. This infection is what causes the horses to become suddenly neurologic.
The EHV-1 virus is RIDICULOUSLY contagious. It spreads via nasal secretions, and horses can contract it by touching the nose of another horse, through the air or from simply being in a barn that was previously occupied by a horse that was shedding the EHV-1 virus.
The current outbreak has been linked to a cutting horse show in UT and linked cases are now popping up in several other states. As such, several vet school hospitals are closed or not seeing emergency patients, many horse shows are being cancelled, etc.
STEP 1 – STAY HOME!
The first step in prevention of EHV-1 is to take a deep breath, and STAY HOME. There is no such thing as an Emergency Horse Show. This is not the time to go visit your friends down the street with horses. This is not the time to load up and meet 20 different trailers at a trail ride and head out for the day. The BEST way to prevent EHV-1 exposure is to quarantine your horses and barn from other equine traffic.
If you have been in contact with horses associated with the Utah show, you should start to take temperatures on your horses twice a day. The fever spike is one of the very first signs that happens in horses. If your horse spikes a fever, you need to contact your equine vet IMMEDIATELY for further instructions and testing.
STEP 2 – VACCINATE
There is NO EHV-1 vaccine that is labelled for the prevention of the neurologic form of EHV-1. However, several are labelled for the prevention of the respiratory form. This is the “rhino vaccine” that your horse normally gets in its regular vaccine series. It is KEY to note that the rhino vaccines generally have a very short efficacy even under normal circumstances. If your horse is high risk, or has had exposure to horses or barns that are affected, even if your horse just had a recent “flu/rhino” vaccine in its spring series, it would be a good idea to consider boosting your horse with a rhino-only vaccine.
The two most effective rhino vaccines to use in the face of an outbreak are Rhinomune (modified live virus) or Pneumabort-K (killed vaccine).
Rhinomune vaccine should be used ONLY in non-pregnant animals because it is a modified live vaccine. It should be noted that there is a small chance of a horse developing colicky symptoms secondary to the vaccine administration, so monitoring the horse after the vaccine is important.
Pneumabort-K is a vaccine that is labelled for pregnant mares, so is definitely safe for them. It can also be used in stallions, geldings, and non-pregnant mares as well with no problems as an off-label use. It is a high-reaction vaccine, and often makes a lump in the muscle where it is given.
*Edit here to add Prodigy by Intervet Schering Plough to the list of high-antigen load vaccines that are useful in the face of an outbreak.
Again, the key here is to try to prevent the respiratory form of EHV-1 so that the horse doesn’t develop the neurologic form.
The reason these vaccines are the ones recommended is because they are the most potent vaccines against EHV-1 – they contain the most dead or modified live EHV-1 virus per dose. In the face of an outbreak, it is important to boost those antibodies hard and fast and these vaccines can do that. If you cannot get ahold of either of these, the third choice would be to reboost one of the normal Flu/Rhino vaccines that are on the market.
STEP 3 – IMMUNE BOOSTERS
The immune booster, Zylexis, is labelled for the treatment of the respiratory form of EHV-1. The idea is to help boost the horse’s natural immune system and make it stronger, therefore making it easier for the horse to fight the virus naturally. Zylexis is given on day 0, 2 and 9 as a IM injection.
Another immune booster is EqStim, which is similar to Zylexis only given IV instead.
STEP 4 – BE SMART
Again, to reiterate, stay calm and stay home.
Quarantine your barn from unnecessary horse traffic. Do not travel with your horse unless under emergency circumstances.
copyright Tanis MacDonald, DVM 2011
Now back to your regularly scheduled bitcher and moaner, ME! I have to agree completely that there is absolutely no show worth taking a sick horse too. I don't care if it's the fricking Olympics, if the horse is sick he stays home. On the other side of the fence is the healthy horse that can show, but shouldn't. If there is a contagious disease at any facility you are planning to go to, within the next 60 days, DON'T GO! You are not going to win enough prize money to pay vet bills or buy a new horse if your horse gets sick and dies. Stay home and spend some time brushing up and getting caught up on other stuff. Do not think for a second that your horse is safe and that it couldn't possibly happen to you. That's exactly what the people that have infected horses now thought and look how wrong they were! So for your sake and your horses, stay home and stay safe.
I'm sure anyone that has read this blog knows my views on soring in the gaited horse world. Trainers that sore are the bottom feeders of the horse world. Owners that keep their horses with trainers that sore should be banned from ever owning an animal.
So now a federal grand jury has handed down indictments on incidents that have happened since 2002. You can read the full story here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18167
My question is: What took so fucking long? When you found out the first horse was sored their asses should have been in jail. To dick around for 8 years is just unacceptable. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you busted these idiots. There should be a special jail for Barney Davis, Christen Altman, Jeffery Bradford and Paul Blackburn. They should have to walk across nails every day, have their heads tied back to their ankles so they get jerked on every step and had to live with a tail speculum stuck up their ass.
The fact that this kind of shit is still happening is a disgrace. The state of Tennessee should have the balls to stand up and BAN padding. They should ban tail harnesses. And they should tell those abuse enablers that run the Celebration to clean their act up or find another venue. Governor Bill Halsam, are you fricking listening? Your state promotes, condones and encourages the most abusive and messed up treatment of horses in the entire United States. Your state horse is a padded walker. You can't drive through Tennessee without seeing the padded up walker silhouette on signs, U-Haul vans, farms and bumper stickers. It's messed up. You might as well get a license plate that says: Tennessee; We're Animal Unfriendly.
I'm sure a bunch of you will pop up and say: You can't blame Tennessee for all the soring. Wanna bet? They host the Celebration, the biggest clusterfuck of abuse in the US. I don't care if the HPA inspectors are on the grounds, the abuse that takes place leading up the show is horrific. The padding, chains, long shanked twisted wire bits, tail braces and all the other accoutrements are just WRONG! There are no excuses. There is no legitimate reason to brace a horse's tail. There is no reason to use huge pads on a horse. It just serves NO purpose except to condemn the horse to a life of being stall kept, constant pain and not living the life that most horses lead.
Stop the crap Bill Halsam, grow some balls and clean up the horse show industry in Tennessee!
