Convicted horse abuser tells about about widespread soring of walking horses

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Convicted horse abuser tells about about widespread soring of walking horses

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

I have absolutely no doubt that everything he said is true. Not all the trainers go this far, some I've run into down here who "just" use chemical soring agents and the chains, and I know this is so because their horses actually stand when they are in the stalls.

LISTEN to how many differents people are complicit in this crime, the trainers, the grooms, the veterinarians, the riders, the judges, the show managers, the inspectors and the owners. NO ONE looks out for the benefit of the horse, all that matters is winning. And the problem is that the TWH big lick people are just the worst and most apparent abusers among most of the show horse people. Owners want their horses to win and many of them do not seem to worry that their horses will be tortured in order to make them winners.

I get the impression that many of these people have the idea that if the horse does not move (or stand) exactly like the trainers/ owners/judges want them to that the horse is DEFYING them and therefore deserving of any type of punishment or torture that the human wants to dole out. After all, to them, it is the HORSE'S fault that they do not fulfill the expectations of the humans, no matter how unnatural these expectations are.

Decades ago the abuse was really bad in all the gaited breeds (I'm including packing long hooves here), not that there wasn't abuse in the other types of classes. Now the idea of abusing and torturing your horse to win has become a lot more acceptable in the other types of showing. After all, the TWH people get away with it even after 40 years of the US government trying to end these practices. To some people that makes these practices RIGHT, and for proof they point to their winning ribbons and championship cups. Not all abuse is as blatant as the TWH big lick abuse. I feel sorry for ALL show horses.

Of course if the judges refused to reward abused horses with ribbons these practices would slowly wither away, though there will always be people willing to torture horses that do not fulfill their owner's expectations.

Marlene · Advanced

First , there's no motivation to stop unless the players think prosecution is likely and likely successful. If all those involved were motivated,such as "Do this or else", they could agree together to make a level playing field, stop soring, with inspections of horses, facilities, no rewards for the Big Lick. Personally I think the exaggerated movements are ugly. What's wrong with the natural beauty of a moving horse? Judges judge against a certain standard. Make the standard something that's acheivable by normal means. This soring is at least as abusive as dog fighting and while you may never totally eliminate it, at least you don't have to reward it openly in horse shows.

Barbara F · Grand Prix

I can't understand how the average amateur rider could rationalize hurting their horse this way. I know every discipline has problems, but to intentionally make a horse unsound so it will move bigger in front? I'm sorry, but people WITHIN the sport have to put a stop to it. There are more amateurs than there are professionals and they have to stop being led like sheep. The whole thing makes me SICK!!!

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

All I can do is preach good horsemanship. But during the last few years (since I got on the web) I have noticed a few things:

1) EVERYONE, no matter how cruel and sadistic, thinks they are practicing good horsemanship and they think anyone who thinks otherwise has a problem.
2) NOBODY wants to be told that they are actively torturing their horse, and they will come up with any number of reasons why everyone should think that their methods are better than more humane ones.
3) Any time an older horseman/woman says anything about how things used to done they are subjected to withering scorn and the more "modern" people try to discourage ANY discussion that points out the cruelty (as in--that has been gone over ad nauseum and they are tired of reading about it.)
4) And of course, the proof positive that the cruel methods are proper, THESE METHODS WIN AT THE SHOWS. This goes for ALL show disciplines and all horse games. If a person wins at shows that excuses everything.

If only humanely trained and ridden horses won at the shows then these objectionable practices would disappear within a few years.
FAT CHANCE of that happening!