Well, here’s a another hot mess, and horses are suffering cruelly year after year — decade after decade — for it. If you think horse racing has problems, the industry that “sores” and competes Tennessee Walking Horses is loathsome and mafioso-like in its operations.
The Horse Protection Act was passed by Congress in 1970 but the law had not been enforced. Horse soring is just as rampant as ever.
Cross-posted from The Horse
PAT RAIA reports:
The USDA might decertify five Tennessee Walking Horse Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs) for failing to comply with provisions contained in a new Horse Protection Act (HPA) enforcement rule.
The HPA prohibits soring–the deliberate injury to a horse’s feet and legs to achieve an exaggerated, high-stepping gait. The USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) enforces the Act, certifies HIOs that manage horse shows, and trains Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs) who inspect horses presented for exhibition at the horse shows for HPA compliance.
Five other HIOs–Sound Horse, Honest Judging, Objective Inspections, Winning Fairly (SHOW); Professional Regulation and Inspection for Dedicated Equestrians; the Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association; the Heart of America Walking Horse Association; and the Kentucky Walking Horse Association–had not submitted amended rulebooks to APHIS, Gipson’s letter said.
Tuesday's Horse 
This is so outrageous. How can we let this continue? Three trainers: Brad Beard, Marvin North, and Knox Blackburn received a 2 WEEK suspension for soring their horses….How can this be? Why aren’t they seeing jail time? I am sure those poor horses suffered more than 2 weeks. The Celebration horse show, the owners and trainers and the town of Shelbyville TN should all be ashamed. The owners sitting in their box seats should be filmed for ABC national TV. Show their faces along with the abuse video. Lets see them parade around in stacks, chains, and chemicals on the calves. Absolutely disgusting people involved in this horrific animal abuse who could care less what the rest of America thinks about them and their BIG LICK.
LikeLike
Perfectly put Margaret. You get a big “Amen” from us.
LikeLike
All i know to do is pray, ive wrote letters, nice and not so nice, when will it ever change.
LikeLike
Bev – Pray? Really? Your not serious are you? There is no god and if there is shame on him or her to allow all the suffering in this world. That is not a god I care to acknowkedge. Praying is just as ridiculous as thinking something will change. I’m an atheist always have been always will be so praying to me is absolutely insane.
LikeLike
Please be kind and respect others’ beliefs.That should be on everyone’s agenda regardless of faith or lack of it. Thanks!
LikeLike
This is an abhorrent and blatant act of animal cruelty. It has been going on for a long time. Whether it is the incessant drugging then dumping of racehorses or deliberately hurting a Walking Horse these are crimes that are going unpunished. These poor horses are sitting ducks in their stalls with nowhere to flee while the needle is coming at their vein or the wires going into their feet. Try adopting an horse with a lifetime of pain and abuse. These people perpetrating this pain are irresponsible and heartless. How do they sleep at night?
LikeLike
Some people get a car and run it into the ground until it is a piece of junk then send them to the scrap heap. That is what people who abuse sport horses are like. They use horses up until they can no longer function for the purpose they got them for, then either dump them for slaughter or find someone to take them off their hands, like a willing rescue. In the case of a top prize winner they rush them off to stud while they can still stand.
LikeLike
This is like the racing industry nothing will ever be done about it because the law is not enforced. To many palms being greased. If it was a felony with a stiff jail term for all people caught doing this it would change in a hurry. The horses are the ones that have paid the price and will pay the price for the law being ignored.
LikeLike
$$$ is the only thing that talks to these people. Maybe going after every sponsor they have till these events go broke and they can no longer afford to have them will help.
LikeLike