Tennessee “celebrates” another year of hideous horse cruelty

Horse Soring The show must go on for these serial horse abusers — but who attends these hideous events? Not many. The days when the stands were comparatively full during Celebration are long since gone. Attendance has been dwindling for years (with and without COVID). The Walking Horse Report brags that this year's paid attendance…

Big Lick horses: Training babies

When training horses for human-imagined and -staged competitions, it often begins when the horses are very young. It is no different with sored or “Big Lick” horses and heartbreaking. The jerky, unnatural high-stepping gait called the “Big Lick” is induced through what is called horse soring, achieved only by inflicting unconscionable pain on a horse's…

Quote of the Day

It’s not "a few bad apples"; rather the entire barrel of apples is rotten. The “Big Lick” is no better than dog fighting and cock fighting. All who practice or support it are guilty because animal cruelty is absolutely necessary to create and maintain the “Big Lick” gait. Horses do not have a voice, so…

2019 Celebration Grand Champion winner suspended

The script never changes when it comes to horse soring, does it? Clant Seay writes: World Grand Champion “Big Lick” Trainer BOYZ Mr. Rodney Dick upholds “Tennessee Tradition” of going on the USDA federal suspension list for alleged "horse soring" shortly after the conclusion of this year's Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. But that's not…

Nashville Vote on Soring Ban Tonight

NEWS RELEASE Effort to Stop Animal Cruelty Secured an Overwhelming Majority of Lawmakers in Congress Voting for Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act NASHVILLE, TN, USA, August 6, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 693, by a vote of 333 to 96. U.S.…

Horse protection advocates meet with Congressman Wednesday on soring rule

WASHINGDON, DC (Mar. 26, 2017) — Early on Sunday evening, Clant Seay, founder of Citizens Campaign Against Big Lick Animal Cruelty (CCABLAC), released a short video in which he affirmed an event scheduled for Wednesday in Washington, DC and an appearance with a congressman. The group had previously scheduled the presentation of its petition containing…

Final horse soring rule could lead to legal action

WASHINGTON, DC — On January 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a final rule that strengthens the Horse Protection Act (HPA) and safeguards horses from the practice of soring. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the new amendments to the Horse Protection Act make…

Kentucky Horse Park may host sale that could include “stacked” horses

We are not big fans of the Kentucky Horse Park as they promote and host rodeos and what we view as other abusive equine events. Look what they are getting up to now. Below is an introductory excerpt from a detailed article by reporter Janet Patton for the Lexington Herald-Leader. "A controversial breed might be…

Tensions high as inspectors take crackdown to heart of the walking horse industry

Winky Groover, of Shelbyville, is a trainer who is willing to talk about the past and the future. He believes that on the whole, the breed draws more spectators than any other horse events. But he thinks to keep that going, he and his fellow trainers and walking horse owners have to convince the government…

Walking Horse Celebration’s flat shod performers gain popularity

by HEIDI HALL Cross-posted from The Tennessean Most people come to the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration expecting to see what the TV commercials show — performance horses in 3-inch shoes, their front legs reaching high and long in a distinctive gait exaggerated by training and unusual footwear. But there’s a smaller class that doesn’t…