Back to our friendly neighborhood sore horse trainers and supporters, Barney Davis, Christen Altman and Jeffery Bradford. Below is the article from Rate My Horse PRO, including links to their previous articles and the docket including final sentencing.
Of note:
He [Davis] stressed the pervasiveness of soring in the gaited horse industry and testified that horses “have got to be sored to walk," referring to the exaggerated gait displayed in the show ring.
Of course, the industry is going to deny this. Which brings me to another point: the industry is quick to support soring and those who continue to sore horses by rewarding them with awards and high positions in their associations. But as soon as one gets caught, they scatter. They'll be shaking their heads and saying things like well, we never really associated with him anyway. Besides, he sored Spotted Saddle Horses--they're not related to Tennessee Walking Horses in any way (never mind that over half of all SSHs are double registered as TWHs). He's just making that up--everyone knows that most horses are sound. MY horses are sound; come on out to my barn and see! They won't see this as an opportunity to stop doing what they're doing to avoid getting caught. They'll just take off and continue to work on other ways to sore their horses so they don't get caught. Mark my words--this is the kind of stuff you'll hear.
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Trainer Sentenced to Prison for Soring Horses
by RMHP Staff
Three defendants including spotted saddle horse trainer, Barney Davis, were sentenced today for horse soring violations.
Davis was ordered by US District Judge Harry Mattice to serve twelve months in prison and to pay a $4,000 fine. When he is released he will serve three years supervised release. The judge also ordered Davis to write an article or help in the production of an educational video showing soring methods and demonstrating how inspectors can better detect sored horses.
During his sentencing, Davis described mechanical devices and chemical irritants used to sore horses and showed examples of chains, bolts, blocks, and eight-pound tungsten shoes used to cause a gaited horse to adopt an exagerated gait for the show ring. He stressed the pervasiveness of soring in the gaited horse industry and testified that horses “have got to be sored to walk," referring to the exaggerated gait displayed in the show ring.
Christen Altman and Jeffery Bradford were sentenced to lesser penalties for their crimes. They both were ordered to serve a year probation and pay a $1,000 fine. They must also put together educational articles that discuss the methods of soring, the effects of soring horses, and the types of people who seek out trainers who sore horses.
The three pleaded guilty in November to various violations of the Horse Protection Act. Davis also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit witness tampering in this case.
US Attorney Bill Killian said, “The crimes committed by these individuals are examples of wide-spread problems in the equine industry that give unfair and illegal advantage to some competitors over others, in addition to causing extreme pain to the animals. This issue has our attention and we will continue to pursue violators of the Horse Protection Act to assure fairness in competition and to protect the welfare of the horses that are a symbol of our state.”
USA v Barney Davis; Christen Altman; and Jeffery Bradford
Blackburn Sentenced for Soring Horses
Tennessee Horse Trainer Pleads Guilty to Soring
Blackburn Guilty of Horse Soring Violations
"Today, Tennessee Walking Horses are known throughout the industry
as the breed that shows abused and tortured horses."
~ Jim Heird, Ph.D., Do Right By The Horse, February 2010
"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity,
you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
~ St. Francis of Assisi
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