NEWS - New Sored Horse Photos Pop Up Online - WARNING: GRAPHIC PICTURES

I apologize in advance for these photos.  They are graphic and look like they should belong on a horse from the 80s or 90s.  But in reality, these photos were taken just yesterday, as far as I understand.

Front right foot

Front left foot

These are soring scars, folks.  This is from a long time of chemicals being applied and then chains banging on the pasterns.  Also note the hair loss on the cornet band of the horse's right foot in the front left foot photo.

Here's what I've learned as far as the facts.  Some of it might not be accurate, and quite frankly, we might never know exactly what the issue is.  I'll talk more about that below.

These are photos of a mare named Jose Wine and Roses.  She is a three year old filly, registration number 20900481.  Her owner as listed on iPEDs is Deborah Murphy of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.  In case you don't know, iPEDS is an online pedigree available through TWHBEA for a fee (of course).  Any horse's history can be looked up on iPEDS to find out the name, owner, and show information.

This mare was allowed through inspection at the 2011 TWHBEA National Futurity on 8/25.  She won fourth place of 10 (or more) horses in class number 5, Two-Year-Old Mares and Geldings.  This was a stacked class.  At that time, she was on stacks and she was in training with David Landrum.  SHOW was the HIO for this show.  Click here for the show results.

Landrum has four violations listed, the latest one being from 2010 for a violation of SHOW rules.  There is no suspension end date listed--the current end date is 1/1/2099, which is usually the filler date used when a ruling hasn't been made.

From what my sources say, Murphy moved the mare from Landrum's training barn to Joe Cotten's training barn two to two and a half weeks ago.  So as far as I can find, the mare had been with Landrum up until two weeks or so ago.  These pictures were taken yesterday, from what my sources say, and Joe Cotten posted them on his Facebook page today.  He also posted this quote:

Joe Cotten
19 hours ago via mobile 
got this horse in the otherday asked the grand pupa mullins how this horse ever showed get a call today from a board member said they are gonna drop the hammer on me?who is giving out that 10k?

"Grand pupa mullins" means Dr. Mullins, our friendly neighborhood liar when it comes to pretending that soring isn't going on and Jackie the Jerk was just one bad apple.

As far as I understand, Murphy had no idea this was going on.  She did come ride the horse from time to time while she was at the training stables of Landrum, but she just rode her and that was all.

Murphy was told that this horse can no longer be shown because of the condition of her pasterns.  Murphy went and picked up the horse from Cotten's place today.  Not sure what's happened to her since then.

Now you might be saying well this could be any horse, these photos could be from X years ago.  But we have confirmation from Bob Medina, a representative of the TWH industry, that this horse has not been shown since the 2011 Futurity.  Direct quote from the Walking Horse Report:

My thoughts are this:

1.  As far as I understand, Murphy said she didn't know this was going on.  But you know, with all the stuff in the medial and online about soring, I know if I were an owner, I'd be checking my horses feet every time I came to that barn.  I'd be educating myself on what soring scars look like, and if I had found this, you bet your a$$ the trainer would be reported to the USDA and he/she would have a lawsuit on his/her hands.  It just seems only logical to try to protect your horse when it's in training.  Especially with as much these people say they "love" their horses.

2.  With the third point that Medina made, the problem is that these scars are not something that happens overnight or within a two week period.  This is from a long time of soring and then trying to burn off scars.  We know she was stacked as a two-year old, we know she was with Landrum when she was trained and shown, and we know that she not only showed but also placed in a show that was only 10 months ago, and therefore passed inspection by SHOW.  Something smells extremely fishy to me.

3.  People are both praising and bashing Cotten for posting these pictures.  And it seems that Cotten might just end up being "punished" by SHOW.  I did also find out that he used to work for Landrum's stables, as listed here.  What's clear to me though is that some people truly want soring to end, and some don't.  It seems that those who don't are the ones calling the shots.

Most likely parts of what I've posted here aren't correct.  I have screen captures of a lot of information, but rumors fly.  These were the best facts I could find.  I eliminated all I knew that couldn't be backed up.  Either way, this is a crystal clear indication with evidence that soring is still rampant, and that SHOW is letting sore horses through on a regular basis.