NEWS and VIDEOS - Further Updates on the Wheelon Case; TN Rep Andy Holt Shows His True Colors

Lots and lots of stuff on the Internet concerning the seizure of the horses.

This is my favorite video so far.  The chestnut horse with only one stack on is the one that unfortunately ran over Stephanie, Horse Haven's Equine Manager.  Horse Haven confirmed that the horse did not have blood on his leg, and the woman did not break her leg but did have to have surgery.  She is recovering but is on crutches and has some nerve damage.  The horse is doing just fine.

Horses seized in Maryville over soring allegations

Of note, in an article I linked below, Wheelon said this horse's hoof was torn off when the stack came off and there was blood everywhere.  I don't see any blood, do any of you?  And there are direct shots of the horse's feet!  Who fed Wheelon that crap?

Here's Horse Haven's page explaining what happened to Stephanie and that she's okay.  If you have a few bucks, please donate to them.  Like so many of us, Stephanie doesn't have medical insurance and needs our help. http://horsehaventn.org/emergency/

Here's another great video of trainer Tyler Irvine of Irvine Training talking about how to correctly train a horse.  it doesn't matter that this horse isn't a TWH...correct training is correct training.  Note: you'll never see a BL training video, book or clinic because "training" comes from a bottle or a bolt.

Horse trainer speaks against 'soring'

In today's article by Roy Exum, Mike Inman of various orgs, notably the WHTA, spews the same response they spewed when Jackie was caught.  Then Mickey McCormick has the gall to say he didn't know about it.

Roy Exum: Wheelon Shames Horse World

Seriously?  How dumb do you think the public is?  And quite frankly, even if either of you didn't know he was soring horses (which I seriously doubt), It seems to me like you don't want to know--all you have to do is go on www.hpadata.us and look up someone's name to find out about their violations.  You should be doing that for ALL members of the BOD and committees for ALL Walking Horse associations.

Roy also pointed this out:

Some of the horses had painful globs of hardened epoxy under their front hooves, which is akin to walking with a big rock in one’s shoe, and others had wrappings on their legs where the burning chemicals would “cook.”

You want a good laugh?  Read this one from The Daily Times.  Because clearly, what all us animal welfare folks have been doing all along is going into people's barns and soring their horses for all these decades.  And it's been the gub'ment that's been encouraging us to do it!  It's all a big conspiracy!!!!  (Where's that sarcasm font when you need it?)

And the horse that ran over Stephanie?  His hoof came off and there was blood in the video!  UMMMMM...NO.  Take a look at the first video I posted here and you'll see the horse that ran over Stephanie.  Direct shots of his feet on the video and guess what?  No blood!

TheHorse.com gives us some good info (click for the article):

“(The horses) were so sore that they would just shake when you touched them,” Bachman said. “Investigators couldn't finish examining one horse because it was so sore, and one horse laid down in its stall and just moaned.”

Here's Roy's first great article about the situation:  Click here.

Our friend Judith Yates over at The Examiner is also keeping up on the story: Click here.

And our other friends at RateMyHorsePRO: Click here.  RMHPRO is a great place for legal documents and transcripts of court cases too--be sure to browse their pages.

Of course, no official word from any TWH organization, and I'm not finding much online from them as far as talk.

There are A LOT more articles out there, but I think I covered everything I could.  So keep commenting on those articles and get your likes out there.  This helps boost interest in those articles, and the media pays attention to that.  They'll continue to report on this issue if we keep the interest up!

Concerning the Ag-Gag bill, here's a horrible piece of backlash by one of Tennessee Representatives to the HSUS.  Click here for the article.

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Tennessee rep’s email calls Humane Society methods ‘tape and rape’
April 26th, 2013 | by Tennessean Admin
Posted by Heidi Hall

The state representative behind Tennessee’s “ag-gag” bill compared Humane Society of the United States investigations to human trafficking of 17-year-old women and called the group’s methods “tape and rape” in an email.

The HSUS released the email exchange this morning between its public policy coordinator, Kayci McLeod, and Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, a hog farmer and one of the bill’s sponsors. The bill, which only needs Gov. Bill Haslam’s signature to become law, would ban long-term investigations of animal cruelty by requiring investigators to turn videos over to police within days. Holt said it would stop animal abuse more quickly, and some undercover investigators can’t tell the difference between legitimate, legal farming techniques and cruelty.

HSUS is one of the bill’s primary opponents and says it’s aimed at protecting abusers from prosecution, because it can take weeks or months to build a case that leads to charges. The group funded a statewide campaign encouraging Tennesseans to express concerns about the bill.

Holt hasn’t returned voicemails on his cell phone or an email. The email exchange is below.

From: Andy Holt [rep.andy.holt@capitol.tn.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 11:26 PM
To: Kayci McLeod
Cc: Andy Holt
Subject: RE: Please Oppose HB 1191

Ms. McLeod,

I am extremely pleased that we were able to pass HB 1191 today to help protect livestock in Tennessee from suffering months of needless investigation that propagandist groups of radical animal activists, like your fraudulent and reprehensibly disgusting organization of maligned animal abuse profiteering corporatists, who are intent on using animals the same way human-traffickers use 17 year old women. You work for a pathetic excuse for an organization and a pathetic group of sensationalists who seek to profit from animal abuse. I am glad, as an aside, that we have limited your preferred fund-raising methods here in the state of Tennessee; a method that I refer to as “tape and rape.” Best wishes for the failure of your organization and it’s true intent.

Andy Holt
State Representative – District 76
Weakley & Northern Carroll Counties
205 War Memorial Building
301 6th Ave. North
Nashville, TN 37243
615.741.7847
rep.andy.holt@capitol.tn.gov

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From: Kayci McLeod [mailto:kmcleod@humanesociety.org]
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 1:44 PM
To: Andy Holt
Subject: Please Oppose HB 1191

Dear Representative Holt,

Have you seen the editorial in the Tennessean today opposing HB 1191, the whistleblower suppression bill intended to cover up animal cruelty?

The Tennessean editorial board condemns the bill, noting that the “bill would certainly take our state in the wrong direction, toward more senseless violence.”

We very much hope you’ll agree with the Tennessean and oppose this dangerous bill. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kayci McLeod
Public Policy Coordinator
Farm Animal Protection Campaign
The Humane Society of the United States
T: 301 258 1564

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CLASSY!  There you have it, Tennessee--that is the kind of people you have in office.  I am sorry you have been so dupped by their shaking hands and kissing babies.

Good response, Kayci, because we all know it could've been pretty bad.  She took the high road.  And to note: last year, Andy went on an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii courtesy of the American Farm Bureau Federation, who is all for the Ag-Gag bill.  Click here to read about it.

I say feel free to email our pal Andy or go to his Facebook page and let him know how you feel.  And be sure to like others' posts that have let him know their thoughts as well.  Traffic like that boosts attention and shows people what kind of monster he truly is.  And don't forget him around voting time!