FTTWH - Taking a Hiatus

Hello to all you sound horse warriors!

I'm taking a hiatus from the FTTWH blog for a while.  I will still post on the FTTWH Facebook page since it's easy, but blogging is taking up time I need to use for other endeavors.  Doesn't mean I'll be gone for good--just won't be blogging for awhile.

I recommend spending time online at the below Facebook pages and websites where you can learn more about how to help end this travesty in our world.

But first, an anonymous poem sent to me.  (Click for a larger view.)  I am keeping this here to remind everyone why we're still fighting and why we need to push harder than ever to get the PAST Act passed.

Websites:
Billy Go Boy
All American Walking Horse Alliance
Stop Soring
Humane Society of the United States - Tennessee Walking Horses
Friends of Sound Horses
National Walking Horse Association
World Walking Horse Association

Facebook Pages & Groups:
Billygoboy
All American Walking Horse Alliance
Humane Society of the United States
Honors Dishonored
Voters who Approve of HR 1518/S 1406
Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH)
World Walking Horse Association

NEWS - The Walk on Washington Was a Success

While the sore side continues to flail and flop like fish out of water and cannot seem to get their proverbial sh*t together, the sound horse group continues to work so hard and get success from their actions.

Billy Go Boy really has the best posts about the event, so I highly recommend going to his website to read everything.  www.billygoboy.com

Some important notes are that about 75 spectators showed up (not many more than those at a Big Lick show).  But most importantly, the media was out in force!  Articles have shown up on ABC News, the Tennessean, CNN, and various other news outlets that were there.  Billy Go Boy has them posted on his site.  Let's see the sore side get that kind of support with their exhibitions.

I have also heard that since the event, four new co-sponsors have signed on to the PAST Act.  There is also talk about the Act getting to the Senate floor for vote.  I will update everyone once I find out more news if this is true.

Also, please read this post for sure, if you don't read anything else.  This is the story of Dutch, a horse that was noticed at a Pennsylvania auction in June of 2013 in horrible condition.  From the story I was originally told about this horse, the owner took him to the auction to sell him.  Luckily, people who knew what soring was took the original photos of his legs and feet in the auction barn.  The owner found out about it, snatched him up and took him away.  Obviously he knew it is illegal to have a scarred horse at an auction.  From what I heard, someone had gotten a license plate number.  The rest of the story is on the post.

Some sore side folks have made fun of the amount of horses being low.  But it's not like the Big Lick classes aren't big now.  Two to three horses per class does not constitute a full classes.

The only defense of the sore side is to make fun of the natural horse riders quite frankly showing their ignorance.  I invite everyone to take a gander at this post from Facebook off of the open page of Tommy Williams, who runs the Walking Horse Report and Walking Horse Chat, where crazy anti-HSUS theories abound and names they believe are insulting are slung about.  CLICK HERE.  For the record, I'm proud to be a tree hugger and rabid animal welfare activist.  Much better than being called and animal abuser or a felon supporter.

And finally, here's the picture circulating the Internet of Pam McKinney, the Virgina TWHBEA Director, who came to the WOW event and spent her time walking around and making nasty comments, her cronie trying to pass out anti-PAST Act propaganda (of which they were not authorized to do), and when she was confronted about it, this was her response, as well as dropping dozens of F-bombs.  She was escorted away from the exhibition by local police.

The reason I post this is to show folks how well we are doing to save the horse, and how the sore side cannot stand on its own two stacked and chained feet anymore.  We continue to make progress to save the horse.  Soring and the Big Lick are not only cruel but no longer popular in the horse world.  It's time for it to end, and I can't wait for the PAST Act to pass.

Check out the All American Walking Horse Alliance website and Facebook page to learn more about their time in DC.  And thanks to everyone who worked on this project AND who donated their time and money to it.  This is why the PAST Act will pass: we are willing to work hard and keep at it!

HOW YOU CAN HELP - A Gentle Reminder

Well, perhaps not so gentle...but in any case....

If you're bored this weekend--too hot to go outside, too boring inside--please take a few minutes to make that phone call, write an email, or send a fax so it's on their desk Monday morning bright and early.  Or plan to visit your Congressperson in person, and call on Monday to make an appointment.

The list of the current non-sponsors of the PAST Act is in the sidebar on the right of this blog!

And...

THE WALK ON WASHINGTON IS NEXT WEDNESDAY!

Please show your support and send them a few dollars or be present at the event.  More information can be found on the All American Walking Horse Alliance website.

ALL donations support press releases, transportation, horse boarding, flyers and hard copy information, news coverage, and other issues that need to be paid for.  None of the volunteers for the WOW are paid for their time.  So please consider a donation!

All American Walking Horse Alliance Website

NEWS and HOW YOU CAN HELP - House Reps List is Finished, TWHBEA Crap, and More from the Walk on Washington

Thanks to my friends and lots of hard work, we have finished the list of House Republicans who have not co-sponsored the PAST Act yet.  Republican support is supposedly more important to the Speaker of the House to bring it to the floor, which is why we haven't done a Democrats list.  So we need everyone to jump on their House Republicans to get this sucker to the floor!  I'm sure you'll see names in the list that are lost causes...but then again, sometimes it takes just one comment or one important fact that will get that person to listen.

Of note: The ranking House Democrat Collin Peterson, who is on the Agricultural Committee, has co-sponsored the PAST Act.  Click here to read why this is so important.

HOUSE - CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF FILE

SENATE - CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF FILE

Next, TWHBEA held its yearly board meetings over Memorial Day weekend.  Sadly, the entire Executive Committee meeting was spent making changes to the by-laws so that they have a Pat Stout Clause and a Christy Lantis Clause (THEIR WORDS, not joking on this) to keep the Lickers on the board and EC and to keep the members from having a say.  They also changed it to force members to support the Big Lick horse, whether or not they want to.

The details for what went down are on Billy Go Boy's website at this link.  Please read this and realize what is truly going on here.

But here's the kicker, folks: they are going to post the entire by-laws as a yes or no vote.  They won't do what all other organizations across the globe do, which is allow members to vote on each change.  No, they want to make sure no one is allowed to actually have a say in what they truly want to see within TWHBEA.

IF YOU ARE A MEMBER, PLEASE VOTE A RESOUNDING NO TO THESE CHANGES.  They are going to not only hurt you as a member, but also continue to support soring and force YOU to support soring as well.  Do you really want your hard-earned money used to support animal abuse?

Once you've voted, PLEASE don't renew your membership.  In my opinion, TWHBEA has had it's time in the spotlight and now needs to die.  They will not change, that is for certain.  They enjoy soring, they enjoy their money, they enjoy trying to protect a way of life that has truly gone the way of the dodo.  Aside from soring, the Big Lick just is not popular anymore.  Let's let them kill TWHBEA on their own.  Don't give them your money anymore so they can fail.

If you are concerned about registering your horse, there are other options such as NWHA, WWHA, the Heritage Society and the Canadian TWH registry.  The breed will not go extinct as we all know there are hundreds of people out there breeding flat shod, quality horses.  Don't let TWHBEA's vice grip on the registry sway you.  Find another venue to spend your money on.  TWHBEA is no longer worth your time or anyone else's.

Next, the Walk on Washington is still scheduled for June 18th!  It will be at 1 pm and will take place in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool on 3rd Street Southwest on Union Square.  The All American Walking Horse Alliance needs our help financially to pay for this endeavor.  The monies go toward paying fees and for permits to be able to this, as well as travel costs for the participants and horses.  If you'd like to donate, please visit their website here: http://www.walkinghorsealliance.com/

Of course, the Lickers are spreading lies that this is some kind of marketing ploy...like they don't participate in marketing ploys themselves.  But it's okay if they do them, just not anyone else.  The Walk on Washington, however, is not a marketing ploy.  It is truly to educate the public about the horses and let our Congresspersons see sound, happy TWHs in action, so to speak.  This is a great opportunity for anyone to learn more about what's happening and why we need the PAST Act passed.  So if you're in the area, please join them and show your support for the PAST Act!