HOW YOU CAN HELP - What To Do When You Witness an Abuse Cases

I am an avid reader of two blogs: Fugly Horse of the Day and Shame in the Horse Show Ring. Both of these blogs talk about what's going on in society as far as horses, the nitty gritty garbage that's happening in the background concerning issues such as horse slaughter and questionable show ring practices.

While this is not about a TWH, both FHOTD and SITHSR featured the following story on their blogs.

Breaking Developments of Horse Abuse Case

In this situation, a horse was in training with well-known and revered AQHA trainer named Cleve Wells. When the owners came to look at the horse when he wasn't there one day, they found him in a horrible state with open wounds and a broken jaw. They were never told of an accident or situation that could have caused this problem--they showed up one day and he was found tied in his stall with these horrible injuries. Please note that the photos could be considered graphic.

What I want to point out here is how dilligently and logically Nicole, the horse's owner, set about documenting what happened. First they tried contacting Cleve to find out what happened, to no avail. She took photos on her cell phone of the horse, and she wrote down everything that happened and what was said. Her father was with her, and he was smart to bring a friend who can serve as a witness. The vets were also excellent at documenting exactly what they saw and dealt with.

Plus, Nicole had the guts to go public with her information. It's difficult to make that kind of decision, especially against such a well-known trainer. We all know that animal abuse can lead to human abuse, and she does face some risk in doing this. However, with the overwhelming evidence concerning this case that is for her story, she is most likely going to win the lawsuit, and Cleve will be shut down.

The reason I've pointed this out is to show everyone that this is the right way to report abuse. If you suspect that your TWH in training is being abused, keep a level head. Go to the stable and take photos when people are distracted or elsewhere. Bring at least one witness with you, if not two, and make sure they aren't family members. Document what you are told about your horse on a daily basis, and monitor his vital signs. Don't as questions that could be considered suspicious, and know the laws in your area--don't snoop around in places where you shouldn't go, such as going through someone's trash. Be sure to also inform the breed associations of what's going on as well. Send them copies of pertinent information, and make phone calls to let them know what you have experienced. They also must be made aware of any trainers who are do this that are claiming to be representatives of their association or are members of the board or committees.

Understand that the HPA only governs the practices going on at the show grounds. Unfortunately, questionable training methods are still be used at barns, whether or not they're being used on the show grounds. However, animal abuse can still be prosecuted, whether or not it has to do with the HPA.

When it comes to the TWH industry and the issue of soring, I have heard horrible stories about people's lives, children, and horses being threatened. I have heard of hitmen being hired to kill people who have spoken up about soring. There is a documented case of a woman who was followed to her car in the parking lot at a horse show when she brought in the USDA to a horse show. I have also heard of people's barns being burned down.

But folks, when you have all your facts straight, when you have the documentation ready to be reviewed, you can change things. And when you stand up, then others will follow. The sound horse industry is getting stronger and stronger, so the clout is there. There are ways to keep these people from hurting you and your family. The problem is that so many have allowed the bullies of the TWH industry to continually threaten them, but it's time to stand up and say enough is enough. If we work hard, keep our facts straight, and stand together, we can all protect ourselves and make a real difference for the horse.

ARTICLES - Incredible Information from the American Farriers Journal About Soring

I am thrilled to have been sent the link to these articles. These were presented in the American Farriers Journal last year, and are phenomenal in exposing what is truly going on in the sore horse industry. Mr. Lessiter, the author of the article, owns Lessiter Publications, and is well respected in the horse publication and journal industries for his accurate and important information. I don't have the exact dates of when these were published, but because of the text and the dates on the photos, we can assume the articles were published last year.

Soring: Disgraceful Practice Continues (Part 1)
Soring: Pressure Mounts to End Soring (Part 2)
Soring: Serious Challenges to End Soring (Part 3)
Soring: Turning Up the Heat on Soring (Part 4)

From the introduction page to the links:

"Frank Lessiter's 4-part series from American Farriers Journal on the subject of soring is now available for free online. These articles examine how trainers resort to abusive and unethical treatments to enhance horses' animation to gain an edge in the show rings. They also examine how groups are trying to uncover and ban these reprehensible acts."

Check out the photos, epecially the x-rays in Part 2--they are amazing. Note the dates the x-rays were taken: 2007. The stories combined with the images show us the phenomenal, solid proof that soring is still the norm in the TWH industry. Yet those who continue to sore their horses say these x-rays are doctored. Can you believe that?

Let's hope posting this information online will help convince the USDA and other groups that we have got to get rid of stacks and pads in the show ring. It's one major step that will help eliminate this practice.

ARTICLE - Year End Registrations and Transfers per Equus Magazine

So I got my January 2009 issue of Equus magazine today. They do a year-end comparison of stats from previous years on new registrations and transfers of ownership among the major horse breeds that are popular in America. Here's the stats concerning the TWH registry, the only USDA-recognized TWH registry being TWHBEA.

New Registrations

2003: 14,978
2007: 9,345
2008: 9,200

Transfers of Ownership

2003: 17,511
2007: 13,272
2008: 12,100

So what does this mean? Well, they do a complete comparison chart in the magazine, so this gives us a comparison between breeds. First, it's important to note that all the breeds listed had a decrease in transfers of ownership except the Saddlebreds. All breeds had a decrease in new registrations except Quarter Horses and Saddlebreds. I do think this is a trend we will see for a while because of the downturn of the economy, especially in the horse industry.

So what it comes down to is where is the largest decrease. Here's the percentages I came up with from the data in the article.

Appaloosas: NR 5% decrease, TO 11% decrease

Arabians: NR 1% decrease, TO 5% decrease

Half-Arabians: NR 7% decrease, TO 14% decrease

Morgans: NR 14% decrease, TO 5% decrease

Paints: NR 9% decrease, TO 12% decrease

Quarter Horses: NR 3% increase, TO 2% decrease

Saddlebreds: NR 2% increase, TO 1% increase

Standardbreds: NR 1% decrease, TO 2% decrease<

Tennessee Walkers: NR 2% decrease, TO 9% decrease

Thoroughbreds: NR 3% decrease, transfers are not tracked.

So should TWHBEA be worried? You bet. It's not a huge decrease compared to some of the other breeds, but it is still a decrease. Plus, with TWHBEA, their goal is to force everyone who transfers their ownership to pay for a membership. The membership fee is tacked onto the transfer fee when a new TWH owner has their horse's papers transferred into their ownership. So, this means that if the transfers of ownership are down, then so is the amount of new members.

I don't know if this is a good representation overall, though, because of the serious downturn in the economy and the long-term downturn we've seen in the horse industry in general for the past few years. So, since Equus reports this information every year, we might get a better idea of what's going on when our economy turns around.

NWHA 2008 Nationals Video Presentation

This is a great video posted on YouTube by NWHA to show how great their TWHs are in the show ring. Look at the smooth movements and fluid motion of these horses. THIS is what the flat walk and running walk are all about. Even the Planation horses looked normal and didn't have mechanical animation. Click here for the video.

I have the DVDs from the NWHA Nationals, and although I haven't watched them all yet, I am so impressed so far with what I saw. The judges placed the horses exactly as they should have been placed. It is so nice to watch these animals really being showcased for what they truly are.

NEWS and ARTICLES - World Equestrian Games TWH Presentation Update

Click here for the article.

Direct quote from the article:

At the Request of the WEG, they [the TWHBEA] will not bring any horses wearing padded shoes or chains around their front legs, both often used to exaggerate the gait of show horses.

YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was literally cheering here at work! THANK YOU to everyone who wrote letters to get this to happen. This makes my heart glad and is a huge step in the right direction! This also sends a clear message to TWHBEA that the Big Lick is NOT a good representation of the breed. Thank you, WEG!

Be sure to send a thank you letter to the WEG to let them know we appreciate their effort!

RESEARCH - HPA Docket concerning the Derickson case; Black Gold Farm & representatives disqualified for one year on the same case

Now this is very fascinating. I happened to find this HPA Docket online when I was trying to find out when the Dericksons received their ticket for soring Just American Magic. Click here for the link to the Docket. Unfortunately I can't post a PDF here, so if you'd like a PDF copy, please respond to this post to let me know.

This is fascinating, for if you take a look at the Order starting on page 38, Christopher B. Warley was issued a $2,200 civil penality and has been disqualified from showing, etc. for one year. Robbie J. Warley, possibly his wife, was also issued a $2,200 civil penality and disqualified for one year. Their farm, Black Gold Farm, was also fined and disqualified from showing, etc. for one year. There is specific detail in the docket as to why they were also fined. I'm not sure why this didn't end up in the news...?

Anyway, it's another farm and names to add to the Sore Horse People Not To Buy Horses From List. THANK YOU to the Court of Appeals for upholding the law in this case. We are SO happy to see it!

Edited 2-4-09 to correct the spelling of the Dickerson's last name.

NEWS and ARTICLES - Court Upholds Soring Decision

Here is a new article from Horse.com. Click here. So add the Dericksons to your Sore Horse Poeple Not To Buy Horses From List!

I do want to point out that this is an excellent example of why we should not allow appeals. In this case the court decided they were guilty, but it did waste a lot of time and money for them to be in court. I also imagine that they were still showing their horses in the meantime.

Let's also remember that suspensions never seem to work--they can always show their horses under someone else's name. We STILL need a serious penalty for these issues, and the USDA needs to listen to the sound horse community and start doing it, period. No more input from the sore horse community--we all know they're going to do everything they can to keep abusing horses to win money.

Keep fighting, everyone....

ARTICLE - Creature Feature: Sore Trick Pony

I LOVE that title.

Here's an excellent, current article about what's going on in the sore horse industry from the magazine Animal Sheltering. Click here for the article. It's a phenomenal way to learn about what's happening to these horses.

These are the quotes from the article that had the most impact on me.

"The problem is that this breed has embrased and steeped itself in a very bizarre and artificial look for the horse," says [Keith] Dane [director of equine protection for the HSUS]. "And so, no matter how [some owners and trainers] have to accomplish it, they'll find a way to achieve the gait.

These practices [stacked shoes and soring] are often used on horses early in their lives; yearlings are fitted with stacks and shoes, and are usually under saddle by the age of 2, before their bodies have had proper time to form. The emotional and physical suffering brought on from such training often ruins the horse's placid disposition just as it ruins his feet.

Though these signs [of soring] are as clear an indicator of abuse as a 50-foot banner reading, "We're soring our horses," United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors are only permitted to assess violations of the federal law on show grounds. APHIS inspectors can't enforce the law in private stables--and sadly, this is where the vast majority of abuse takes place, making for a gaping loophole in the system, and allowing soring to thrive.

"It is sad that innocent people purchase these horses thinking they are getting an experienced, well-trained, gaited horse, only to find that they have been trained for one purpose and one purpose only when it comes time to ride: Go fast, straight, and hot," says [Tamara] Sissom [owner of a formerly padded and sored mare who cannot be rehabilitated to be a flat shod show horse]. Naive new owners either get hurt, spend thousands of dollars on training with little results, or promptly sell them thinking all gaited horses are hot and uncomfortable to ride. Not to mention that the horse is continually passed around via sale barns, because nobody knows what to do with the horse, unless the owner is from the same background of training."

This out-of-the-frying-pan, into-the-fire situation is a sad resolution for everyone involved--particularly the horse.

THOUGHTS - The NHSC Restructuring, Or Lack Thereof

This post is in response to the article about the NHSC restructuring, posted here.

Okay, so let's talk. What did we just read? We just read an article about a meeting where people are just trying to pretend they're going to make changes when really they're just going to rearrange things to make it LOOK like changes have happened, but it'll be business as usual. Let's take a look at the details, shall we?

Dr. John Bennett made the presentation of those findings and had his plan unanimously approved by the NHSC Board of Directors.

Of course it was, because these are all people who don't want to change what's going on, so of course they love what Bennett said.

Tasked with carrying out this policy will be a chief executive officer (CEO) who will work between the policy board and the executive board. The executive board will be made up of a collection of owners and trainers and work just as the NHSC board does today.

WOW, there they are: actually admitting to the fact that things won't change! AMAZING!

Bennett then presented the “boards” that will make up the inside of the house and function within the structure of the HIO. He started with technology and the importance it has with the inspection process. He mentioned digital radiology, thermography and micro-chipping as all important pieces of technology that need to be researched and implemented over time.

WHAT? The USDA VMOs have already implemented this in the shows they go to. The research is already being done. Why do they need to do their own research and implement it "over time?" How about you all step up and start using it NOW. Oh wait, you don't want to do that--then you might actually expose more sore horses. Oops!

Second on the list was a hearing committee. “If you are going to have penalties, there needs to be a method for those accused to have a fair hearing,” Bennett stated. “I believe everyone has the right to a fair and impartial hearing,” he concluded.

I actually agree with this because other horse venues do it: NATRC, USEF, etc. Problem is that we all know it won't be fair and impartial--the hearings will mostly conveniently see the people as innocent and let people continue to get away with soring.

A fourth element would be industry veterinarians who work in the industry on a daily basis and can function like a medical board. They can help with the drugs that are being used and what levels are acceptable and why they are being used as well as provide insight for which foreign substances can be used without harm to the horse. Bennett pointed out that certain groups will never be satisfied with what goes on in the show industry, but respected industry groups will be on board with this plan.

Um, the USDA has already done this: they have deemed that anything except glycerin, mineral oil and petroletum. You can't just choose to go against the HPA, Bennett.

Nope, "certain groups" will never be happy with what you guys do, because those "certain groups" know you are continuing to allow soring! And what groups are you saying are respected? Respected by whom? You? The NHSC? I guarantee you it won't be by the general public, the USEF, or any other group who views the industry as what it truly is: CORRUPT.

The fifth element was a trainers licensing and continuing education program. Continuing education could be anything from business management to scar rule interpretation. With a licensing program trainers that were repeat offenders would see their licenses revoked or some training offered to get those trainers in compliance.

HUH?? How in the hell would business management help with training? And why do you need a licensing program to get licenses revoked? You can choose to do that now if you were serious about ending soring.

Research was another element to the plan. Bennett couldn’t stress enough the importance of research and how it can help with public perception and with allowing the AAEP to continue to work with the industry. “With the AAEP on our side, it will help when we go to the USDA,” stated Bennett.

What kind of research? You don't point out anything here. Plus, how can we trust any research that's done to figure out anything about soring when the sore horse industry is doing the research? And honey, only if you make progress will the AAEP be on your side. You'd better be prepared to do it.

A ninth element was rules/penalties and judges evaluations. Bennett mentioned he didn’t know exactly how to evaluate the judges best but that he had heard many good ideas for this.

And what are they? WHY won't you tell us what ideas you've heard?

Tenth was regional veterinarians. These regional veterinarians would be tasked with overseeing the Designated Qualified Person (DQP) program and the individual performances of those DQPs. He didn’t think it was feasible for every DQP to be a veterinarian but did stress the importance of the consistency of the program and accountability of the program.

Of course you don't want every DQP to be a vet--then they'd expose the industry for what it is. Plus this is one of the ideas in the AAEP White Paper that is guaranteed to help stop soring, so be sure to skirt around this issue as much as possible.

After finishing the presentation Bennett took questions from those in attendance about the proposed plan. Mark Farrar asked “ was there was anything in the white paper that the task force didn’t agree with?” Bennett responded with all of the items in the white paper were valid but not all were practical. He specifically mentioned the urine testing, licensed veterinarians checking all horses and pulling of shoes on performance horses.

NOTE: These are the actions/changes that are guaranteed to determine if a horse is sore or not. So it's pretty damn obvious why they say they're not "practical."

He noted all of the objectives of these could be achieved however through technology or programs within the plan presented.

Sure, they can, if it wouldn't just be business as usual with those programs.\

Farrar also asked, “If we adopt this plan have you talked with the USDA and the AAEP and will they be on board with this plan?” Bennett responded, “Yes and the AAEP will get on board and will be waiting for us to ask for help.”

But we know you won't be asking for help. You know why? Because you'll be glad to keep it so the sore horse continues to win and you continue to get money to line your pockets. You don't need the AAEP to keep the status quo, that's for sure.

Bob Ramsbottom asked, “How will we fund this plan. Will this be left up to the owners to fund this?” Bennett relayed that he didn’t know exactly how to fund the plan and that he had thought a lot about that, “but to be honest, I don’t really know how to fund it.” Frank Neal interjected, “they were tasked with coming up with the plan, it is now the task of the groups within the industry, WHOA, TWHBEA, WHTA, and the Celebration, etc. to fund the execution of this plan.”

I agree with this as well. Neal is absolutely right. You have all decided it's okay to add $1 to each entry fee to implement the USEF drug testing program--how come you can't do that to implement other plans? Because you need to claim that you don't have the money to put into it so you don't ever implement it. Simple way to keep it business as usual.

Overall, this is all just crap. It's just a front to keep things business as usual. None of the serious issues are going to change because they'll just continue to avoid the three main actions that WILL catch sorers (pulling shoes, only using vets as DQPs), not make judges accountable for their choices in the show ring, and not force the industry to pay for these changes. This is pathetic. I can only hope that the USDA will work towards outlawing stacks, heavy shoes, bands, and pads on horses in the show ring in general. That's the only way this can stop--to force the industry to change. It's been 38 years since the HPA became a Federal law--it's obvious they are not going to change their ways on their own.

ARTICLES and NEWS - Walking Horse Report: NHSC Moves Forward with Restructuring

This was forwarded to me via email. Since I think it needs to be read without comments to get the full effect, my next post will include my comments on what happened.

Walking Horse Report
NHSC Moves Forward With Restructuring
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
by Jeffrey Howard

The Walking Horse Owners' Association Board (WHOA) and Walking Horse Trainers' Association's (WHTA) Board of Directors met today to hear the findings of the National Horse Show Commission (NHSC) task force on the restructuring of the NHSC. Dr. John Bennett made the presentation of those findings and had his plan unanimously approved by the NHSC Board of Directors.

Bennett started his presentation by stating the mission of the task force. "We were asked to find a replacement for Lonnie Messick and give recommendations on the restructuring of the HIO to bring integrity and stability," said Bennett.

The new structure will have a policy board at the top of the HIO, comprised of three American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) veterinarians, one humane representative and one attorney. This group will be tasked with setting the policy of the HIO.

Tasked with carrying out this policy will be a chief executive officer (CEO) who will work between the policy board and the executive board. The executive board will be made up of a collection of owners and trainers and work just as the NHSC board does today. The interim CEO was announced today as Dr. Mike Harry. Harry served on both the AAEP task force that released the White Paper and the NHSC task for that made the recommendations for restructuring.

Bennett's proposal followed a theme of building a house where there are rules and those that choose to live there will have to abide by those rules. "To build anyting you have to have a strong foundation and we believe the foundation of this new structure is the White Paper released by the AAEP," said Bennett.

Bennett then presented the "boards" that will make up the inside of the house and function within the structure of the HIO. He started with technology and importance it has with the inspection process. He mentioned digital radiology, thermography and micro-chipping as all important pieces of technology that need to be researched and implemented over time.

Second on the list was a hearing committee. "If you are going to have penalties, there needs to be a method for those accused to have a fair hearing," Bennett stated. "I believe everyone has the right to a fair and impartial hearing," he concluded.

Third he mentioned the importance of the regional breed associations and them having one representative in the HIO. This would be inclusive of regional and national associations.

A fourth element would be industry veterinarians who work in the industry on a daily basis and can function like a medical board. They can help with the drugs that are being used and what levels are acceptable and why they are being used as well as provide insight for which foreign substances can be used without harm to the horse. Bennett pointed out that certain groups will never be satisfied with what goes on in the show industry, but respected industry groups will be on board with this plan.

The fifth element was a trainers licensing and continuing education program. Continuing education could be anything from business management to scar rule interpretation. With a licensing program trainers that were repeat offenders would see their licenses revoked or some training offered to get those trainers in compliance.

Show development was the sixth area. This group would be tasked with developing new ideas to get new shows formed, additional prize monies, additional people in the business, etc. Bennett said he felt the Walking Horse Foundation and Mark Taylor were a perfect fit for this role.

The seventh element was the United States Equestrian Federation drug testing program. This program would be funded by a $1 addition on each entry fee and would be done through random blood testing to start. "In my opinion, our industry does not have a drug problem currently," said Bennett.

Research was another element to the plan. Bennett couldn't stress enough the importance of research and how it can help with public perception and with allowing the AAEP to continue to work with the industry. "With the AAEP on our side, it will help when we go to the USDA," stated Bennett.

A ninth element was rules/penalties and judges evaluations. Bennett mentioned he didn't know exactly how to evaluate the judges best but that he had heard many good ideas for this.

Tenth was regional veterinarians. These regional veterinarians would be tasked with overseeing the Designated Qualifed Person (DQP) program and the individual performances of those DQPs. He didn't think it was feasible for every DQP to be a veterinarian but did stress the importance of the consistency of the program and accountability of the program.

Last was the show steward program. The show steward would be in center ring during the show and assist the judge with rules violations and the excusing of horses that are not presenting the correct image of the Tennessee Walking Horse. This person would have to be a horse person according to the task force but not a walking horse person.

After finishing the presentation, Bennett took questions from those in attendance about the proposed plan. Mark Farrar asked "was there anything in white paper that the task force didn't agree with?" Bennett responded with all of the items in the white paper were valid but not all were practical. He specifically mentioned the urine testing, licensed veterinarians checking all horses, and pulling of shoes on performance horses. He noted that all of the objectives of these could be achieved however through technology or programs within the plan presented.

Farrar also asked, "If we adopt this plan have you talked with the USDA and the AAEP and will they be on board with this plan?" Bennett responded, "Yes and the AAEP will get on board and will be waiting for us to ask for help."

Bob Ramsbottom asked, "How will we fund this plan. Will this be left up to this owners to fund this?" Bennett relayed that he didn't know exactly how to fund the plan and that he had thought a lot about that, "but to be honest, I don't really know how to fund it." Frank Neal interjected, "they were tasked with coming up with the plan, it is now the task of the groups within the industry, WHOA, TWHBEA, WHTA, and the Celebration, etc. to fund the execution of this plan."

Bennett mentioned earlier in the presentation that regional veterinarians would oversee the DQPs at the local shows but that at the bigger shows such as the Celebration, Fun SHow and Trainers' Show that these regional veterinarians would serve as the DQPs. Wink Groover objected, "I don't think the people that check the horses all year long should then not be the people that check at the Celebration. That is a big part of the problem right now. We needto have a strong enough DQP program that if you can't get in at the Celebration then you can't get in at the local show." Bennett agreed with Groover on this and stated the importance of the regional veterinarians in making sure the DQPs are doing their jobs correctly.

A search committee was formed to find the new CEO of the HIO and consisted of Link Webb, Frank Neal, Frank Eichler, Lonnie Messick, Dr. John Henton, and Dr. Tom Vaughn. The interim CEO, Dr. Mike Harry agreed to work for two months in that role. Messick had earlier agreed to work through November to help with the transition to the interim CEO.

At the end of the meeting, Neal commended the WHTA for "their willingness to work toward the future of the industry."

Names of the policy board members were discussed in the executive session of the meeting with nothing finalized at this point, none of the names were released.

As the meeting adjourned and those in attendance left the Miller Coliseum, a rewarded sense of optimism was a common theme. The Walking Horse industry took a big step in addressing the future needs for the welfare of the industry as a whole. Unity has been a common theme in 2008 across the industry, however tough times continued to hamstring the industry. Unity wasn't just talked about, it was practiced today as the owners and trainers within the industry came together and initiated substantive charge.