[sunridge1]

Ha! It's about f***ing time! Gah! I can't imagine treating my TWH or any horse in that manner. I can't even imagine they would let me.

[WalkInTheWoods]

Yes it will be on Nightline.

Dispatcher - there are women who ride those poor horses too. Must be second generation gene pool deficit. But why cant the people in the stands cheering them on see the pain or "deadness" in the horse's eyes ?

The horses have been taught to stand quietly without moving while poked and prodded so they will pass a DQP exam and not twitch. They call the training procedure "stewarding". They do something painful to a horse and if it moves, well, something more painful happens. They learn to not react to pain.

I am so full of anger right now thinking about all this i just have to get off the computer for a while.

[abbbalonian twist]

For the LIFE of me I can NOT see the attraction of "Big Lick" at ALL. It is not a functional gait! It's well known that most of these horses' gaits are "nailed on" and without the huge pads etc. they all PACE. If you buy a retired one, he has to be completely retrained like a greenie.

They move like a mutant cross between a praying mantis and a spider crab and the strain on the horse's structures is monumental. HOW, WHY does anyone want to ride like this?

My friend (who actually initially got me into horses ) was a big fan of TWH. The horse she rode for a while had supposedly won at the Nationals in TN once upon a time, but was not a big lick horse. I rode him once, (he didn't have the pads, or even shoes for that matter) and his natural gait was very comfortable. It was a trick though to get him to gait and not pace.

I had never seen a video of the big licks until she showed me one, and I agree with you is is DISGUSTING! It doesn't look remotely natural (which yes, one could argue that many gaits pleasure horses do aren't natural but this is particularly bad) and just makes me pity the horses

I started out horses doing pleasure shows, but after a few years off and not competing (and gradually changing disciplines to eventing ) I see more a more things that makes me scratch my head when it comes to the point of "pleasure" shows...

[RackNRoll]

Air time is 11:30 pm EST today. I will be watching.

TWH's are great horses with bad owner problems. I was briefly a member of TWHBEA but decided to drop my membership because of the focus and support of big lick horses.

I cannot stand to watch horses so miserable, exhausted, and extremely contorted.

It is disgusting whether they're being sored or not.

Champagne Watchout is stunning and I love the video of him at the Celebration hitting a lick and walking circles around the other horses. I'd love to have a horse like him! The big lick "winners" shown in that show are sadly miserable, exhausted, and extremely contorted.

[luvmytbs]

I wish they would air that in an earlier spot.
11:30 is past bed time for many, especially when you got a barn full of horses to take care of.

[WalkInTheWoods]

Me too its hard to wait. I might have this wrong, but i thought the interview with the Jacksons would be on early, then the McConnell soring later on Nightline. I hope i am wrong about that because i would like to see the Nathaniel interviewed.

[Guilherme]

I wish they would air that in an earlier spot.
11:30 is past bed time for many, especially when you got a barn full of horses to take care of.

Three letters: DVR.

I'll watch it tomorrow as I'm tired and ready to quit now. It will be interesting to see how ABC (not a network known for truth, veracity, or sagacity) handles the entire matter.

Remember, too, that some of the sorest Walkers on the planet are Flat and Light shod. I find the Big Lick horse to be a cruel charicature of how a horse should move but it has lots of company when you discuss the systemtic and corporoate-nature of TWH Industry cruelty.

G.

[WalkInTheWoods]

Jennie Jackson just dropped in over on Facebook to a group called The Natural Tennessee Walking Horse. Here is what she said:


This is BIGGER than J.McConnell Folks!!.....
Here's our chance to WRITE ABC - Congress - Gov- and get RID of PADS and CHAINS on the TWH forever!!
Peer Preasure is in our court now LETS USE IT!!!!!
what does the public think of this....RIDE IT FOLKS, like it has a saddle on it's back
and lets do away with this HIDEOUS,Offensive Eye Sore Division ONCE and for ALL.....
If this Report doesn't help get rid of the pads and chains????
Then Ya'll DROPPED the BALL BIG TIME and I'm out.
It's about the HORSE!! All TWH's!!!

[WalkInTheWoods]

Guilherme - I am not in the show world at all but i have heard exactly that and that the SSHBEA is just as bad as the TWHBEA in the flat and lite shod shows.

[ThisTooShallPass]

.

[SwampYankee]

Jennie Jackson just dropped in over on Facebook to a group called The Natural Tennessee Walking Horse. Here is what she said:


This is BIGGER than J.McConnell Folks!!.....
Here's our chance to WRITE ABC - Congress - Gov- and get RID of PADS and CHAINS on the TWH forever!!
Peer Preasure is in our court now LETS USE IT!!!!!
what does the public think of this....RIDE IT FOLKS, like it has a saddle on it's back
and lets do away with this HIDEOUS,Offensive Eye Sore Division ONCE and for ALL.....
If this Report doesn't help get rid of the pads and chains????
Then Ya'll DROPPED the BALL BIG TIME and I'm out.
It's about the HORSE!! All TWH's!!!

A great place to start would be for all members of TWHBEA to put pressure on THEM to get rid of any prize sanctioning whatsoever for "big-lick" showing, and get the AAEP to come in on our side and clearly state that it is a practice without merit that ruins the horse physically for no purpose but an outmoded and extreme idea of vanity.

We don't allow cockfights any more, or dog fighting, many states no longer allow greyhound racing on grounds of animal cruelty. We also no longer allow slavery or wife-beating or child labor because it is no longer 1857 or 1912 or 1944.

Just remember, MONEY TALKS. Pull the rug out from under 'em and there will be no reason to continue this. Think of what would happen if EVERY TWHBEA member threatened to pull their membership? The protest needs to be united, committed, and to bare its teeth!

[Lynnwood]

Supposed to air at 11:30pm

[WalkInTheWoods]

Time is dragging. I have been waiting for years for something like this to happen.

[Kairi]

Its about to start after the commercial break. But I can't believe people can allow their horses be subjected to such abuse. Just for a ribbon?

[susanne]

So why don't PETA and the RARAS make themselves useful and go after something truly evil like this instead of protesting carriage driving or turning show dogs loose in the streets?

[Foxtrot's]

Panic - cannot find it - I think it must be 11:30 PST time too. I'll pprobably feel sick.

[Kairi]

What a sicking video to watch. But glad to hear that Pepsi will no longer sponsor anymore Walker horse shows.

[War Admiral]

This might be a good time to drop Pepsi a thank-you note.

Once again I reiterate - we need to make animal abuse a FEDERAL felony. This might be a good time for such a movement to get started, as well.

[Kairi]

This might be a good time to drop Pepsi a thank-you note.

Once again I reiterate - we need to make animal abuse a FEDERAL felony. This might be a good time for such a movement to get started, as well.

I agree. People who abuse animals to this extreme, can easily hurt people as well. Animal abuse needs to become a felony, and with higher fines.

[dani0303]

How horrible!! I knew about soring but didn't know about the blatant physical abuse. Glad this has finally been exposed on a national stage.

Just sickening. I like my TWH barefoot, happy, and NATURAL