Rahara just watched the Tennessee Walking Horses Blog ..it's heart breaking, how could anyone do that, and shame on the people that pay to watch.. (19.05.2012)
Dynastyplums Finally recovered from getting my wisdom teeth pulled :D I seriously need to get out and ride!! (19.05.2012)
amylouise95 Horse hunting! :/ (19.05.2012)
picsnicky Off to the Hadleigh Show this morning :) (19.05.2012)
Loes and co clearing a space at the yard for my new saddle - exciting times. (19.05.2012)
bee20 Got pairs xc tomorrow, there's 28 entries, so much for a recession ! (19.05.2012)
bee20 Am so pleased, rode my friends pony for the 1st time ever and came 4th in SJ comp after having 2 mins practice :) (19.05.2012)
nut_lover New topic on "Vet Talk" if anyone has any theories please let me know as i am quite concerned for little Nutmeg :) (19.05.2012)
KklovesJunior I think I'm going riding tomorrow. Bailey is practically BEGGING me with her eyes. I'll have to make it short though. So busy! (19.05.2012)
Rahara It's raining a nice soft rain as the Irish, we need it for the grass to grow.. (19.05.2012)
Horselover333 Yay, im going horse riding tomorrow, carrying on with cantering and i love all the horses at the riding centre i go to :) (18.05.2012)
ChanChie off to hadleigh show tomorrow lets hope its not raining (18.05.2012)
ChanChie finally found the time to come back onto here :) (18.05.2012)
allieykatt shanghai being naughty me feeling depresses long Sunday ahead (18.05.2012)
Loes and co knackered, shattered and dog tired.. reschedulded visit to Chazbo for a peaceful chilled longer one tomorrow (18.05.2012)
ToriSilverson little pony is getting close to popping! "birthing suite" is ready for her, now just a waiting game (18.05.2012)
Dazzle Mr. Dazzle said 'are we having curry? Me 'no' Him 'I can smell it'. Me 'thats not curry thats Hector's flyspray'. (17.05.2012)
crazycowgirl99 So... turns out when I 'disgracefully dismounted' I rotated my pelvis & jammed my sacroiliac joint.... No wonder I'm in so much pain! (17.05.2012)
Loes and co need a dry day to ride and film - (17.05.2012)
KklovesJunior Cherry's on a diet, my cough is going away, I plan on riding soon, the goats are good... Everything is working out :D (17.05.2012)

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APPALLING ABUSE OF TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES.

Having watched this video we're sure you will be left as sickened as we are that horses are subjected to such terrible cruelty in order to feed a human lust for ribbons and money.

A dark shadow has hung over the Tennessee Walking Horse industry for some time now with many believing there is a widespread use of cruel training methods to produce the horse's unnatural gait, the so-called 'big lick'.  Now an ABC News investigation  featuring a video recorded by The Humane Society of the United States (above) has caught one of the industry's top trainers, Jackie McConnell beating and torturing his horses in his stables outside Memphis.

McConnell is witnessed overseeing his grooms as they carry out the inhumane and illegal practice of 'soring'. Caustic chemicals are applied to the ankles of the horses before they are wrapped in plastic so the chemicals eat into the skin. Then the ankles are wrapped with large metal chains so the ensuing pain reaction causes the horses to raise their feet even higher. The video goes on to show McConnell and his stable hands abusing horses with wooden sticks and electric cattle prods in a training process called 'stewarding'-teaching them not to flinch when the judges check their legs for evidence of soring.  At one point a horse which is obviously in so much pain it can't bear to stand up is beaten and dragged.

Leaders of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry maintain that the vast majority of their horses aren't subjected to 'soring' however a random inspection by the agents of the Department of Agriculture at last year's annual championship found that an incredible 52 of 52 horses tested positive for some sort of foreign substance around the front hooves, either put their to cause pain or to hide it.

At least Pepsi having seen the film immediately withdrew their sponsorship of the annual Tennessee Walking Horse competition, the Celebration, and McConnell faces federal charges but something bigger needs to be done-it's time the industry cleaned up for good.

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Let's hope something good comes out of this brutal video-it's time for ch

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