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and another article on Big Lick

8K views 43 replies 17 participants last post by  Diegosmom 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Hey, I am a little confused. I think I recognize the horse in the photo as Champagne Watchout, correct? His owners have been against the pads and action devices and have been showing him more or less flat-shod....or so I thought. The caption also says he's competing without pads. But when you look at the enlargement of the photo it looks like he has pads???

So what's up with that? Are these "smaller, kinder pads?" Because if so, I think that's a load of horsie road apples.

I still don't "get" why these horses can't show with natural feet. It should be a requirement. The south American gaited horses gait without pads. I know Fox Trotters can gait without pads (although I am afraid from what little I've seen of them showing I wouldn't like their show practices either) but give me a break, Walking horses should be able to gait and show without pads as well. The breeding can be modified back to what it was in the early years.....naturally gaited horses with a running walk. THAT is what should be valued. Not pacy freak shows. Yes, it will take some generations of intelligent breeding, but that can happen.

People need to train their eyes to see the natural beauty of the horse, NOT the the freak show people have made them out to be.

Call me crazy, but I want a horse that can perform outside an arena. A horse that is a pleasure to ride in any terrain. Smooth, sound, gentle and beautiful. What's wrong with that?

Sigh.
 
#9 ·
I watched this horse at the Celebration last year and he was so different from the big lick horses.

I really liked him.
 
#7 ·
The purpose of the pads is to extend the functional toe. This delays breakover in the stride and causes the foot to come off the ground with increased energy, giving a longer and more dramatic flight. If you add weight (illegal now, but not so very long ago) you add even more energy to the flight.

In the flat/light shod world the same effect can be achieved by a long toe and low heel trim (that's called being "long and low"). They can't use a pad to artificially lengthen the toe, but they can aggressively trim to get the most they can get before the hoof material fractures. Here the horse can wear a shoe that can legally weigh up to 48 oz. The farrier can also shape the shoe to retard breakover, all in an attempt to maximum energy at takeoff.

The search for maximum energy comes at a price. It is a very mechanically inefficient system. It requires a lot of equine energy. It is designed to make movement vertical vice horizontal. IMO it also grossly stresses the shoulder, back, hips, stifles, hocks, etc. Those stresses cause short and long term lameness.

The pads, bangles, balls, beads, etc. are the hallmarks of ignorance in training, IMO. But they are not the root of the evils that beset the Walker. The root is the quest for ever increasing "front end action." Until that goes away the problem will remain.

I can't tell if the foot, here, is "enhanced" or they've just got a farrier who can make it very long and low.

G.
 
#16 ·
From the statement:
"TWHBEA has no say over the padded show horse. TWHBEA has no control over the padded show horse. TWHBEA has no authority over the padded show horse. TWHBEA, does however, bear the brunt of the criticism aimed at the padded show horse. Our membership numbers are directly affected by the controversy. The group with the least input takes the hardest hit. Why? Because as the breed registry and the largest membership driven organization, we are the face of the breed and are perceived as its ultimate authority in the world equine community."

They have no control? Really? I find that hard to believe. Doesn't the TWHBEA set the rules for their shows? I am not familiar with the organizational structure of this breed so I am asking these questions because I really don't know. In my breed the national association(s) set the rules for their shows. If the TWHBEA doesn't have any say over the "padded show horse", who does?
 
#13 ·
I just pulled up a video of Champagne Watchout, who I had never heard of until just now, as I am not familiar with much in the gaited world. I don't know about pads in that photo from the article, it certainly looks like SOMETHING is on his feet, but I have to say it was a pleasure to watch a horse moving properly in a class alongside those monstrosities that were created with heavy pads and weights and spring. He was balanced and natural-looking, and his rider was able to sit up tall and balanced. It made for an overall pretty picture. The other horses in the class flinging their feet to the sky with riders hunched over on their backs looked like vultures in comparison. I have to give her extreme kudos for being brave enough to not follow the mainstream.
 
#15 ·
Can Horse Sports Face

and a much related article about horse sports in general.
The sad thing is, so many in the "gaited horse" world of show horses have talked themselves into believing that what they do to the horses is totally normal and acceptable. They claim it's the way things have ALWAYS been done, and because they may have grown up in a "show horse family" they have seen it done the same way and never had reason to believe there was anything wrong with it. Those trainers often have clients who know very little about caring for horses - they just want to own a "champion show horse."

The trainers aren't going to say to those clients "well, I'll be honest with you. . .we use some methods that cause the horse discomfort in order to achieve the desired movement. . .but it is what wins ribbons and trophies."

They still claim "the movement is natural" but I have yet to see ANY performance/Big Lick horse, with all pads and weights and chains and chemicals removed, that still moves with as much action.

I've always admired David O'Connor (and his wife Karen). They are amazing, talented equestrians but also excellent, classy people. The horse world needs more people like them.
 
#19 ·
For this reason, I haven't had my boy registered under my name. I have heard a load of **** over it, about losing value of my horse, and not being able to show him. I have no interest in showing with this organization. I have no interest in giving them money. That is all
 
#20 ·
I think not registering the horse only hurts HIM. He deserves his papers. I would register him without becoming a member, although I became a member again to transfer my current horse.

At least that ghastly magazine no longer shows up in my mailbox!!

Nancy
 
#22 ·
Why don't they just create another TWH group that accepts all animals registered with this one, but only allow natural/ normally shod horses to show? Something like that is happening in the goat world because one of the Boer goat associations stopped registering animals and just stole money. Seems like it would attract most of the caring TWH owners, and by sheer magnitude attract some attention.

But I'm just an optimistic teenager, so take what I say with a grain of salt :wink:
 
#26 ·
This, in theory, describes the National Walking Horse Association. They're supposedly a "natural/flatshod" organization. My horse is registered with both the TWHBEA (he was registered with them at birth) and the NWHA (I registered him with them several years ago in order to participate in their trail riding mileage program).

I went to one of their (NWHA) shows last summer, held locally, and I only attended as a spectator not a competitor. Have to say. . .I was a bit disappointed.

Although there was no "big lick," many of the horses placing high in the classes had a similar upright, stiff, high-stepping movement. . .almost more like a hackney with the amount of lift in the legs.

The horses that seemed to just go easily and naturally along were not placing as well - if at all.

I know it's probably an unfair blanket statement, since it was only one afternoon at one show. . .but I remain unimpressed. The winners were still more "showy." I was hoping to see classes of really comfortable, gliding flatshod gaited horses. . .and they just were not there.
 
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#25 ·
Horse Trainer Jackie McConnell Pleads Guilty To Animal Cruelty Charges - 07/09/2013 - Chattanoogan.com



Horse Trainer Jackie McConnell Pleads Guilty To Animal Cruelty Charges

Tuesday, July 09, 2013
Former Hall of Fame Tennessee walking horse trainer Jackie McConnell and two associates have entered guilty pleas to charges of abusing horses in violation of the Tennessee cruelty to animals statute.
McConnell pleaded guilty to 22 counts of animal cruelty, and in order to avoid jail time, agreed to a sentence of one year of house arrest followed by four years of supervised probation and a $25,000 fine. He is prohibited from owning and training horses for 20 years.
Co-defendants John Mays and Jeff Dockery pleaded guilty to 17 counts of animal cruelty and will be subject to supervised probation.
The state is seeking forfeiture of eight horses seized from McConnell’s training barn to ensure the animals are permanently rehomed and retired from the show industry. At the state’s request, the Humane Society of the United States has been providing the horses with rehabilitative care for more than a year.
A Fayette County Grand Jury indicted McConnell and his co-defendants in March. Those charges, along with McConnell’s federal felony conviction for charges related to conspiracy to violate the Horse Protection Act, stemmed from a 2011 undercover investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States that revealed McConnell and his associates beat horses and used chemicals on horses’ legs in a practice known as “soring.” Soring is the method trainers use to force Tennessee walking horses to perform the exaggerated, artificial gait known as the “Big Lick.” McConnell is already serving three years’ probation and has been fined $75,000 on the federal conviction.
Leighann McCollum, Tennessee state director for the HSUS, said: “The abusive training methods used by McConnell and his associates are appalling and a clear violation of the law. He fully deserved the stiff sentence handed down as justice for the horses who were beaten over the head, shocked with a cattle prod in the face, or sored so painfully just to win a blue ribbon.”
 
#30 ·
I apologize if someone addressed this already. I scanned through and did not see.
What you are seeing on Champaigne Watchouts feet are not pads or any sort of action devise..they are bell boots, found in any local tack store.They are to protect the horses hooves more specifically in long back stride walkers can clip their front feet with the back so the boots protect from that..My horse has to wear them when he is turned out due to his over zellusness he has about him self when turned loose..Have come back with bloody heals.
 
#34 ·
I have been trying to follow this the best I can. I do not see what is sooo wrong with having TWH perform barefoot or flat shod. Some of the horses we trail ride with and other around my area have some beautifully natural movers that, IMO, can kick any of the big lick TWH's out of the show ring anyday. I was raised were it is normal for the padded walkers. I still live in the same areas were the same trainers have been around forever and their fathers did the same thing.

I just dont see why they cant just go to "natural" classes. Some gaited horses will GLADLY strut their stuff barefoot. They do have a naturally high headset with high, reaching strides. Just depends on the horse. We have three walkers that move totally different. One of them (despite her conformatioin flaws) would rock a show ring. She puts everything into her gaits. She is high stepping, long reaching, but she does it all on her own. She has never been padded.
 
#35 · (Edited)
I'm trying to post a link to the enlarged photo of Champagne Watchout. He is indeed wearing pads. I don't know how thick they are, but they are obviously there. And they look much thicker than 1/2 inch. 1/2 inch would be barely noticeable, no? And yes, I am familiar with bell boots, that's not what I am looking at.

http://media.timesfreepress.com/img....JPG?ba5b5b122dd3d37cc13d83e92a6a0ec0d5bfa32a

I shouldn't care about Walking Horses. I have never owned one (although I would like to) but for some reason the whole padded thing really bugs me. I guess because I love trail riding and I think these horses should be bred as Cadillac trail horses, not the freak show of the horse world. I mean, what is so wrong with their natural gaits? I have seen video of Midnight Sun. He is flashy but looks like a horse you could ride out on the trail. NOT like the current padded show horses. :evil:

Okay, my link seems to work. If I click on the photo it will go even larger! Try it.
 
#40 ·
Yes, that is CWO and yes he had a small package on to be eligible to enter the class. He did all kinds of gaits in there, a little walking, trotting, some fox trotting. He is very naturally gaited.

His rider in that picture, Nataliegh, is a good friend of mine. But her dad, Nate Jackson, is a blooming hypocrite. The whole deal over padded TWH's is totally misunderstood. It's not what the media says. Not ALL of the performance horses are sores, or hurting at all, in any way, shape, or form.
 
#42 ·
The process of creating the Big Lick/Performance Horse causes long and short term injury to the horse. The devices cause a motion that is grossly un-natural and massively stresses the entire biomechanical system. This is in addtion to the extreme mal-formation of the hoof by pad/stack system.

It is possible that the occasional horse might escape the worst effects of this system. That does not erase the effects visited on thousands of other horses.

G.
 
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