Soring. For it, or against it?

I agree that this is likely to make the mouth numb fairly quickly. Of course I'm really not sure of that, either. Maybe it would just evolve from a sharp pain to a dull ache.

If it did numb the area I don't fully understand the implications of that. Would the numbness then distract the horse from the foot pain? Would the lack of sensation cause such mental confusion to mask something someplace else?

Or was the application meant to just get the horse through a quick rail class and its associated inspections and then be quickly removed?

I'd have to pull and re-read the HPA Regulations to see if it's even illegal. I'd consider it a form of "stewarding" which is forbidden. A good lawyer might argue otherwise.

In any event it doesn't say anything good about the culture of the Big Lick horse.

What is the origin of the photo? I'd like to re-post it someplace where some answers might be forthcoming.

G.

And if the mouth did go numb, wouldn't the horse not feel the bit in it's mouth? Rendering any form of communication from the rider to horse via the bit, useless?

Just a note, in shows it will only be the feet hurting, not the tail. The procedure with the tail happens at home, and once it is healed, it shouldn't be in any pain. Key word is shouldn't. The tail is a separate issue from soring. It is only for looks and has no connection with the way the horse moves.
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I agree with Inga...

To me (no offense to Walker people) - Their showing has gotten out of hand. They need to re-train their judges so that these horses DON'T get placed for picking their feet up like that - it needs to be more of a natural gait.

No, the judges arent the problem.
The people who own the facility and put on the shows should be responsible for hiring someone to check this type of thing.

The device pictured (the zip tie in the mouth) is called a "nerve cord." It is unlawful under the HPA. Here's a link to a conviction involving its use:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/tnm/pres...1/12-9-11.html

There is so much blame to go 'round in analyzing the systematic cruelty of the Big Lick world that it's hard to know where to start. If judges didn't pin sored horses then there'd be no sored horses. If venue managers didn't permit sored horses on the premesis then there'd be no sored horses. If trainers didn't make a lot of money soring horses then there'd be no sored horses. If crowds didn't pay money to see and cheer sored horses then there'd be no sored horses. Etc., etc., etc.

We need a lot of fingers to deal with the level of blame.

G.

The judges absolutely are PART of the problem. Not the only problem but let's face it, if they didn't place these horses, they wouldn't continue to train them that way. The owner's pay the trainers to win. If the flat shod more natural moving horses win, then that is what would be produced over and over again.

The entire industry is corrupt from the owner's to the trainer's, groom's, judges, inspectors. They are all sickening examples of humanity. How does one inspect a horse with those tin can shoes on and say "oh yeah, he is sound to ride" when the horse cannot even move naturally? I sure as heck can't imagine judging a class full of horses like that. I think if the judges had any morals at all, they would refuse to judge the class.

The link didn't work for me. What's the purpose of it? I assume it acts like a twitch?

Who would honestly be For Soring horses?