Posted as a Response to Maryann Davis' wonderful letter to the Editor:
On Aug. 9th, I drove to Murfreesboro to speak at the USDA's public forum on new proposals for rules against horse soring. Some of the comments made by the horse trainers were so shocking, I couldn't believe grown ups were making them. They deny soring exists, and/or claim it is not abuse. Horse soring is alive and well and happening this week in Murfreesboro at the Celebration.
Tennessee is currently a haven for abusers who hide their training practices and pretend it is all in the name of benign entertainment. Horse soring, both chemically and with chains and pads, should be banned, as should the "Big Lick" style of competition. Doing so would not end anything but the torture of wonderful horses.
We have a chance to create a new, less tortured future for our namesake horse, the Tennessee Walking Horse. Their natural gait is beautiful and should not be altered. Claims that banning the Big Lick would mean an end to horse shows, or to gaited horse breeding, are not true. People already walk out of Big Lick competitions because they can't stand the tortured look on the horse's face. Let's move into a more humane future for these gentle and sensitive horses.
They are accepting public comments at:https://www.aphis.usda.gov/
Thank you for covering this issue.
Mary Majorie Weber Marr
Chattanooga
--
Original Link:
No comments:
Post a Comment