Comments on: Editorial: Clean Sport for Walking Horses? We’ll see

By: jill

jill — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:27:26 +0000

I don’t even understand why that is desireable; they look deformed. Amazing they can even stay sound like that. And the video of treatment…..tragic. The whole thing is such a deep mess….I hope this goes the way of the dinosaur soon.

By: Becky

Becky — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:27:00 +0000

I don’t know officially how long this has been going on in saddlebreds and tennessee walkers, but I can remember seeing it happen 40+ years ago. In fact my first horse was a barefoot saddlebred, tail never cut. I agree wholeheartedly, in addition to the zero tolerance on soring, built up feet need to be a thing of the past. The strain on the leg’s tendons is obvious.

By: Horse Show Mom

Horse Show Mom — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:34:30 +0000

Who the heck started padding these horses up in the first place? Doesn’t anyone else think that this practice alone is cruel? Why did big brother make a big deal out of soring and not padding? Just because something is done for a long time doesn’t make it right.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:05:05 +0000

I agree Esther. What I’m wondering is why the show officials are JUST NOW taking a “zero tolerance” policy. There should never have been ANY tolerance for this sort of thing from the beginning. The only way it’s really going to stop, though, is if the judges stop rewarding the horses that show the extreme, and in my opinion, grotesquely abnormal gaits.

By: Susan Corwin

Susan Corwin — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:15:34 +0000

L, this seriously made me cry. I had no idea about any of this horrible practice. Sickening!

By: Esther

Esther — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:00:42 +0000

p.s. – I realize there are flat-shod TWH clubs, orgs, and shows. My point (above) is padded classes should go the way of the manual typewriter and become OBSOLETE from lack of use.

By: Esther

Esther — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:58:27 +0000

At the risk of starting a firestorm of comments from “big lick” TWH fans, here’s my own personal opinion: why not ride/show/enjoy Tennessee Walking Horses with flat/”keg” shoes or barefoot? Why does anyone thing the padding adds “beauty” to the already lovely/smooth TWH natural gait??