# To me this is beyond cruel.



## danielsumner (Jul 18, 2009)

Went to the livestock auction on Saturday. A guy is riding this black horse around, I guess just to show it off. I walk over to the trailer where the horse was tied. My Jaw dropped. It hurt me just to see what someone had done to it.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I'm going to count to 10...or 100 before I comment. Maybe I'll go have a set outside for a bit. Anything I say now will be knee jerk.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I would actually turn that in for animal cruelty. You have pictures. And the sale barn would be able to track the guy easily. 
Some things are not cruel. But this is. And to be riding a horse that must be in such pain is absolutely evil. What can you say besides that?


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

I take it this is a TN walking horse? I have seen horses in their stalls for weeks at end at a training facility with these on, actually something similar not quite like that but the same purpose all for the big lick gait.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I have never seen this and I'm not sure what the purpose is, but I wouldn't call it cruel per se. Not much different than someone training with ankle weights.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Yes, I'm sure a TWH as this is the only breed I know that is shod like this ... the 'big lick' gaited horses ... and I've been in any number of TWH stables in southern KY and seen show horses shod like this. Actually quite common here.

There has been a great deal of discussion and controversy over these classes but these 'padded shoes' are actually not at the root of the 'soreing' controversy with these horses. I don't know if the shoes themselves are painful in any way, although they certainly put the hoof at an angle that does not appear to be normal ... the 'soreing' issues are with the chains that are normally kept around the pasterns of these horses ... and sores that are introduced at the back of the pasterns (acid? not sure) so that the pain and irritation from that will make the horse lift the hoof higher and quicker.

I am not a TWH person so my information is mostly from some of the local people I have gotten acquainted with since I've lived here but my understanding is that the horses are supposed to be prohibited from competing if they have obvious sores on their pasterns and of course no chains ... but this is supposedly done in the training stables.

There is talk of trying to get the 'big lick' shows/classes prohibited totally but I'm not sure how that is going. I know there would be a lot of opposition to it within the TWH community as it is these big lick show horses that bring the most money ... and the classes that offer the most prize money.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Those are not shoes....they are chunks of iron!! That is what it looks like...or are they made of something else???


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Minelson, I really not next to nothing about TWH's but anything I have read indicates that the blocks are made of wood or plastic in layers.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

wr said:


> Minelson, I really not next to nothing about TWH's but anything I have read indicates that the blocks are made of wood or plastic in layers.


Hmmm.....that feels a little better but I don't know. I hate to judge ... but boy that does not look good


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

They definitely aren't iron. I think they are made of a high-density synthetic that is something like a hard rubber.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Sadly common in the gaited horse showing world. That looks like a walker but you see it on Saddlebreds and Morgans too, it's to maximize knee action and it's disgusting.

Most commonly wood, but sometimes plastic, but it's not uncommon to hide metal weights inside the package (which is cheating).


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Minelson said:


> I'm going to count to 10...or 100 before I comment. Maybe I'll go have a set outside for a bit. Anything I say now will be knee jerk.


Ironically knee jerk is the point.

It's vile.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

[YOUTUBE]uacXRdH1n7s&NR=1&feature=endscreen[/YOUTUBE]


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

it is what a lot of them do.
I competed in a gaited style class last year at the local saddle club. There was me and my unshod nice gaited horse...and a big lick walker. Guess who kicked butt on all of us flat shod and in my case unshod horses?
As long as judges want that huge big lick,,,,this is what you will have. My main problem with the lick is just watch a horses rear that is all padded up. Those poor hocks look like they are going to come undone.
as for soring...ugh. I was amazed when I talked to some folks I considered horse people down here..and they saw not a thing wrong with chains or soring.Only thing it changed my mind on was..that they were horse people at all.


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## gunsmithgirl (Sep 28, 2003)

I think putting something like that on a horse is absolutely stupid. I can only imagine the hoof problems that result from that.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

gunsmithgirl said:


> I think putting something like that on a horse is absolutely stupid. I can only imagine the hoof problems that result from that.


 Massively underrun heels...it's the legs that really suffer.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

That is just cruel. I don't care how many people think it is ok to do, it is cruel. A righteous man is good to his beast. The people who do these types of things show no mercy.


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## starjj (May 2, 2005)

At the same stable I have seen these pads used. I also saw soring done (back before they really cracked down on it) They rub something on the legs and then wrap it in plastic and leave the horse this way. It causes a great amount of heat in the leg. The trainer was barred from competition when the new rules went into effect, of course almost all the trainers were doing it not just the one I saw. It was just a standard practice to get more high stepping out of the horse. I have ridden a TWH and the regular gait is nice and smooth I see no reason (other than people think it is exciting) for the big lick. It is not a natural gait.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Wouldn't ya just love to bolt a pair of high heel/platform shoes onto the feet of that horse's owner, strap 200lbs to his back and force him to run around? Now THAT would be entertaining to see.

This? This is disgusting.


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## danielsumner (Jul 18, 2009)

It was reported to the Vet on duty at the auction. The auction is required to have a Vet present. It wasn't just me, but bunches of other people who talked to the Vet also, all he would say is "the horse is fine". BTW I left before the horses were sold I couldn't bear to see the poor thing being rode into the ring.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm surprised that anyone doesn't know about this. I can't see the pictures well but it would be normal to have big "stacks" with a band running over the hoof front to hold it on. Huge weighted shoes, sometimes with lead set into the pad to increase the weight.
I remember seeing one horse be delivered to a walking horse barn where I kept my Saddlebred. They pulled the shoes off the horse and each one weighed 6 lbs. 
Standing along the ring when one of those shoes comes off is like watching an incoming cannonball.
And no one outside the barns ever sees the horrible training methods that they don't care to expose to the outside world. The action chains, rubbers, bitting rigs, flying w's, bicycle chain mouthed bits with 9" shanks,whips, etc.
Yet the people who like this sort of thing can not see anything wrong with it- they think it is beautiful. I think all big lick horses show should be barred. That is the only way this will ever stop.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

> I think all big lick horses show should be barred. That is the only way this will ever stop.


agree with you. those horses move so pretty without a single thing done to them! and as another said, look at those back ends! those hind legs look like they'll give out any minute. no way could i ride for hours like that. sometimes I'm ashamed to be a human.


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

Let's not forget using ginger in the rectum to get the horse to keep his tail up. Or keeping the tail bone in a brace to "train" the tail to stand up or breaking the tail bone on purpose and training it up. I have owned saddlebreds and TWHs and I would never do that.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

tinknal said:


> I have never seen this and I'm not sure what the purpose is, but I wouldn't call it cruel per se. Not much different than someone training with ankle weights.


Ankle weights and stilettos.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

The abuse people will do to animals to win shows, is disgusting in the extreme.

If you want an high action horse, buy one that has it naturally. Don't force one with chains, chems and heavy weights.... 
Is these kinds of people, that give the rest of us a bad name.


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

Tiempo said:


> [YOUTUBE]uacXRdH1n7s&NR=1&feature=endscreen[/YOUTUBE]


for me it is hard to understand what the attraction is for this, the rider hardly looks comfortable or even attractive, the horse almost looks bizarre...what is point? we are not talking circus horses doing tricks - these are supposed to be riding horses of some sort. As far as the lifts, I would not say to me cruel as some things clearly are; definately tough on the horses legs with that angle, like the five inch heels I wear for special events - but the vet was probably correct in not stating is was a cruelty issue. I suppose if we were honest their are several training devices used that are effective as they create discomfort or in this case direct a method of movement, hobbles on trotters and standardbreds, or to get a wanted behavior, pretty much any bit bit besides an egg butt snaffle, and even that works on the bars and corners of the mouth, rolling shin boots backwards so a horse hanging a leg wraps a rail and tucks better when jumping, twitching or a chain over the nose to keep a horse standing still for handling or treatment, a lunge whip to get a horse to load...but this just seems kinda dumb for seems like negligible results, like taking a very fine automobile and putting some odd tires or suspension in it so it looks cool on the street for half an hour but in the end runs like crap and breakdown just odd to me....

I can't imagine any normal horse person finding that, well, desirable to watch..it must be something to please crowds of non horse people I guess...


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## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

Tiempo said:


> Massively underrun heels...it's the legs that really suffer.


Ditto. Contracted tendons. Improper blood flow. Inability to walk properly once the stacks/pads come off. 

*sigh*

It's pads, folks. Not illegal (dang it) most certainly immoral and usually seen in tandem with soring. Heavy rubber, cranked down with the straps you see. Yep, the straps do cut into the hoof wall and sometimes break the hoof off. These horses live in stalls with NO turnout and stand on these things day in and day out.

Rampant all over TN and other southern states. I mock the riders of every padded horse I see.... loudly enough so that they can hear. 

Used to create an exaggerated knee-hock action that is the wet dream of every big lick trainer out there. 

I have no love, honestly.

Any questions? I will try my best to answer.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I think when you get deep into any competitive show/sport, you see the ugly part. 
My experience is with draft horses. Over the past 40 years I&#8217;ve witnessed the move towards hitch horses with lots of action and away from solid work horses.
A 16 hand 2000 pound draft is not desired, while a 19 hand 1800 pound draft is selling well into five figures.
To increase action, thick wide shoes (Google Scotch Bottom Draft Shoe) add weight. The shoes are not rounded to the hoof, the flat fronted shoe requires rasping away the toe wall and a generous application of auto body filler used to create a hoof-like shape.
Draft horses hocks bow out under heavy load. Therefore horses with hocks set close are desired. This can be manipulated by trimming the inner hoof wall on both hind feet, while letting the outer hoof wall extend. This creates a hoof flair. Shoes are made with a thin inner side and a thick outer side that includes a heal. Sort of like wearing shoes with the inner side of the heal missing and a lift on the outer side of the heal. With the horse, that cranks the hocks together. A few years of that and then, once off the show/hitch circuit, the horse gets shod naturally and that abrupt tilt often results in unsound horses.
Years ago, I spoke up about Scotch Bottoms, thick leather pads and applications of Bondo to hide flaws. I was informed by an old seasoned horseman, &#8220; If you are going to show, you have to be willing to do what it takes to win.&#8221; Simple as that.
I like to watch horse races. Recently, the owner of &#8220;I&#8217;ll have another&#8221; was punished for giving another horse a &#8220;soda&#8221;. It is believed to help muscles get rid of waste. Commonly done. Most race horses are given an IV of a whole jug of vitamins and minerals the night before a race. Horses are tested for drugs. But the tests can only be for a few different drugs. If you figure out what they test for, you can drug your horse undetected.
With the TN Walkers, if you have a horse with a great natural gait and find yourself competing with another horse with a great natural gait, you can see the pressure to add just a bit of weight on that shoe to lock in a win. Then it progresses from there.


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## Waiting Falcon (Nov 25, 2010)

Those "pads" weigh 3-5 lbs. The strap over the hoof is to hold the pad on. And the nails do not go any further into the hoof than a steel horse shoe. If you watch the horses some of them seem to actually enjoy walking in pads. 
I do not care what portion of showing there is whether it be milk cows , dogs or horses , any other animal included, there will be bad apples that will damage an animal to get the prize. BUT not every person "sores" TWHs , nor does every one infuse parafin or what ever under the hide or into the udder or change dogs in the papers, or whatever horrid thing they do. Just because this horse is on pads does not mean he has been mutilated. The law is extremely strict now and what was done to the TWHs years ago is coming to a stop. 
Horses are tried on pads if they do not work out the pads are taken off and the horse sold for other uses. Not all TWHs can wear pads, some are 'square' and pads just would not work out. It does not profit a breeder to have bowed tendons and I think any knowledgeable horse owner knows more horses get bowed tendons that never knew what a pad was. 
Instead of making fun , maybe you should learn more about this wonderful breed and its many abilities, in show ring, farm , trail, work and devotion.

Why do women wear 4-5 " spike heels? Is that cruel?


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

Waiting Falcon said:


> Those "pads" weigh 3-5 lbs. The strap over the hoof is to hold the pad on. And the nails do not go any further into the hoof than a steel horse shoe. If you watch the horses some of them seem to actually enjoy walking in pads.
> I do not care what portion of showing there is whether it be milk cows , dogs or horses , any other animal included, there will be bad apples that will damage an animal to get the prize. BUT not every person "sores" TWHs , nor does every one infuse parafin or what ever under the hide or into the udder or change dogs in the papers, or whatever horrid thing they do. Just because this horse is on pads does not mean he has been mutilated. The law is extremely strict now and what was done to the TWHs years ago is coming to a stop.
> Horses are tried on pads if they do not work out the pads are taken off and the horse sold for other uses. Not all TWHs can wear pads, some are 'square' and pads just would not work out. It does not profit a breeder to have bowed tendons and I think any knowledgeable horse owner knows more horses get bowed tendons that never knew what a pad was.
> Instead of making fun , maybe you should learn more about this wonderful breed and its many abilities, in show ring, farm , trail, work and devotion.
> ...


I guess the difference is woman probably make the choice to wear spike heels, where as the horse does not get a vote (as they don't in much of what we do to them, and wearing spike heels causes all sorts of leg and back problems eventually in women, one would assume doing something similier to a horse would result in the same possibility....I guess I just don't get the attraction to that extensive, unnatural looking gait...but in the big picture these pads are certainly IMHO not the most terrible thing someone can and does do to a horse, not sure I would even consider it a particularily harsh training tool if no soring or other things are done - I just don't get it tho...and not making fun of the breed myself, just the opposite, why I said taking what I consider a fine automobile (and I think gaited horses are awesome) and doing, well, what I would consider odd things to it


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

RamblinRoseRanc said:


> Ditto. Contracted tendons. Improper blood flow. Inability to walk properly once the stacks/pads come off.
> 
> *sigh*
> 
> ...


I am with you, even if it did not result in any discomfort for the animal or reduced quality of life (no turn out, ect as you mentioned) I just don't get the quest for that giant exaggerated knee and hock action, just seems almost a bit comical to watch, almost aggravating to most average horse folks I know... but maybe it is just me, i am a bit comical when I walk in my five inch heels also


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## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

Waiting Falcon said:


> Those "pads" weigh 3-5 lbs. The strap over the hoof is to hold the pad on. And the nails do not go any further into the hoof than a steel horse shoe. If you watch the horses some of them seem to actually enjoy walking in pads.
> I do not care what portion of showing there is whether it be milk cows , dogs or horses , any other animal included, there will be bad apples that will damage an animal to get the prize. BUT not every person "sores" TWHs , nor does every one infuse parafin or what ever under the hide or into the udder or change dogs in the papers, or whatever horrid thing they do. Just because this horse is on pads does not mean he has been mutilated. The law is extremely strict now and what was done to the TWHs years ago is coming to a stop.
> Horses are tried on pads if they do not work out the pads are taken off and the horse sold for other uses. Not all TWHs can wear pads, some are 'square' and pads just would not work out. It does not profit a breeder to have bowed tendons and I think any knowledgeable horse owner knows more horses get bowed tendons that never knew what a pad was.
> Instead of making fun , maybe you should learn more about this wonderful breed and its many abilities, in show ring, farm , trail, work and devotion.
> ...


The laws have been 'extremely strict' now for a while. The law has not been enforced. Do you know how many shows the USDA DQ's made it to in 2010? Out of the thousands and thousands of shows, they made it to less than 100. Do you know approximately how long it takes to build a case against someone who is actually caught soring a horse? At minimum three years. And during that time, the person accused is only banned from santioned shows- they can continue to stack and sore all they want at the little shows. 

This wonderful breed has been abused in the name of the all-mighty dollar since the mid fifties. 

I'm not sure WHO you think you are telling *off* about padding horses.....surely my years of equine rescue, research and rehabilitation (of some of my OWN walkers who had been padded for years before they came to me)... including teaching these horses to walk like a normal horse again.... qualify me to comment in an educated manner.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

The horse in that video looks like the over angulated deformed German Shepherd Dog. Nothing even remotely attractive about that painfully awkward gait.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Learning more about big lick TWH only would make people more horrified. I spent two years boarding in a walking horse barn and, although the people were the salt of the earth to me personally, they thought that the fact that I worried about my horse's health and well being was silly "soft-hearted girl" nonsense.
TWH are mostly fine horses but because you can treat them like disposable toys, doesn't mean you should. 
I have actually ridden a big lick horse. It was like riding a smooth stream engine. I think that is one reason they are so popular. The poor horse is so pushed to just simply get around the ring, it has no energy left to react to the abuse. They just haul themselves as fast as they can and hope they can avoid the pain. 
And let's not even get into the "elevated" canter which is a series of rears, throwing out those hugely weighted front hooves with each stride.
There is no possible excuse for this - it is simply the worse kind of abuse of a generous hearted animal.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I think if you were to strap 5lb and 5" heels onto a woman and expect her to wear them 24/7, carry weight and speed walk in them. Then I would consider it extremely distasteful, if not cruel.

The women I know that do wear heels, take them off at every possible opportunity and you won't catch them carrying a heavy load since it hurts just to carry their own weight.

Nobody made fun or light of this. Many here love and care for horses, personally I love a TWH as they are. Sure those pads can be removed, but in those pads I see a malformed hoof that would need some serious rehab before the horse could move "naturally".

This form of shoing/enhancing could be better compared to chinese foot binding of women, then modern women wearing heels for an hour or two at their own will.

If you don't know what chinese foot binding is, here's a pic. It was done to young girls at 6 years old so they would be more valuable and "improve" their movement. A woman who wobbled on a 3 INCH foot was considered beautiful and feminine(luckily it is illegal now). I say it was ugly and cruel. Difference of opinions. *shrug* 
[http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1025/695789678_2e46604a36.jpg
Sexy, eh? Sure, you could claim we are just ignorant and should learn more about chinese culture, before we call cruelty. 


If that movement is your cup of tea, breed for the horses to do it naturally without such extreme measures. TWH do just fine without the artificial 'enhancers'.


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

where I want to said:


> Learning more about big lick TWH only would make people more horrified. I spent two years boarding in a walking horse barn and, although the people were the salt of the earth to me personally, they thought that the fact that I worried about my horse's health and well being was silly "soft-hearted girl" nonsense.
> TWH are mostly fine horses but because you can treat them like disposable toys, doesn't mean you should.
> I have actually ridden a big lick horse. It was like riding a smooth stream engine. I think that is one reason they are so popular. The poor horse is so pushed to just simply get around the ring, it has no energy left to react to the abuse. They just haul themselves as fast as they can and hope they can avoid the pain.
> And let's not even get into the "elevated" canter which is a series of rears, throwing out those hugely weighted front hooves with each stride.
> There is no possible excuse for this - it is simply the worse kind of abuse of a generous hearted animal.


so they are fairly smooth to ride doing the "big lick"...I would not have thought that, it looks like the rider is sort of balancing in place with a hunched back and toes level..but have only ridden natural TWH myself...


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## AugustRED (Apr 18, 2010)

To me it is silly at the very least, cruel at the extreme. Way I see it is if they can't do it on their own than why would we force them to? Those big pads are like big orange blinking sign saying "My horse can't do it on it's own!" which I thought was the whole point in any discipline - to show off a horse to it's best natural ability. I can understand putting studs on a cross country horse so they don't slip & sliders on a reiner so they don't tear them selves up (they slide for years without them first) but weighted shoes, pads, surgical 'improvements', etc just seem stupid. Not to mention the way it makes them move just looks down right odd...


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

I showed my non horse friend these two photos, thinking maybe a non horse person would think it looks good, tryin to understand
to this she said "pretty"









to this picture she said, what the *&(^?


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## zephyrcreek (Mar 30, 2012)

If people actually studdied equine anatomy and understood how detrimental this is to a horse they would never be able to defend this type of treatment. I don't remember the exact figures but adding 1 weight to a horses hoof is the equivelant of adding 100lbs to it's back. sigh

like I said I don't know if this is the exact figure, but it's not that far off. It is openly discussed in the endurance world all the time as we are cautioned to be *extremely *careful with our rubber hoof boots......and I could care a couple dozen of those without even feeling them as they are so light.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Waiting Falcon said:


> Those "pads" weigh 3-5 lbs. The strap over the hoof is to hold the pad on. And the nails do not go any further into the hoof than a steel horse shoe. If you watch the horses some of them seem to actually enjoy walking in pads.
> I do not care what portion of showing there is whether it be milk cows , dogs or horses , any other animal included, there will be bad apples that will damage an animal to get the prize. BUT not every person "sores" TWHs , nor does every one infuse parafin or what ever under the hide or into the udder or change dogs in the papers, or whatever horrid thing they do. Just because this horse is on pads does not mean he has been mutilated. The law is extremely strict now and what was done to the TWHs years ago is coming to a stop.
> Horses are tried on pads if they do not work out the pads are taken off and the horse sold for other uses. Not all TWHs can wear pads, some are 'square' and pads just would not work out. It does not profit a breeder to have bowed tendons and I think any knowledgeable horse owner knows more horses get bowed tendons that never knew what a pad was.
> Instead of making fun , maybe you should learn more about this wonderful breed and its many abilities, in show ring, farm , trail, work and devotion.
> ...


Just because there is abuse and indescretions by bad apples in other facets of showing doesn't mean that one should turn a blind eye, it simply tells me that there needs to be better control at shows. 

If you are offering to educate, I'd love to know an explanation practical purpose of such an exaggerated movement.

If you wish to use the spike heel analogy, I would wonder if you would feel it was appropriate for a mother to make pre teen daughter wear a pair of stilettos at all times, including sporting events?


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Waiting Falcon said:


> Why do women wear 4-5 " spike heels? Is that cruel?


If they were forced to wear them during sports it would be.

Also, take into consideration the fact that a horse is already up on it's "toes". They have a much smaller surface area of foot to body weight ratio than humans to start with. And they are wearing these 24/7, with their heels jacked up and their coffin bones upended inside the hoof capsule. That's already a huge problem before you even start talking about the weight pulling on the body tissues above the hoof- the entire body is moving and bracing in a way it was never designed to. I trim some walkers. One mare's sire was injured young by this type of shoeing and put down.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Minelson said:


> Those are not shoes....they are chunks of iron!! That is what it looks like...or are they made of something else???


The pads are not "chunks of iron", they are made of either leather or plastic. There is a weight limit on the pads and chains cannot weigh more than 6 ounces. Most pads these days are made of rubberized plastic material. The old style pads were made of leather.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

sidepasser said:


> The pads are not "chunks of iron", they are made of either leather or plastic. There is a weight limit on the pads and chains cannot weigh more than 6 ounces. Most pads these days are made of rubberized plastic material. The old style pads were made of leather.


It has been many years but the walking horse shoes were large enough to cover the bottom of the stack, which was about twice as large round as a natural foot. Those shoes alone weighed much more than 6 onces. 
Do they now have a show regulation about weight limit of shoes in the ring? In the old days, there were no such limits and sometimes pads would even be hollowed out and lead weights put in to make them heavier. 

I looked at the National Bridle web site for Walking horse whoes- they have the "light shod" and plantation shoes only but they looked pretty hefty. One inch stock. The big lick shoes are probably still hand made.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I am glad to see that in the Arabian world of showing "Gingering" has pretty much stopped.
Don't know what gingering is?
Arabians carry their tail nice "High Tail Carriage" 
It was very common practice in high Class A shows to put the spice ginger up and into the rectum. The horse then was Forced to Carry That Tail High just to get SOME relieve from the pain that must have been.
And, well there is ONLY ONE WAY to test to see if a horse has been "gingered" 
Guess I don't have to tell you what that was. LOL


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Here is a new story just out today. 
*Turning to Frogs for Illegal Aid in Horse Races*


> Racing regulators kept hearing the reports: trainers were giving their horses a powerful performance-enhancing potion drawn from the backs of a type of South American frog.
> Related
> But for months postrace testing could not find the substance, a painkiller far more powerful than morphine. Then a lab in the Denver area tweaked its testing procedure, and in recent weeks more than 30 horses from four states have tested positive for the substance, dermorphin, which is suspected of helping horses run faster.





> Cobra venom has also been used by trainers to deaden pain so that injured horses can race. It functions as a local nerve block, unlike dermorphin, a broader pain suppressant that is 40 times more powerful than morphine, Dr. Barker said.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/sports/horse-racing-discovers-new-drug-problem-one-linked-to-frogs.html?_r=1


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## SilverFlame819 (Aug 24, 2010)

I don't know anything about showing Walkers, but the horse in that video looks absolutely horrible. It made me cringe watching his back legs sprawling.

People think this is attractive?? WHY?


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

KrisD said:


> Let's not forget using ginger in the rectum to get the horse to keep his tail up. Or keeping the tail bone in a brace to "train" the tail to stand up or breaking the tail bone on purpose and training it up. I have owned saddlebreds and TWHs and I would never do that.


The tails are not broken. They are operated on by severing the tendon's on both sides of the tail. The tail is braced so that it heals in this new position.

The pads on the Walking horses are made of hard rubber. You can tell a horse that has been sored by the way it swivels it's hocks when moving. 

Chains are used as ankle weights. They are taken off when the horse is being shown. The horse gets used to the extra weight. When they are removed the horse naturally has a higher gait.

I worked in a Saddlebred Training stable for several years. The one I was with, treated their horses with utmost care....others...well, they ran the gamut.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

If I were a horse, I don't think I'd want the utmost care. I'd want to be a horse until it was time to work, work for someone who was fair with me, and then go back to being a horse until I was needed to work again. I don't care if there are a few flies, if my mane isn't combed, if my hooves aren't shiny. Just let me have my time to decompress from the work required of me. Let me run with ease around a field with some buddies without thinking of my feet (one thing most people dont realize, if a horse is landing toe first, he is thinking about his feet). Let me lay in the sun, or cool in the woods or a shelter- when I decide to. Just let me be a horse.


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

Tiempo said:


> [YOUTUBE]uacXRdH1n7s&NR=1&feature=endscreen[/YOUTUBE]


This video makes the rider look like a total idiot. Who can possibly fail to notice how the horse appears to be downright struggling to carry the weight? Wow, how attractive to make an animal appear disturbingly uncomfortable. Why would someone to choose to advertise their own stupidity with such a gross display?


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