The Tennessee Walking Horse

#26
#26
FortWorthVol said:
Back in the 70's when I was in school, there was a different Tennessee walking horse that circled the field before each game. If I remember correctly, this tradition was stopped because there were several instances of the horses almost slipping on the field due to rain or traction. Since the horses are so very expensive, it was not thought to be worth the risk. So now it is done only at homecoming and when the weather is good.
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This can't be correct.....NO walking horse owner even cares about the horse....ALL they care about is making them walk "pretty" by any means possible....damn the horse!

I own horses by the way, most TN Walkers are ownes and riden for pleasure because of their smooth NATURAL gait.That is the only horse my wife will own. But, sorry for my ignorance on the subject there IP.
 
#27
#27
T-Town, you called ME ignorant. Don't forget that.

I never said every Tennessee Walking Horse is abused. I said the Big Lick style that we tend to bring to homecoming very very often are. I'm sure your TN Walkers' natural gait isn't to kick and flail about while walking, is it?
 
#28
#28
IPorange said:
T-town vol has seen some been trained, therefore we're all ignorant lying PETA people.
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Nope....just you

The trainers that use that method should be put under the jail. You painted with too broad aof a brush with your first statement. That is what I was correcting. You sound like LG/GS in the political forum.
 
#30
#30
IPorange said:
T-Town, you called ME ignorant. Don't forget that.

I never said every Tennessee Walking Horse is abused. I said the Big Lick style that we tend to bring to homecoming very very often are. I'm sure your TN Walkers' natural gait isn't to kick and flail about while walking, is it?
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You are ignorant if you have only read about it and not actually been there to see it. Why take only one side of the story?
 
#31
#31
I have been around it personally, to a small extent. I never personally saw torturous methods, but then the horses I saw didn't have the "super" gait that you see with the "champion quality" Walkers, either. And it isn't like this isn't a well-documented and known problem.
 
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#32
#32
IPorange said:
It does. But the type we use now has an exaggerated gait brought on by causing sharp pain through various methods when it plants it's front feet, modifying it to always walk that way.

The historical Tennessee Walking horse's gait was much lower, and can be seen as such in black and white clips from the 1930's and such.


There's a reason why the FBI has shut down several of the recent Tennessee Walking Horse judging events in recent years: rampant widespread animal torture.


Google it.
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This one is the broad brush.
 
#34
#34
T-TownVol said:
ALL they care about is making them walk "pretty" by any means possible....damn the horse!
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My reading ability may be off, but it seems like the "risk" wasn't to the horse, per say, but to the "expense."


FortWorthVol said:
Since the horses are so very expensive, it was not thought to be worth the risk. So now it is done only at homecoming and when the weather is good.
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I assume this means that if the horses weren't expensive, it would be more common. Thus, if that assumption is true, then the risk isn't reduced by love of the horse, but instead by the desire to reduce the possible associated loss of money.

If that is true, then I don't see how they are actually caring about the horse, as you imply T-Town.

But, as you are the expert, I will defer to your expertise on the subject.

In your experience, are there more trainers who use soring techniques, or more trainers who do not? Or, are you playing devils advocate simply because you yourself, or others you know do not use such methods?
 
#35
#35
fl0at said:
My reading ability may be off, but it seems like the "risk" wasn't to the horse, per say, but to the "expense."


I assume this means that if the horses weren't expensive, it would be more common. Thus, if that assumption is true, then the risk isn't reduced by love of the horse, but instead by the desire to reduce the possible associated loss of money.

If that is true, then I don't see how they are actually caring about the horse, as you imply T-Town.

But, as you are the expert, I will defer to your expertise on the subject.

In your experience, are there more trainers who use soring techniques, or more trainers who do not? Or, are you playing devils advocate simply because you yourself, or others you know do not use such methods?
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Check the batteries in your sarcasm meter please.

Most do NOT! You have cheaters in every sport and they are caught and punished. Damning an entire sport is what I am against.
 
#36
#36
The USDA closed down the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration 2006 because the disqualified so many of the entrants, did they not?
 
#38
#38
T-TownVol said:
Check the batteries in your sarcasm meter please.

Most do NOT! You have cheaters in every sport and they are caught and punished. Damning an entire sport is what I am against.
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I've been very specific throughout this thread that it is the soring that I have a problem with, not the horses themselves. I never damned an entire sport, I'm saying the sport has a serious problem. And it is worth bringing up when Tennessee has had offenders' horses at homecoming in the past.
 
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#39
#39
T-TownVol said:
Check the batteries in your sarcasm meter please.

Most do NOT! You have cheaters in every sport and they are caught and punished. Damning an entire sport is what I am against.
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The sarcasm you imply was implied... appeared to be directed to the statement that the reason they did not use walking horses more often, was because the horse might get injured by slipping.

You further pointed out, via sarcasm, that this couldn't possibly be the reason, because (and here is the sarcasm) the owners don't care about the horse, they only want to make them walk pretty.

My point was that your sarcastic reply, implying that owners do care about the horse, was probably not the actual case. The actual cause for lessening the extent of use was more related to money, not the well being of the horse.

As such, I don't see your point about the sarcasm meter.

I do accept your point about cheaters, though. But, sometimes, one cheater can ruin it for everyone. See NCAA football infractions for reference.
 
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#40
#40
IPorange said:
I've been very specific throughout this thread that it is the soring that I have a problem with, not the horses themselves. I never damned an entire sport, I'm saying the sport has a serious problem. And it is worth bringing up when Tennessee has had offenders' horses at homecoming in the past.
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The HPA is doing a great job of protecting the horses now. I took you posts as damning the entire sport, sorry.
 
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#42
#42
fl0at said:
The sarcasm you imply was implied... appeared to be directed to the statement that the reason they did not use walking horses more often, was because the horse might get injured by slipping.

You further pointed out, via sarcasm, that this couldn't possibly be the reason, because (and here is the sarcasm) the owners don't care about the horse, they only want to make them walk pretty.

My point was that your sarcastic reply, implying that owners do care about the horse, was probably not the actual case. The actual cause for lessening the extent of use was more related to money, not the well being of the horse.As such, I don't see your point about the sarcasm meter.

I do accept your point about cheaters, though. But, sometimes, one cheater can ruin it for everyone. See NCAA football infractions for reference.
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I do not and none of the horse owners that I know, care more about the money than the horse.
 
#47
#47
T-TownVol said:
I do not and none of the horse owners that I know, care more about the money than the horse.
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Right, even I wouldn't say that it's really a monetary issue. I don't think those who practice soring are doing it for the money either. People take a lot of pride in these horses. They don't want to see their horse slip and break a leg at Neyland Stadium, put down in front of 100K people, and some people want to win a contest so badly they'll do anything they can.

It isn't really a "greed" thing in either case.

I would say that if they brought in a horse with a more natural gait, and only on days where it wasn't raining, it probably wouldn't have nearly the slippage issues. It would be cool to see.
 
#50
#50
T-TownVol said:
I do not and none of the horse owners that I know, care more about the money than the horse.
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Oh, I wasn't implying that you did. All your posts on the subject clearly show that you care about them.

Horse owners spend loads of money in care and upkeep. To some, that is a business, and to others, it is love for the animal.

I would consider you to be the latter, based off comments thus far.

For the business end, though. Well, I guess that is debatable, as a business is there to make money.
 
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