If you show in the Big Time, and you have a trainer who does everything with your horse except sit on his back in the ring, please, please click on this link. Even if you don't show and/or have a trainer, please check this out anyway. I thought the physical hazards - not to mention ethical considerations - of tail blocking were well known, but I guess not...
The Horse: Tail Blocking Gone Wrong
Okay, did you read the article? Those people were paying the trainer to do that to their horse without having a clue as to what it actually involved. My God! There is no excuse. And how about that brat of a kid who was pissed off because she "worked so hard" to get where she was and it was all "taken from her." Taken from her? What about her horse? He's lucky to be alive and not permanently paralyzed. Does this kid give a shit? NO. It's all about her. If she were my kid, she'd never have another living thing to abuse and neglect, but the parents don't have a clue either. GEEZ!
Okay, say you don't show Quarter Horses where the tails have to hang like they were dead to get pinned. How about Tennessee Walkers that do the "Big Lick"? Want to make a little wager as to how many of those horses are doing this grotesque gait because they're sore? What say? Soring doesn't go on any more? Why then at a recent show where USDA inspectors were on hand with sophisticated equipment to test for soring, did so many exhibitors leave without even unloading their horses? So many left that they hardly had enough to go on with a show. What would you do if your trainer elected to not show your horse rather than submit him to a USDA check? Would you do anything?
As a Morgan owner myself, I know how most Morgans carry their tails - jaunty and away from their body, even at the walk. But, that's not good enough for Big Time Showing. Oh no, you need to stick some ginger up their butts so they'll really high tail it. And this is legal! If you think this practice is okay, drop by sometime and I'll teach you first hand how it feels.
I'm only hitting the high (!) spots in regards to what goes on in the world of Big Time Showing. Of course there's all the infamous politics that's always present. But, you know what? I don't give a damn about all that. If the exhibitors feel abused, stop showing. They have that choice. The horses have no choice, and the abuse that they are forced to endure is all that concerns me.
But, "everybody's doing it" and "that's what it takes to win" Holy CRAP! What kind of reasons are those? If you think winning is an excuse for abuse, you don't deserve to own a pet rock, let alone a horse. What is WRONG with people?!
Oh yeah - it's the trainer's fault for doing anything that they believe will give them an advantage.. It's the judge's fault for pinning such ridiculous idiocy. It's, it's - YOUR fault. If you own such a horse, the buck stops with you.
There is plenty of culpability to go around in this sorry mess -
Why would any judge even consider, let alone prefer, a horse that was doing things so unnatural as to virtually require artificial/abusive "training" methods. These horses should be dismissed from the ring, not pinned for God's sake!
Why would a trainer do these things - other than to win at all costs of course. Oh, but they have to to win, and they are paid to win by owners like the ones in the story - ignoramuses who don't care enough to educate themselves about what their trainers are doing to their horses in order to give them those wins.
My greatest Why however - and my greatest contempt - is directed at the owners of these horses. Why would an owner allow this to happen? Why would they not educate themselves about what their trainers are really doing to their horses and what the consequences might be? And, most importantly, why would they put the glory of winning ahead of the welfare of their horse? At least the trainers can claim economic necessity, weak argument though that is. The owners are willing to sacrifice their horse's well being and possibly his very life, for a worthless ribbon!
You know who you are. What the freaking hell is WRONG with you?
The Horse: Tail Blocking Gone Wrong
Okay, did you read the article? Those people were paying the trainer to do that to their horse without having a clue as to what it actually involved. My God! There is no excuse. And how about that brat of a kid who was pissed off because she "worked so hard" to get where she was and it was all "taken from her." Taken from her? What about her horse? He's lucky to be alive and not permanently paralyzed. Does this kid give a shit? NO. It's all about her. If she were my kid, she'd never have another living thing to abuse and neglect, but the parents don't have a clue either. GEEZ!
Okay, say you don't show Quarter Horses where the tails have to hang like they were dead to get pinned. How about Tennessee Walkers that do the "Big Lick"? Want to make a little wager as to how many of those horses are doing this grotesque gait because they're sore? What say? Soring doesn't go on any more? Why then at a recent show where USDA inspectors were on hand with sophisticated equipment to test for soring, did so many exhibitors leave without even unloading their horses? So many left that they hardly had enough to go on with a show. What would you do if your trainer elected to not show your horse rather than submit him to a USDA check? Would you do anything?
As a Morgan owner myself, I know how most Morgans carry their tails - jaunty and away from their body, even at the walk. But, that's not good enough for Big Time Showing. Oh no, you need to stick some ginger up their butts so they'll really high tail it. And this is legal! If you think this practice is okay, drop by sometime and I'll teach you first hand how it feels.
I'm only hitting the high (!) spots in regards to what goes on in the world of Big Time Showing. Of course there's all the infamous politics that's always present. But, you know what? I don't give a damn about all that. If the exhibitors feel abused, stop showing. They have that choice. The horses have no choice, and the abuse that they are forced to endure is all that concerns me.
But, "everybody's doing it" and "that's what it takes to win" Holy CRAP! What kind of reasons are those? If you think winning is an excuse for abuse, you don't deserve to own a pet rock, let alone a horse. What is WRONG with people?!
Oh yeah - it's the trainer's fault for doing anything that they believe will give them an advantage.. It's the judge's fault for pinning such ridiculous idiocy. It's, it's - YOUR fault. If you own such a horse, the buck stops with you.
There is plenty of culpability to go around in this sorry mess -
Why would any judge even consider, let alone prefer, a horse that was doing things so unnatural as to virtually require artificial/abus
Why would a trainer do these things - other than to win at all costs of course. Oh, but they have to to win, and they are paid to win by owners like the ones in the story - ignoramuses who don't care enough to educate themselves about what their trainers are doing to their horses in order to give them those wins.
My greatest Why however - and my greatest contempt - is directed at the owners of these horses. Why would an owner allow this to happen? Why would they not educate themselves about what their trainers are really doing to their horses and what the consequences might be? And, most importantly, why would they put the glory of winning ahead of the welfare of their horse? At least the trainers can claim economic necessity, weak argument though that is. The owners are willing to sacrifice their horse's well being and possibly his very life, for a worthless ribbon!
You know who you are. What the freaking hell is WRONG with you?
