120625.scoop - The Scoop

nEwSThe Scoop for The walking Horse IndustryTrainers’ Enforcement Initiative Set To Begin(continued)The new enforcement initiative of the WHTA will be administeredby independent veterinarians and/or veterinarian technicians. The resultswill be sent to the independent lab identified by the Tennessee WalkingShow Horse Organization (TWSHO), who has helped administer andfund the initiative. Those results will be reviewed by an IndependentCommissioner outside of the Horse Industry for imposition of theappropriate penalty in conjunction with the TWSHO and WHTArepresentatives. Testing and results will take 7-10 days to receive.“Our board and our membership understand the importance of thisinitiative as we continue to place importance on the welfare of our horse.We have a great horse capable of great things and this initiative will provethe natural ability of the Tennessee Walking Horse. We urge all horseshows that allow Tennessee Walking Horses to embrace and implementthis testing,” said President Jamie Hankins.“Although we are extremely disappointed in the recent jointstatement of the American Association of Equine Practitioners andAmerican Veterinary Medical Association, we are encouraged that itclearly and correctly pointed out that our action device and package causeno harm to our horse,” concluded Hankins.Any trainer or entry that refuses to submit to the testing priorto showing will not be allowed to enter the class and will receive asuspension of their license for two weeks.a nEw paTH for walkIng HorSEIndUSTryThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has stepped up to prove that ittakes abuse of Tennessee Walking Horses seriously. That’s good news, butwhat is more important is whether the show-horse industry has learned thatit must change for the better.On June 5, the USDA announced a new rule requiring minimumpenalties for violations of the Horse Protection Act. Though the act wasput in place 40 years ago, it has not been consistently enforced, and themaiming and beating of these animals has continued to the present.The new rule means that any of the outside organizations thatoften conduct inspections of horses before shows must impose the samelevel of federal penalty at every show. Any horse found to be sored willautomatically be disqualified from competition, and those responsible willbe suspended from shows and other events.The USDA had little choice other than to take a tougher lineafter the recent release of an undercover video made by the HumaneSociety of the United States. That video made it possible for millions ofpeople worldwide to see the depraved way that some horses are treated,to condition them into a high-kicking gait that will bring prize money andglory to the horses’ owners and trainers.In the past, the industry has reacted publicly to cases of soring,issuing handfuls of suspensions and forming the inspection organizationSHOW. But the soring cases always came back; if, indeed, they everceased.So how might it be different this time? As shocking as the video is,the public and inspectors might think the new rule means people who careabout horses can rest easy. But even though the show-horse industry cannottruly self-regulate, it certainly can reform itself from within.Large industries tend to resist fundamental change; however, itdoes occur. Automakers from Audi to Toyota have removed unsafe vehiclesfrom the road, even at great cost to their companies. The tobacco industry,though it continues to make unsafe products, can no longer market tochildren and is highly taxed to discourage volume sales.Some of these industries were dragged into better citizenship.Some food manufacturers and distributors have been more proactive,improving labeling and the nutritional content of their products after healthrisks were identified.Of course, reforms from within often occur to head off civillawsuits. It needn’t get that far for the Walking Horse industry.It’s a given that the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’Association should enforce zero tolerance of abuse among its members.But why not also fund a program of education and awareness on humanetreatment of animals in coordination with schools, 4-H Clubs and farmassociations? Make soring an atrocity that only happened in the past.Most important of all, stop the fear — fear by individuals andbusinesses whose livelihoods depend on horse shows — that bringingabuse to light will only hurt them economically. The fans who truly careabout horses will keep coming to the shows even without the “big lick,”and probably will gain new legions of fans confident that the horses arebeing treated humanely.Editorial from the Nashville TennesseanUnIfIEd HorSE SHow dEvElopmEnTprogram nEwS rElEaSE forImmEdIaTE rElEaSE(June 15, 2012 Shelbyville, Tennessee) – The Unified Horse ShowDevelopment Program (UHDP), an arm of the Foundation for theAdvancement and Support of the Tennessee Walking Show Horse(FAST), fully supports the Walking Horse Trainers’ Association’s newEnforcement Initiative. The new initiative will use gas chromatographymassspectrometry swabs to ensure caustic agents and masking agents areremoved from horses entering competition.“We are very supportive of the WHTA and their initiativeto remove those trainers who choose to use illegal substances in thepreparation of their horses. The welfare of our animals has and willcontinue to be at the forefront of UHDP and FAST’s mission,” said UHDPChair Deborah Williams.The UHDP was formed to assist new horse show development aswell as help existing shows that need financial aid. The group will alsoseek to revitalize previous Walking Horse venues and help with walkinghorse events across the nation. The UHDP will focus its aid to horse showsprimarily outside of the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. Horse eventsand shows will have to apply to the UHDP for financial aid. Applicationscan be found at www.fastwalkingshowhorse.org.The program also includes a mentoring program. UHDP will offermentoring services to groups that request help with organizing their showsand putting together events. The UHDP and FAST proudly promote allshow disciplines of the Tennessee Walking Horse.The Scoop / Page 93