# Enhancing Performance? Or Abuse?



## Sneak_Preview

*Please read and respond.*I'm a member of Snohomish County 4-H Program, I'm extremely active in my counties program. I've been to our county and state fairs to represent Snohomish.

Every year my club requires each member that wishes to perform at the fair to do a public presentation aka: a demonstration.

This year it was hard for me to find a topic since I've been doing it for so many years now.

I decided that I wanted to do something that I didn't know a whole lot about, abuse. But not just any kind of abuse, I wanted to do it on abuse that ties to performance horses. Such as; soaring, drawing blood, tieing, etc.

I just don't know a whole lot about some of them, and was wondering if anyone had any other examples or information on them.

So if you know of any performance related abuse "tricks" that would be a good thing for me to talk about in my presentation, please let me know ASAP. And if you have any information on them, link me.


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## Friesian Mirror

I can tell you a little bit about soaring and TWH (Tennesse Walking Horse) abuse, they do all of this just for a show :evil: .
In order for the horses to pick their feet up the way they do they: Use some type of oil that burns and pour it all over the horses front legs and wrap them REAL tight and leave them like that for a few days. They also take a golf ball and drill a screw in it and leave the sharp tip out, they then tie that to the horses front feet and ride them like that for a while. This hurts the horse and it will pick up it's foot high in order to try avoid the pain, when the golf balls come off, the horse will continue to pick up it's feet thinking that if it puts it down, it hurt. They also put stacked weight boots on their feet as well as weight chains. The horses can only walk like this for a few minutes and is then exasted, with lathered foam dripping off of them :evil: This is about all I know, not all trainers and owners do this and not all shows are like this. And also, the TWH does have a natural gait, but what is so popular is NOT the real gait.


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## Sneak_Preview

I'm pretty educated with the TWH soaring abuse and such, I mainly need more info or other ideas from other breeds or seats.

Thank you though


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## kristy

"http://www.walkinonranch.com/CNN.html
something about Tennessee walking horse, it's been long ago but situation isn't any better today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFQYHuVihZw
http://www.videotiger.com/horseracingvideo.shtml
That beautiful creatures, thoroughbreds, are in most cases fated on this... "

Child in time gave these links in a previous post. PETA could help you with this project, whether it be via link or their website, or contacting someone and asking yourself.


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## Friesian Mirror

Thanks Kristy, I was about to put up those links next


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## Sneak_Preview

I've already watched all of those videos.

I was thinking more along the lines of what people do to show horses that are supposed to make them win, like the TWH soaring, and QH's and Paints sometimes draw blood to slow the horse down, also my friend said that she's seen people tie horses heads to the top of their stall all night so that their neck is tired the next day and they hang it really low.

Thanks again


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## luckyshoes06

Rockgrinders could be used poorly in some hands, so can regular spurs, they will draw blood. I have also heard of bits with sharp wires on them ro make the horse respond more. People will teach horses to load in a trailer with brooms. People drug their horses, maybe you could find some drugs with dangerous side effects. I know a long time ago people would "Sack out" horses to break them, they would tie one foot up and place heavy sacks on their back. Some people would leave them tied for hours. People block horses legs and feet, when they are sore, this could cause the horse to not be aware of where its feet are making it dangerous for the horse and rider. I can't think of anything else right now, except for maybe tieing a horse down for hours in the round pen. Also I think people use dogs to teach horses how to load too.

Hope that helps.


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## maddie

saddle seat can be soooo cruel, they put ginger or something between the horses' but cheeks so that it stings nad they lift their legs really high and and walk all wierd, also they put chains around the ankles like with TWH and they also wear these gigantic shoes that look like the equivalent to high heels and they wear them alll the time. i heard they liek wave stuff in their faces to freak them out so they look perky in shows. Lastly, look up tail setting, its so disgusting and cruel, its where they do surgery just to make the horses' tail stay up straight and i bet they dont turn their horses out... which is sacrilegious in my book


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## bolly

Sorry, but people keep saying about the 4-H, and ive never known what it is? x Sorry if someone has already asked this and ive missed it! x


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## Desert Rat

This is one of my pet peeves and I'm glad to see you taking it on but trust me you wont win any friends or influence to many people if you really delve into it. First off I feel any time a horse is forced to alter their natural state is abuse. This includes all the gimmicks that are used to control them and the envirinments they are forced to contend with. You said you were familiar whith the TWH process of training and this even includes breaking their tails and splinting them to make them show better. Someone mentioned spurs. I haven't seen a pair of sures in the last 50 years that would draw blood on a horse unless they were being used in the most aggresive manor. They are a tool and signaling device . You will never even find rodio stock broncs or bulls with any spur cuts on them. People have bad mouthed them but at the same time they will use gimicks such as tie downs, martingales and any other pain inflicting bit or device to gain control of an animal. It's not natural for horses to jump either so forceing them to do so espacially on fox hunts and steeple chases where many jumps are blind is purely abuse. Go to your local tack store and take time to look over all the torture devices they sell with the hype that if you use this you will become a better horse person. Good luck and again my Stetson is off to you for takeing this project on.
Lonnie


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## Kyani

Rollkur is a big one - it's a dessage training technique where the horse's head is drawn right in to its chest (supposedly for very short periods of time) and bent at an unnatural point to make them hold it correctly during tests. And something of a contentious issue lately since some of the top dressage riders ahve come out saying they support its use. Look it up. (personally I think it's horribel and unecessary)

Also the bucking strap used on animals in rodeo. I'm pretty sure that comes under performance enhancers.


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## mandyy4

maddie said:


> saddle seat can be soooo cruel, they put ginger or something between the horses' but cheeks so that it stings nad they lift their legs really high and and walk all wierd, also they put chains around the ankles like with TWH and they also wear these gigantic shoes that look like the equivalent to high heels and they wear them alll the time. i heard they liek wave stuff in their faces to freak them out so they look perky in shows. Lastly, look up tail setting, its so disgusting and cruel, its where they do surgery just to make the horses' tail stay up straight and i bet they dont turn their horses out... which is sacrilegious in my book


Take a look at these videos of Tennessee Walkers.
http://www.twhbea.com/gaitsVideo.htm

I've ridden Saddlebreds for the last ten years, and I would just like to point out a few things.

Nobody in the Saddlebred industry has ever put ginger between a horse's butt cheeks. That doesn't make sense, and would not do anything to make the horse perform better. Saddlebred trainers put small chains around the horse's ankles, to get them to try to lift their legs out of the chains, which builds up muscle. Tennessee Walker owners put chemicals on the back of the fetlock, so they have sores there, and then put heavy chains around their ankles to rub on the sores every time they take a step. This is why the Performance Walkers in those videos can't walk right. They look ridiculous.

Here is a picture of the sores:
http://www.nashvilleistalking.com/archives/sorehorsehoof2.jpg

Saddlebreds wear the same shoes as any other horse. They do not wear big shoes.

Here is a picture of the normal Walker shoe:
http://www.nashvilleistalking.com/archives/sorehorsehoof.jpg

If you look closely, you can see where the hoof ends, about three inches from the ground.

Saddlebred trainers wave whips in front of the horse's face to get their ears forward. It does not "freak them out," it simply gets their attention.

The surgery to make Saddlebreds hold their tails the way they do sounds a lot worse that it is. I've heard someone say the tail is broken, and re-set to be carried up like that. That is not true. All they do is cut a ligament in the horse's tail. They sedate them, and it's completely healed in no time.

And not turning them out? That's ridiculous. You obviously don't know anything about the breed. You can't just go assuming things like that. My Saddlebreds were always turned out daily.

Take a minute and watch this video about Saddlebreds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSb6OYDzOrg

Is it not obvious to you how much pleasure those horses get out of showing off in front of a crowd? That pride is something Walkers, Fox Trotters, Morgans, Arabians, and other breeds can only hope to achieve in the show ring.

This is what Walker owners do to try to get that:
http://www.silverphoenixranch.com/index_files/Page1156.htm

Look at the pictures at the bottom of that page, and tell me Saddleseat is cruel.

I saw a video about soring, but I can't find it. It had vets and farriers talking about it, it had people filming Walkers undercover before shows, and you could see the grooms rubbing chemicals on the horse's fetlocks.

It had clips of Walkers collapsing in the show ring because they can't put any more weight on their feet.

It also said that all Walkers have to go throught an inspection before going into the show ring. The inspector will rub the horse's pastern to see if he flinches, and he will check for scarring or open wounds. They had clips of horses trying to yank their feet away when the inspector touched them, and then being allowed to show. They also said that some trainers will touch a horse on his feet where it hurts, and hit him if he flinches. They train them to stand there and take the pain, so they can be shown. Look at any picture of a performance Walker in the show ring. They aren't happy.

Notice how I keep saying performance Walker. I don't have anything against flat-shod Walkers.

I don't mean to start anything, this is just something that bothers me. People that don't know about the two breeds think they look the same, and naturally assume Saddlebred owners do the same horrible things as Walker owners do.


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## mandyy4

Here's the video I was looking for.

http://www.walkinonranch.com/CNN.html


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## [email protected]

In showing i've hard of people "pinning" horses where when measuring a horse to mak them go under height at home they use a sharp pin to prod into the horses wither so when being measured they automatically sink and cower to make them be shorter.
Also of people doping horses including kid's ponies making them "psycho" to win.

I've also heard in showjumping(i think it's illegal now though) Wher they would have 2 people standing at the jump 1 at each wing then after the horse took off lifting the pole making the horse 'rap' the fence therfor making them jump even higher.

I also have heard with standardbred's using a chain contraption making it hurt them if they canter or break out of trot.


Hope these help.......


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## xkatex

Im an avid competitor in the harness racing industry(standardbreds). Ive never heard of using chains to keep a horse in gait. Peronsally I think chains would encourage a horse to make a break. Generally we just use hopples which are more often then not seen on pacers. As for trotters, its rarer to see a trotter with hopples. There isnt many "physical" tricks to make a harness horse do what you want them too. Ive been around to many stables and worked on many farms and they are all the same. Most young horses already know their own gait and after a bit of practise, tender to keep it.

Now as for chemical abuse, thats a different story. A big drug in the industry now is EPO. Many trainers/owners/drivers have been suspended for a 10yr period with fines exceeding $10 000, and also having their horses suspended from racing due to the use of this drug.

EPO is a drug used for cancer patients to increase red blood cells. If I remember correctly, its only admistered once in a very long while. With the horses, they use it to increase the redblood cell count but administer it ever week (or everyother week) before the horses race. Yes horses have dropped dead from this drug as any living thing can only take so many red blood cells before it overloads.

Now this summer there was another drug found, but many of the highly respected trainers were found with this in their horses. I believe over 10 of them claimed they never used it. It was believed it could possibley be something in a certain brand of feed. Personally I havent kept up much with this story.

http://www.harnesstracks.com/2006DRF/drfnovember292006.htm

just a little blurb on EPO


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## smrobs

*My experience*

I don't know if you are still investigating this topic or not. I am most familiar with QH training. Years ago before the rules were enforced the way that they are now, western pleasure trainers WOULD tie their horses heads to the rafters of the stall for hours at a time. They would also bleed and drug horses to make them so weak to create that "peanut roller" appearance. I also had a horse many years ago who had scars across his poll and forehead where the trainer had put wire around his head and attached it with chains to his hocks so that every time he took a step it would jerk his head down between his knees. By the time that we got him, he was unable to lift his head above the height of his withers. With time and rehabilitation (and lots of TLC) he made a super roping horse and a pretty decent reining horse. I don't know that you will find many sites that detail what many horses go through during training to create "a winner".


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