Tennessee Walking Horse Abuse

I have recently started riding gaited horses. Since I only rode non-gaited horses, this was very different! I figured out trotting and gaiting are two very different things. Tennessee Walkers have such and amazing gait and way of moving. I love them so much. I don't understand the abuse they have to bare. I ride regular shoed or just barefoot Walkers. Other people choose to use a terrible abusive method on the innocent horse breed.

While watching videos of "The Celebration" makes me so sad. What they make there horses do is so artificial. Tennessee Walkers were made to gait, but not made to be forced to pick there feet up above there knees. Some people choose a blue ribbon and money over the comfort of there horse. I am very grateful that "soring" was banned. It is still used illegally though. The horses used in "Big Lick" shows wear padded horse shoes several inches tall and chains. Luckily it is banned in some shows. Here is what I am talking about:

If you don't know what soring is, it is the process of injecting toxic and dangerous chemicals into a horse hoof in order to enhance "Big Lick" gait. It cause pain and suffering to the innocent horse.

Now, does these pictures look natural? Do these horses look happy?

Please spread this article or this information to help stop this abuse!

~Rachel <3

You can read this to better understand soring: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/tenn_walking_horses/facts/what_is_soring.html