This is the way some of the Tennessee Walking Horses have to stand before they go into a show ring.
This particular issue is one that means a lot to me. I am horse crazy. I love the movement of a naturally moving Walking horse who has not been treated with chemicals, stacks or chains on their feet. These days, I have been learning so much about the horrible treatment these horses go through in order to acheive that "Big Lick" step that looks frankly quite weird. Horses are not supposed to canter like that. And the horses are taught to bring their rear legs under them further, which is not the way a horse is supposed to distribute his weight. When you mess with nature, it bites you back. Over the next few days, I will be trying to find an animal rescue group that takes in retiring big lick horses. We desperately need to get these sweeet horses out of those barns and into the hands of caring, warm horse loving people who value them for their personality and natural movement. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I want to get some kind of organization going to try to help these powerless horses who don't deserve the treatment they are getting.
RSS Feed