tipping point july - welcome to stop soring point july_web.pdfthe tipping point issue #4, july 2013...

The Tipping Point Issue #4, July 2013

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Foot Pressure 2 4 A short course in pressure shoeing, what it is, how it’s done, why it is one of the worst forms of cruelty

USDA Pressure 5 7 The USDA has sent out

some letters to HPA violators. The name of the game is “federal case”

The Lists 4& 8 Making a list, checking it twice. New PAST Act co-sponsors and how TWHBEA directors voted

1). Any force that acts against an opposing force 2). An impelling or constraining moral force 3). Urgent demands on one’s time or strength 4). The force acting upon a surface per unit of area The word for the month of July is pressure, where to put it, how to use it, when to take a break from it, how not to buckle under it.

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As we continue to focus on bringing sufficient attention and pressure to bear on Congress that the Whitfield Amendment, H.R. 1518 actually gets to the floor and then is passed so that the Senate can consider it, the hard work of keeping the pressure on begins to take its toll. That’s why the quote from Vince Lombardi, America’s seer of success based on hard work, seems right on target for this month’s issue.

We’re going to talk about current law enforcement cases, current USDA actions against Horse Protection Act violators,

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current breed political battles, the current number of co-sponsors signed on to the PAST Act, and the current effort it takes to keep people on track and working (even during the hot days of summer when a romance novel or a beach blanket or a cool drink and a convertible would be much easier to get excited about.) Then you look at the picture at the top of the page of the pressure shod hoof of a horse that never had a lazy day of summer because summer meant horse shows and pain and you are reminded of why this time the pressure has to stay on until the

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battle is won. It would be easy to hope that some other person would take the lead, make the calls, petition local Horse Councils, and do the work that makes a difficult goal achievable. All of us want to give up from time to time, but when that happens I hope you will take a look at the hoof above and remember that our idea of keeping the pressure on is a world away from the idea of whomever chose to do this to a horse, whomever paid to have it done, and all of those who thought that the gait that this agony produced was something to celebrate. Pressure—Pass it On!

Once you agree upon the price you...must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent’s pressure, and the temporary failures.”

# 4 Pressure Shod

Vince Lombardi


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such practices should be the farrier. A doctor is sworn to do no harm to his patient; a farrier’s job should be to keep a horse, an animal totally dependent on its feet for its survival, sound and comfortable and in balance. But in the upside down world of the walking horse show business, pressure shoeing is done by farriers at the request of owners and trainers, and if one won’t do it, there is always another that will. Here are common ways to pressure shoe a horse: 1). Sand the sole with an electric sander or use a dremel tool until there is a bloody froth on the sole. Nail on a shoe or pad and check the gait. If insufficient remove the shoe or pad and re -sand the sole. 2). Trim the hoof wall so that the sole extends below the wall. This transforms the sole into a weight-bearing surface. 3). Sand and file the hoof wall where the hoof band passes across the front of the hoof. Tightening the bolt at the

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band then creates pressure on the hoof wall. 4), Stand a horse on blocks with rough edges pressing into the hoof sole. Secure the blocks with duct tape and leave him standing on the blocks. Remove the blocks before the show and shoe. No doubt he will be very light on his feet. 5). Place foreign objects between the sole and the shoe or pad. In the old days wood or half of a golf ball did the trick but nowadays, thanks to improved technology, epoxy and resins that are malleable when placed up against the sole and harden into rocklike substances can keep a horse going with the constant pain of having no relief from the pressure (think of yourself being forced to run with rocks in your shoes). 6). Cut the sole of the hoof close, leave the heels long, changing the angle of the coffin bone, the tip of the coffin bone then points downward into the sole. Then add acrylic to the front of the foot so that the heel toe ratio cannot be accurately measured. Success!

“Mechanical Soring”, you’ve heard the term, do you know what it means? Have you ever seen a horse that was severely foundered in his front feet? Have you seen how he rocks back, transferring the weight from his aching front hooves to his rear hooves? Have you ever tried to get a foundered horse to walk forward with you? Now think about what it would mean to have a horse in that sort of pain circling a rock hard arena at speed, and if the class is a three-gait class, trying to canter as well.

That’s the story of the pressure-shod horse and it’s an old story, not a new one. As far back as 1960 in Sports Illustrated, industry insiders observed that if the boots on walking horses were taken away, that exhibitors would “go to the feet” to get the big lick look to which they were addicted. The first line of defense against

The PAST Act, H.R. 1518 would remove stacks, shoe bands, and heavy shoes, whose only purpose is to exaggerate gaits, from the hooves of walking, racking and spotted saddle horses. When these devices are removed, pressure shoeing will be easier to detect. At present, removing shoes and the use of hoof testers by an expert is the best way to detect a pressure-shod horse. Watching them go and having suspicions isn’t enough. Making it easier to detect this vicious practice is one goal of the PAST Act.

The Pressure’s On To Expose the Pressure Shod

Horse

The Tipping Point Issue # 4, July 2013

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Blacksmith Arrested

(Left) Blake Tanner Primm, the blacksmith employed by Larry Wheelon, the trainer at Wheelon Stables in Maryville, Tennessee, has been arrested on a warrant for animal cruelty. Primm is now free on bail. Primm has aggressively protested his innocence on social media and has proclaimed himself to be ‘one helluva blacksmith’. He cautioned posters reporting on his arrest that he would consider suing them for slander.

The hearing, for Wheelon and his three employees, to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a grand jury was scheduled for June 25th but after last minute motions by the defense to suppress evidence collected under the search warrant for Wheelon’s facility, and the resultant motion by the District Attorney to disallow those motions, the judge carried the hearing over to give ample time to rule on the issues. Wheelon and company is now expected to be back in court in late July or early August, depending on the judge’s calendar.

Attorney Jack Heffington, who owns the walking horse industry publication, The Scoop, is the attorney of record for some of of the owners whose horses were confiscated after the Wheelon raid.

Jackie McConnell Cruelty Charges Still Pending

The wheels of justice are said to grind exceeding slow and that surely has been the case for federally convicted felon and former Walking Horse Hall of Fame trainer Jackie McConnell of Collierville, Tennessee.

McConnell has been maneuvering his way through the Tennessee court system in Fayette County where he has been charged with 22 counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animal charges from 2011. Two of his former employees have also been charged. McConnell’s offenses took place before Tennessee put into place a felony cruelty to animals law so it is expected that the 60 something year old McConnell will not end up in jail where public opinion would like to see him.

It was reported in June that McConnell had decided to plead guilty rather than face a trial, but he has yet to enter that plea. His lawyer told reporters that McConnell had closed the doors to his barn and had suffered as a result of the charges and that they expected that the judge would go with probation. McConnell, leaving the courtroom after his latest appearance that did not result in a plea, had no comment for reporters. Horses confiscated as evidence from McConnell’s facility over a year ago remain in custodial care until all of the charges against him are settled.

Above: Image of Jackie McConnell form the infamous undercover video that shocked the world and changed the conversation about abuse in the walking horse business.

In the Courts


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Action To Take in July - Put your Representative on the List!

Welcome to the new co-sponsors

listed in red

Test Your Civics IQ

Have You Heard of the Suspension Calendar?

One way to move H.R. 1518 would be to have it put on the House suspension calendar. This calendar suspends some of the more time consuming steps in getting a bill passed and is used when there is so much co-sponsor support for legislation that no significant opposition is expected.

To get on the Suspension Calendar track we need 75% of the members of the House as Co-Sponsors.

It CAN be done. YOU can do it.

H.R. 1518 Co-sponsors

As of 6/28/13

Representative, State and District

Andrews, Robert E NJ-1 Beatty, Joyce OH-3 Bishop, Timothy NY-1 Blumenauer, Earl OR-3 Bordallo, Madline Z GU Brady, Robert A. PA-1 Braley, Bruce L. IA-1 Brownley, Julia CA-26 Buchanan, Vern FL-16 Campbell, John CA-45 Capps, Lois CA-45 Capuano, Michael E. MA-7 Cardenas, Tony CA-29 Cartwright, Matt PA-17 Castor, Kathy FL-14 Chu, Judy CA-27 Cicilline, David N. RI-1 Clarke, Yvette D. NY-9 Coble, Howard NC-6 Cohen, Steve TN-9 Connolly, Gerald E. VA-11 Conyers, John, Jr. MI-13 Courtney, Joe CT-2 Cummings, Elijah E. MD-7 Davis, Susan A. CA-53 DeFazio, Peter A OR-4 DeLauro, Rosa L. CT-3 Deutch, Theodore E. FL-21 Doyle, Michael F. PA-14 Ellison, Keith MN-5 Engel, Elliot NY-16 Eshoo, Anna G. CA-18 Esty, Elizabeth H. CT-5 Farr, Sam CA-20 Fitzpatrick, Michael G. PA-8 Forbes, J. Randy VA-4 Foster, Bill IL-11 Frankel, Lois FL-22 Gibson, Christopher. NY-19 Grijalva, Raul M. AZ-3 Grimm, Michael G. NY-11

Hahn, Janice, CA-44 Hanna, Richard NY-22 Hastings, Alcee FL-20 Himes, James A. CT-4 Holt, Rush NJ-12 Honda, Michael M. CA-17 Horsford, Steven NV-4 Huffman, Jared CA-2 Israel, Steve NY-3 Jackson Lee, Sheila TX-18 Johnson, Eddie Bernice TX- 30 Jones, Walter B., Jr NC-3 Keating, William R. MA-9 King, Peter T. NY-2 Kinzinger, Adam IL-16 Kline-John MN-2 Kuster, Ann M. NH-2 Langevin, James R. RI-2 Larsen, Rick WA-2 Larson, John B. CT-1 Lee, Barbara CA-13 Levin, Sandy, MI-9 Lipinski, Daniel IL-3 LoBiondo, Frank A. NJ-2 Lofgren, Zoe CA-19 Lynch, Stephen F. MA-8 Maloney, Carolyn B. NY-12 Maloney, Patrick, NY-18 Markey, Edward J. MA-5 Matsui, Doris O. CA-6 McCarthy, Carolyn NY-4 McCollum, Betty MN-4 McGovern, James P. MA-2 McNerney, Jerry CA-9 Meng, Grace NY-6 Miller, Gary G. CA-31 Miller, George CA-11 Moran, James P. VA-8 Murphy, Patrick FL-18 Nadler, Jerrold NY-10 Napolitano, Grace F. CA-32 Noem, Kristi L. SD Norton, Eleanor Holmes DC Pascrell, Bill, Jr. NJ-9 Payne, Donald M. , Jr. NJ-10

Peters, Gary C. MI-14 Peters, Scott H. CA-52 Pitts, Joseph R. PA-16 Polis, Jared CO-2 Posey, Bill FL-8 Price, David E. NC-4 Quigley, Mike IL-5 Rangel, Charles B. NY-13 Roybal-Allard, Lucile CA-40 Ruiz, Raul CA-36 Runyan, Jon NJ-3 Sanchez, Loretta CA-46 Sarbanes, John P. MD-3 Schakowsky, Janice D. IL-9 Schneider, Bradley S. IL-10 Schock, Aaron IL-18 Schrader, Kurt OR-5 Schwartz, Allyson Y PA-13 Shea-Porter, Carol NH-1 Shuster, Bill PA-9 Slaughter, Louis McIntosh NY-25 Smith, Adam WA-9 Smith, Christopher H. NJ-4 Southerland, Steve H. FL-2 Stivers, Steve OH-15 Tierney, John F. MA-6 Tipton, Scott R. CO-3 Titus, Dina NV-1 Tonko, Paul NY-20 Walberg, Tim MI-7 Weber, Randy K Sr. TX-14 Welch, Peter VT Yarmuth, John KY-3 Wilson, Frederica FL-24 Yarmuth, John KY-3 Yoho, Ted S. FL-3 Young, C.W. Bill FL-13


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Of Note: Mr. Urad has twenty days from the date of service to file and with the Hearing Clerk in Washington, D.C. As is usual in these cases, failure to file an answer shall be deemed admitted for the purpose of these proceedings and will constitute an admission of all the material allegations of the complaint.

Mr. Urad is well known in his local saddle club and has won many trainer of the year awards; his wife, Margo Urad, was a member of the TWHBEA Executive Committee and a former head of its Performance and Youth Committees.

... while the horse was sore.

Left: Stan Urad


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A ‘Licker’ Goes To Court ( note: As of June 25th hearing on the Wheelon case has been continued until the end of July or early August after the defense made a motion to suppress evidence collected under the search warrant. )

Monday, June 24, 2013 - by Roy Exum reprinted with permission from The Chattanoogan

The shattered Tennessee Walking Horse industry will once again fall under the glower of the world’s horse advocates today when a known “Big Lick” trainer, Larry Joe Wheelon, is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of aggravated animal cruelty in a Maryville, Tenn., courtroom. Two accomplices, Randall Stacy Gunter of Louisville, and Brandon Lunsford of Walland, have also been charged and, with evidence that is said to be “overwhelming,” The case will likely go to the

State officials raided Wheelon’s barn in April and found 19 animals that had been sadistically sored and burned with caustic substances to achieve the “Big Lick,” an unnatural high step that in the past year has caused Tennessee to become the epicenter of horse abuse in the world. If a True Bill is returned by the Grand Jury, Wheelon and his barn workers will be charged with an additional 18 other counts, each a felony carrying one to five years in state prison if the men are convicted.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to learn who actually owns the injured horses that were in the trainer’s care because it is believed the owners could also be charged under Tennessee law if the owners had approved such horrendous treatment that some of the horses received. Several horses had been abused so badly, according to official present at the raid, they could hardly walk or stand.

Wheelon has vigorously denied the charges, but after high-profile trainer Jackie McConnell was proven to be a sadistic felon by federal prosecutors last summer, evoking the ire of horsemen worldwide, Wheelon’s alleged animal abuse lends heavily to the belief soring and contemptuous violations of the federal Horse Protection Act are still rampant in the disreputable “Big Lick” portion of the horse-show industry.

Curiously, a defiant stance has been embraced by the Shelbyville-based “Big Lick” crowd and, with a virtual army of organizations intent on exposing the vile soring and heinous “stewarding” practices against the innocent animals, horse advocates are joining in an unprecedented effort to clean up the sickening image that has now defiled the majestic breed and made the “Big Lickers” the laughingstock of the animal world.

Several weeks ago, after the Executive Committee of the breed’s registry suggested to its board that there should be “dramatic changes” to “rid ourselves of this black cloud,” the board – somewhat aghast that then-president Tracy Boyd would admit it -- quickly vetoed the committee’s request, that in itself a fact that enraged horse owners everywhere.

Boyd, who at the time worked as the general manager of the Baskin-Irby Construction Company, was promptly fired by noted “Big Lick” enthusiast Randall Baskin, who has both financed and earned quite a reputation for himself. But, wait! Last week Boyd was hired as the executive director of the registry, causing the notorious “Big Lickers” to froth and heave as though they had sored themselves.

Since the Breed Registry is not affiliated with the cash-strapped National Celebration or its offshoots like the now highly suspect Walking Horse Trainers Association (Wheelon was head of the Ethics Committee until April’s raid) or the latest creation – the Performance Horse Association – only those “Big Lickers” on the Executive Committee can stop the popular Boyd’s appointment.

According to insiders, Boyd’s appointment was voted 7-4 after Ron Thomas took early retirement to facilitate the move. With the opponents fuming, Registry “Life Member” Kasey Kesselring has written an impassioned letter claiming to be alarmed at the “process” and requesting “prudence.”

Kesselring, who was soundly defeated when he tried to get a seat on the Registry’s Executive Committee, is a known “Big Licker” who is lightly regarded by true horsemen due to a number of violations and subsequent suspensions of the Horse Protection Act. There is also said to be a move afoot for the Celebration to now attempt to buy the Registry, which is also cash-strapped. Membership has withered since the McConnell tape and revelations upon revelations have surfaced in just the past year.

There is currently a bill before Congress (H.R. 1518) that would amend the Horse Protection Act, directed rightly at the Tennessee walking horse industry. But now there is some belief the “Big Lickers,” as unbelievable as it might sound, would promptly sidestep the law by calling their animals “Tennessee Performance Horses” rather than Walkers and be exempt from such a law.

Actually, the Whitfield-Cohen amendment needs to include all horses. In Europe and in America there is an effort to clamp down on owners of hunters and jumpers who are soring their animals in a technique called “hyper sensitization.” They foolishly believe that by irritating the forelegs of the horses before competition it will cause their mounts to jump higher over obstacles. In Tennessee anyone caught committing such a crime can be jailed for one-to-five years – a horse is a horse in the eyes of this state.


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Will the Circle be Unbroken? Apparently So.

This Facebook video is making the rounds and is worth a look and a listen. Look at the horses; look at the bits; look at the ankles; look at the tack; look at the chain cart and the selection of the chains; look at the horses as they steam after very little work; and then listen to the advice given to the next generation of big lick riders, “ Get After Him!” shout the helpful watchers, and get after him, the little rider does, kicking with his spurs and giving a good yank on a leverage bit that would scare a person with exceptional hands.

You can look up the history of the particular family on the USDA Suspension list but what’s most worrisome is that this is the family tradition that they are passing on. The comments attached to the video are interesting. One of the German watchers observes that this is ein das horror! which doesn’t need much translation. The good nature of the horses is never in doubt. The good sense of the adults, well... that’s a matter for personal opinion.

If the link isn’t active, copy and paste into your browser.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=1405235446588&set=vb.291449615449&type=2&theater

TWHBEA Hires Boyd

It was only a few weeks ago that Tracy Boyd led his Executive Committee in a vote to support the Whitfield Amendment, The PAST Act. It was a gutsy decision, quickly dismissed by the International Board of Directors who voted not to support the endorsement. People who felt he had sold out one part of the breed called Mr. Boyd a variety of names; they vowed to retake the executive committee and put pesky do-gooders in their place in the next TWHBEA election.

Then, Boyd’s place of employment, big lick supporters, fired him. He didn’t stay unemployed long. Ron Thomas, the current Executive Director of TWHBEA announced he would take an early retirement to open a door for Tracy Boyd and the Executive Committee voted to hire him into that position. Mr. Thomas will stay on until the end of July to help with the transition.

Boyd, who was once the executive assistant for Bob Cherry back in TWHBEA’s halcyon days, certainly

And Now, the News Round Up knows his way around TWHBEA, but this latest revolt by the Executive Committee is going to have repercussions at some point down the line.

Meanwhile people are urging old members of TWHBEA to rejoin to help move the organization in a more progressive way, but the reactionaries are not to be counted out yet. Boyd should probably wait a bit before he orders new drapes for the office, unless he had the foresight to get at least a one-year contract of employment from his current executive committee.

AQHA Signs On as Endorser

A significant endorsement for the PAST Act has been picked up from the American Quarter Horse Association, a registry that has long billed itself as America’s horse and a breed with a large following of owners, trainers and exhibitors.

Joining the AQHA as endorsers was the Arabian Horse Association, a breed that has an active park horse presence but does not feel that the Whitfield Amendment poses any challenge to its own high stepping horses.

USDA’s Expert Elicitation Has Some Surprises

The USDA commissioned an economic impact study to see what impact mandatory penalties would have on the traditional industry. The results came out in November 2012. The study can be viewed on line. What was enlightening was how few horses are actually being shown in the traditional industry and how little money there actually is to be made there.

The cost of keeping a horse in training and showing included an estimate that fully 40-50% of all expenses went to advertising the horse in industry papers. Purchasing horse feed represented 10% of costs.

SHOW Lawsuit Bogs Down Again

With a decision on the SHOW lawsuit from 2012 against the USDA having been expected before the 2013 Celebration, the whole process has slowed again. SHOW has asked the court to enter the Expert Elicitation referenced above into the court record, and the court must now go back and consider that request. Looks like SHOW has found a way to keep its HIO certification for another show season come what may.


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TWHBEA Directors Voting Record on Supporting The PAST Act

There is an election coming up soon at the beleaguered and divided walking horse breed registry known as the TWHBEA. If you are a member of TWHBEA, and knowing how your representative voted on the PAST act may make a difference in how you vote in the upcoming election, here are the results from the May meeting.

Alabama Rob Cornelius - NO Tommy Hale- No Arizona Curtis Rosemann- No Arkansas Kenny J. McGowan- No California Frances Cole-Yes Christy Lantis-No Colorado Nicole C. Tolle-Yes Florida Kasey Kesselring-Absent Georgia Loyd Hall Black, Jr. - Absent David Mullis, Jr. -No Idaho Edwin Hutchinson-Absent Illinois Deanna Hasler-Yes Indiana Brian Velasques-Absent Iowa Richard Workman-No Kentucky Sam Sorrell-No Leigh Stuart-Absent Linda Starnes-Absent Ronnie Vincent-No Spencer Benedict-Absent Louisiana Darden Gladney-No Maine N/A Maryland Keith Dane-Yes

Massachusetts N/A Michigan Sherry White-No Minnesota Paulette Nuetzel-Absent Mississippi Joe Rankin-Yes William L. Wadsworth, Jr. -No Missouri Jason Bachert-Absent Caroline M. Hoffman-Yes Montana Rick Wies-Yes Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico N/A New York Lori Northup-Absent North Carolina Thomas B. Kakassy-No Ronald Mosley-No Jessica Hiebak-No North Dakota N/A Ohio Joyce Moyer- Yes Sherrie L. Szucs-Yes Oklahoma Cris Van Horn-Absent

Oregon Nancy O’Dell Plunkett-Absent Pennsylvania Rick Chovan-Absent South Carolina Jeff Smith-No South Dakota N/A

Tennessee Tracy Boyd-Yes Leah Boyd-Absent Wayne Dean-No Freda Dean-No Harold Dean Givens-No Michael Hicks-No Marty Irby-Yes William Ty Irby-No Pat Stout-Yes Texas Nancy Groover-Absent Margo Urad-No Ann King-No Utah Leslie Topham-Absent Vermont N/A Virginia Sharon Rice-No Pam McKinney-No Washington Stephen Brown-Yes West Virginia Charles W. Wright-No Wisconsin Mick Salm -Yes Wyoming Heather Brook Curnow-Yes Alberta, Canada William ( Bill) Adams-Absent Carla Dichaut-Absent Germany Denise Bader Keyser-Yes Russell W. Keyser- Abstain Region 1 Maryan Zyderfeld- Absent Region 2 Tim Beckmon-Absent

Region 3 Donna Fultz- Absent

Region 4 Julie A. Dillon- Absent Region 5 Debra Y. Moore- Absent Region 6 N/A Region 7 Victoria Chatten-Absent Region 8 Myhrna M. Tenente- Absent

Of Note: TWHBEA Directors owner and exhibitor Kasey Kesselring of Florida and trainer Wayne Dean of Tennessee were notified by the USDA in May 2013 that they are believed to have shown a sore horse at a public venue and have been asked to respond within 30 days of their May notification to the Hearing Clerk in Washington, D.C.

Dean sits on the TWHBEA Executive Committee and voted no on endorsing the PAST act. Kesselring was absent for the vote.


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The House Fails to Pass a Farm Bill

Congressional watchers were taken aback as amendments, including cuts to food programs for poor people, added to the Farm Bill made it impossible for a coalition of Democrats and Republican lawmakers to hold the voting line and pass a five year Farm Bill. All in all 126 amendments, including the astonishing King amendment that would have repealed dozens of state laws on animal protection, managed to get themselves attached to the bill but left behind were every animal welfare amendment that was proposed for addition, including amendments that had food industry support, like the barren cage for laying chickens bill and the anti-slaughter amendment, as well as The PAST Act, first introduced by Congressman Whitfield of Kentucky and co-sponsored now by almost half the House of Representatives.

The traditional walking horse industry, through its lobbyist, put on a push to ensure that the PAST Act did not make it as an added amendment and were self-congratulatory in the industry press in the days following, telling their readers that they had been assured by at least one congressman that the Whitfield Amendment did not have much chance of moving ahead. (As someone once observed in a John Wayne flick, “ Those are pretty big words from a one –eyed fat man!”)

You may not be able to help with the Farm Bill but you can help to get H.R. 1518 passed on its own. Contact your local Horse Councils; ask them to endorse the bill. Ask your local riding clubs to become endorsers. Check the list of co-sponsors in this issue and if your representative is not on the list, call and find out why he or she is missing in action. If he or she has recently signed on, say thank you. Be polite; have current information on hand and be concise. Tell him or her why this legislation matters to you. Make it personal and keep it real.

Noteworthy: Shea Named as Administrator of APHIS

Kevin Shea, who has been the acting administrator of APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) a division of the USDA, has been named the official administrator of the division.

Maryland Horse Council Passes PAST Act Resolution

Thanks to the efforts of two determined TWH owners, the influential Maryland Horse Council, voted to pass unanimously, a resolution in support of H.R. 1518.

1) Getting this resolution passed was classic grass roots activism.

2) The owners had an issue. 3) They drafted a proposed resolution. 4) They asked to speak before the Horse

Council. 5) They got their facts and figures in

order. 6) They let their passion show through. 7) They built coalition support 8) And now, their efforts are being used

as an example in approaching other state Horse Councils.

9) Yes, they exerted positive pressure!

Text of Maryland Horse Council Resolution

“The Maryland Horse Council does hereby resolve to endorse the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 1518. Soring is used by dishonest trainers to deliberately impose pain in order to exaggerate the high-stepping gait of their horses and gain competitive advantage at horse shows. The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act will amend the Horse Protection Act to end the industry’s failed system of self-policing, ban the use of devices implicated in the practice of soring, toughen penalties, and make other reforms needed to finally end this torture. We add our names to other organizations who are endorsing this legislation including the American Horse Council, The American Association of Equine Practitioners, and the American Veterinary Medical Association.”

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