Walking Horse Exhibitors Withdraw from Show
by: Pat Raia
July 10 2008 Article
# 12242 Hundreds of trainers withdrew their horses from competition at a major Tennessee Walking Horse show last weekend after USDA inspectors arrived on the scene to examine horses for violations of the Horse Protection Act.
According to Earl Rogers Jr., president of the Kentucky Walking Horse Association, the four-day Owingsville Lions Club Horse Show drew more than 500 Tennessee Walking Horses, many of them contenders for the breed's championship title at the upcoming National Celebration in August. But the prospect of failing USDA testing brought the competition down to just 40 horses in the show's final two days.
"If they had been found in violation, they would not be able to show at the Celebration," said Rogers, who also manages the Owingsville show.
Federal inspectors examined horses for signs for soring--deliberate injuries to horses' legs and feet to achieve an exaggerated high-stepping gait--and took random swab samples from the horses' pasterns to detect the presence of irritants such as diesel fuel, or topical pain-masking agents such as lidocaine.
One trainer was cited for soring, Rogers said. Others opted not to risk suspension, claiming inspectors were too aggressive in their examinations.
"One horse was checked by the USDA both nights going into the ring and coming out," Rogers said. "That's overkill."
Even so, Keith Dane, director of equine protection for the Humane Society of the United States, said trainers should expect inspections to continue at future shows, including the Celebration.
"Swab sampling will be used at the Celebration, and so will thermal technology to detect soring as well," he said.
Whether the promise of thorough inspections will lead to Celebration no-shows remains to be seen.
"It's anybody's guess," Rogers said.
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