midTN_Brangusman":sqgdb0k4 said:Bigfoot":sqgdb0k4 said:midTN_Brangusman":sqgdb0k4 said:My family has raised and trained Walking Horses for 70 plus years. Those horses get better care than most people. Yes their are a few bad apples that give the breed a bad name, but that is in every business. It is obvious you don't have a clue about the breed or their gait, please keep your opinions to yourself if you have no knowledge in the matter.
Your tone is all off. Bring us up to speed on what's going in the industry. I truely don't understand what's been banned, and what's still a go.
Bigfoot my tone is right on, when you have someone saying this is way overdue that doesn't have the slightest clue about the walking horse. Yes I take this very personal. I have many family members and close friends that train for a living. I have also trained and shown these horses since I was a big enough to walk.
The USDA is banning the action device (which is 6 oz chain) and the pads(which are not stacks of heavy weights) in effect as of January 2018. I can see how looking from the outside in it could look bad if one doesn't know the facts. The chains are very smooth and are placed on the horses pastern with a lubricant to prevent any rubbing or scaring. These are used to give the horse a since of stepping out of the chain which creates the big lick. The objective of the pad is to extend the horses natural hoof in a humane way to allow the horse more action. The pads are made of plastic and can have a light shoe on bottom or rubber, depending on what the horse works best with. The pads are not heavy or harmful to the horse. There is a band that helps hold the pad on the hoof, this is also not painful to the horse but is placed to prevent harm to the hoof.
So many people have painted a bad picture of the breed and do not realize that these horses take years of training to accomplish what is called the big lick. They are not simply pouring chemicals on their feet and throwing chains on them to step high.
That's the kind of explanation we need.