On August 15, the Walking Horse Trainers Association (WHTA) Board of Directors and Ethics Committee sent out a press release in regards to an investigation of trainer Dick Peebles for using pressure shoeing. Mr. Peebles did not admit guilt but did accept responsibility for the shoeing violation. He received a five-year suspension, which is the penalty for pressure shoeing under the USDA Horse Protection Act. This penalty does not have a lot of teeth as it is a penalty given by the WHTA and not a legal action under the Horse Protection Act. So although it will prevent him from showing, it will not prevent him from training horses and his clients can show them.
This is more evidence of the story I wrote a couple of weeks ago – http://www.horsekinetics.com/tennessee-walking-horse-shows-changed-for-the-better
So what exactly did Mr. Peebles do, or had his farrier do, that caused a 5 year suspension? It is called Pressure Shoeing which is a form of torture for a horse. Basically the goal is to put enough pressure on the horses sole to make them high step. In reality, they are causing the horse to be lame and forcing them to perform lame. If that were not bad enough many times they use chemical agents to make the heels sore or use nails to put pin point pressure on the sole. Anything to make them do a quick high step forward. Pretty disgusting for just a ribbon. Yes I realize there is more involved than just a ribbon, such as the recognition and the money that goes with winning all the time, but I still find it abhorring.
Thanks to Fran Jurga of the Jurga Report for bringing this story to my attention. She has an amazing blog – almost as good as this one…LOL Truthfully her blog is one that I read on a regular basis for the news that she finds before I do – Her blog http://www.equisearch.com/special/blog/horsehealth/ and the soring story – http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsehealth/2007/08/walking-horse-trainer-admits-to-illegal.html
