Does the Big Lick Hurt Horses? The Unvarnished Truth
The emphatic answer is yes, the big lick is a harmful practice that inflicts pain and suffering on Tennessee Walking Horses. This cruel training method forces horses to exaggerate their gait, resulting in severe physical and psychological damage.
Understanding the Big Lick: A Cruel Spectacle
The “big lick” is a highly exaggerated, artificial gait exhibited by Tennessee Walking Horses. This distinctive high step is achieved not through natural ability but through abusive training techniques that prioritize appearance over the horse’s well-being. The practice involves the use of chains, stacked shoes, and painful substances to force an unnaturally high and flashy step.
The Tools of Torture: Chains and Stacked Shoes
The tools used to achieve the big lick are far from benign. They are instruments of pain designed to elicit a specific, artificial response from the horse.
- Chains: Heavy chains, often weighing several pounds, are placed around the horses’ pasterns (the area above the hoof). As the horse moves, the chains strike the sensitive skin, causing pain and encouraging a higher step to avoid the discomfort.
- Stacked Shoes: These are exceptionally thick shoes, sometimes reaching several inches in height, that alter the horse’s natural balance and force it to lift its front legs higher. The stacks are often combined with pads and wedges, further distorting the horse’s conformation and causing strain on its tendons and ligaments.
- “Soring”: This barbaric practice involves applying caustic chemicals (such as mustard oil, kerosene, or croton oil) to the horse’s pasterns. These substances cause blistering and inflammation, making the area extremely sensitive to the touch. The chains then exacerbate the pain, forcing the horse to lift its legs higher to avoid contact.
The Horrific Process: Soring and Training
The training process is inherently abusive. It involves constant pressure and pain, often leading to permanent physical and psychological damage.
- Soring Application: Caustic chemicals are applied to the pasterns.
- Chain Placement: Heavy chains are secured around the already sensitive pasterns.
- Forced Gait Training: The horse is forced to walk and trot, enduring the pain of the chains striking the sored skin. The goal is to train the horse to associate the pain with a low step and to lift its legs higher to avoid the discomfort.
- Show Ring Presentation: Before entering the show ring, horses are often “tuned up” with further soring to ensure maximum performance.
The Devastating Impact on Horses
Does the big lick hurt horses? Absolutely. The practice has devastating consequences:
- Chronic Pain: Horses endure constant pain in their legs, feet, and joints.
- Lameness: The unnatural gait and added weight of stacked shoes can lead to lameness and debilitating injuries.
- Inflammation and Infection: Soring can cause severe inflammation, infection, and even tissue necrosis.
- Psychological Trauma: Horses experience fear, anxiety, and stress due to the abusive training methods.
- Nerve Damage: Continued soring can result in permanent nerve damage and loss of sensation in the lower legs.
The Legal Battle and Ongoing Controversy
While the Horse Protection Act of 1970 prohibits soring, enforcement has been historically weak, and the practice persists. Loopholes in the legislation and insufficient funding for inspections have allowed abusers to continue exploiting horses. The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act seeks to strengthen the Horse Protection Act and eliminate many of the loopholes that allow soring to continue. This act faces significant opposition, highlighting the ongoing controversy surrounding the big lick.
Alternative Training Methods
Ethical training methods focus on building a horse’s strength, flexibility, and balance without resorting to pain or coercion. These methods emphasize positive reinforcement and gradual progression, allowing horses to develop naturally and avoid injury.
Understanding the Ethics of Equine Welfare
The debate surrounding the big lick boils down to ethics and animal welfare. It is essential to prioritize the well-being of horses and condemn any practice that causes pain and suffering. Education and advocacy are crucial in raising awareness and promoting humane treatment of horses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is “soring” and why is it done?
Soring is the intentional infliction of pain on a horse’s lower legs, usually by applying caustic chemicals, to force it to lift its legs higher in a dramatic, exaggerated gait, known as the “big lick.” It’s done to win competitions by making the horse’s movement appear more impressive.
Are the chains used on horses painful?
Yes, the chains used in the big lick training are definitely painful. They strike the sensitive skin of the pastern, especially when the skin has been chemically irritated by soring.
What are stacked shoes and how do they affect horses?
Stacked shoes are extraordinarily thick shoes, often several inches high, used on Tennessee Walking Horses. They disrupt the horse’s natural balance, force it to lift its legs higher, and put excessive strain on tendons and ligaments, leading to lameness and injuries.
Is the “big lick” a natural gait for Tennessee Walking Horses?
No, the big lick is an artificial gait forced upon Tennessee Walking Horses through abusive training methods. It’s not a natural movement and causes significant physical and psychological harm.
Is the Horse Protection Act effective in preventing soring?
While the Horse Protection Act of 1970 aims to prevent soring, its effectiveness has been limited. Loopholes in the law and weak enforcement have allowed soring to continue. Stronger legislation, like the PAST Act, is needed.
What is the PAST Act and what does it aim to do?
The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act seeks to strengthen the Horse Protection Act by eliminating loopholes, increasing penalties for soring, and banning the use of certain devices associated with the big lick.
How can I tell if a horse has been sored?
Signs of soring include unusual sensitivity in the lower legs, reluctance to bear weight on the front legs, altered gait, scars or lesions on the pasterns, and attempts to avoid touch.
Are there ethical alternatives to big lick training?
Yes, there are many ethical alternatives that focus on building a horse’s strength, flexibility, and balance without resorting to pain or coercion. These methods prioritize positive reinforcement and gradual progression.
What can I do to help stop the big lick?
You can support organizations fighting against soring, contact your elected officials to urge them to support the PAST Act, educate others about the cruelty of the big lick, and refuse to attend or support shows that promote it.
What are the long-term health consequences for horses subjected to big lick training?
Long-term consequences include chronic pain, lameness, arthritis, nerve damage, and severe psychological trauma, often leading to a significantly reduced quality of life.
Does the big lick hurt horses psychologically as well as physically?
Yes, the big lick inflicts both physical and psychological trauma. Horses subjected to abusive training methods experience fear, anxiety, stress, and a loss of trust in humans.
If “Does the big lick hurt horses?” why is it still practiced?
The big lick is still practiced because of the desire to win competitions and the financial incentives associated with the show industry. Despite the animal cruelty, some trainers and owners prioritize appearance and profit over the well-being of the horses. The legacy of the big lick, the culture that supports it, and insufficient enforcement of existing laws are also significant factors.