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	<title>abuse &#8211; Equestrian from Crete</title>
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	<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com</link>
	<description>A Greek islander explores equestrianism</description>
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		<title>The practice of soring</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/the-practice-of-soring/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/the-practice-of-soring/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 2018 20:15:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APHIS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AVMA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horse Protection Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tennessee Walking Horse]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=3165</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Hi! Now that we have discovered the beauty and grace of the Tennessee Walking Horse, I&#8217;m afraid it&#8217;s time to speak about the dark side of the story of this breed; soring. Let me start from the beginning. In 1940&#8217;s and 1950&#8217;s, the popularity of the Tennessee Walking Horse to the American public skyrocketed thanks to this special, extended gait. In fact, the more extravagant the gait, the more charming the horse. Furthermore, it was found that horses which were not &#8220;adequately gifted&#8221; could improve their gait with some intensive training. Exaggerated gaits also began to fascinate show judges too. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, &#8220;soring is the unethical and illegal practice of deliberately inflicting pain to exaggerate the leg motion of gaited horses (such as Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses and Racking Horses) to gain an unfair advantage in the show ring&#8221;. This practice results in an equine which pulls fast its forelimbs off the ground to ease the pain and brings its hindlimbs as forward as possible to decrease weight on the forelimbs. How is it done? There are many methods of soring and they are categorized into two groups; chemical and physical. The chemical methods have to do with the application of caustic substances to the lower legs of the equine. Such substances can be kerosene, mustard oil, diesel or other liquids that can bring similar effects. To maximize the result, the area on which they are applied is wrapped with plastic and a leg wrap and the leg remains like this for a number of days, to let the chemicals be thoroughly absorbed. Such process certainly leaves visible scars, which can be burned off with the application of chemical stripping agents. The desired result is a horse being sensitive to action devices, with hoofs that are sensitive to contact with the ground. On the other hand, physical methods aim at causing ache when the hoof touches the ground. The suffering caused by physical methods of soring makes the horse rise the legs faster and higher, seeking relief from the pain. Physical methods include a wide range of processes, such as grinding or trimming the foot and sole to expose their sensitive tissues or remove the natural tissues that support the wall of the hoof; inserting tough items into the sensitive spot between the pads and the sole in order to create painful pressure; fastening metal hoof bands excessively tight in order to create enormous pressure; intentionally shoeing the horse in an inappropriate manner; and intentionally causing laminitis. Legislation There is, in fact, a legal framework against soring in the United States. The principal legislation that protects horses from soring is the &#8220;Horse Protection Act&#8221; (HPA), which was enforced in 1970 and amended in 1976. Under HPA, it is prohibited to sell a sored equine or register it with shows, exhibitions or auctions. Also, under the same act, drivers are forbidden to transport sored equines to such occasions. The enforcement of HPA part of the authority of the United States Department of Agriculture and, more specifically, an assignment of its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-Animal Care (USDA-APHIS-Animal Care). The department involves three types of professionals in its efforts to enforce HPA: Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs): DQPs were established with the 1976 HPA Amendment. They have knowledge of the equestrian industry and have received training from the USDA to be able to detect soring practices. DQPs are hired by the manager of each individual event. Their job is to inspect horses before they are exposed to the public for sale or for a show/exhibition. Conflicts of interest and varying standards have been noted. Veterinary Medical Officers (VMOs): VMOs are APHIS veterinarians who carry out supplementary, unheralded examinations. A low budget allows VMOs to attend less than&#160; 10% of shows which take place in the United States every year. Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs): HIOs are professional groups, assigned by the USDA to self-police competitions and the equestrian industry. They also license DQPs and have inherent conflicts of interest. Inspections against soring that take place at events may include; Visual observation: watching the horse&#8217;s posture and movement Physical inspection: examining the horse&#8217;s response to pain and looking for physical signs of soring, such as hair loss and scars Application of medical checks: carrying out medical tests using instruments, such as radiography, thermography and blood testing. For more information about the legal framework of soring, you can visit the APHIS page on Horse Protection Act and Regulations. The legislation is not enough Unfortunately, the legal framework which has been established in the United States has not been adequate so far. This occurs for a number of reasons. The first obstacle is the fact that the artificial gait which results from soring still has a big number of fans among the show judges. Those judges will give the prize -and the prize money- to the horse with the most exaggerated gait. The second obstacle is the conflict of interests between those involved in the inspection process and the show organisers. And, on top of that, there are inherent conflicts of interests among the inspectors too. Thirdly, it has been observed that punishment of confirmed HPA violations has been slack, hence creating a precedent for more violations. Last but not least, inspections depend on a very small budget, which can&#8217;t cover all shows. Therefore, it is impossible for every and each violation to be detected and prosecuted. So, that&#8217;s all about soring. For more information, you can refer to the official website of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and, more specifically, their page about soring. You will also find a very informative page about soring on Wikipedia. What do you think of soring? Have you witnessed an act of soring yourself? Have you been involved in inspections? &#160;]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3165</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>End of road for Totilas&#8217; career?</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/end-of-road-for-totilas-career/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/end-of-road-for-totilas-career/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2015 20:01:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[championship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dressage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FEI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[injury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Totilas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[welfare]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=846</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Last Thursday was a bad one for the German dressage team at the 2015 FEI European Championships in Aachen. From the first moment of the appearance of Totilas&#8217; and his new rider, Matthias Rath in the arena, it appeared that there was something wrong with the welfare of the multi-million stallion. To the trained eyes, it was obvious that Totilas was lame and in agony throughout the test. His rear left leg appeared sore while Rath was saluting. Later, Totilas -now 15 years old- was taken to a clinic and was diagnosed with bone edema. Consequently, a long pause in sports duties has been advised, with the end of his dressage career being in sight as well. This injury revived the outrage of the equestrian world and sports media regarding the chronically poor interest in Totilas&#8217; welfare by his riders and owners. Throughout his career, this greatly talented stallion has been ruthlessly exploited by the equine industry, without any real interest in his health. Wonder horses like Totilas are seen as good business, a wise investment and nothing much more. Another concern was that the stallion should not have been qualified for the championships, raising suspicion upon the transparency of the selection procedures. Totilas&#8217; first rider, Edward Gal, with whom he gained three world records, is acuused by many of having made the start of the damage, as he trained the stallion with the LDR (Low, Deep and Round) method, based on hyperflexion. This technique is claimed to cause physical harm to the horse and is regarded as mental abuse by the FEI. The love that this stallion has received from the equestrian audience is probably equal to the abuse he has received by his owners and trainers. Indeed, the more you learn about Totilas, the more you see the extent of animal cruelty imposed on him. Below is the video of Totilas&#8217; performance in the 2015 FEI European Championships in Aachen: Here are the links to relevant German articles: http://www.st-georg.de/news/pferde-und-leute/totilas-diagnose-bekannt http://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/mehr-sport/reiten/drama-um-totilas-der-schwarze-und-die-drei-affen-13750937-p2.html]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">846</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ban horses from being horsey</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/ban-horses-from-being-horsey/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/ban-horses-from-being-horsey/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2015 23:54:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cruelty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=839</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[  I recently saw something unpleasant at the equestrian club; a stallion was in his stable and suddenly began hitting his leg on the ground. You know, the movement that horses do with their legs when they get impatient or something. His owner, a pony club girl less than 10 years old, who was chatting with her friend in front of another stable, went close and began to hit the head of her horse, shouting as well. Then she went back to her friend. But the stallion began to do the same. And again, she returned, beat him more forcefully and shouted louder. The lady who owns the place could see her but could not bother, but I freaked out. Later in the day, in an advanced lesson, another girl, apparently of the same age, began to pull the reins as strongly as she could. She was doing that because her pony did not make it over a jump. So, instead of reflecting on her technique, she was beating the horse with her whip, pulling the reins with all her strength. The poor pony was in pain, moving his neck at different directions, but the more he was doing that, the more abuse he was receiving. Thankfully, at this time the instructors intervened. And then we wonder how a person ends up as an abuser. We see all these disturbing pictures, we hear all these unbelievable news and we wonder what people who abuse horses are thinking. If you grow up learning that beating your horse as hard as you can is normal -as nobody bothers to tell you that it&#8217;s wrong- then in your adulthood you will probably commit more unacceptable things, such as starvation, extraordinary beating and everything horrendous that appears on the news. I&#8217;m not a parent myself, hence I can&#8217;t judge, but don&#8217;t you think that something must be done for kids to be respectful of their animals, before they turn into beasts themselves?]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">839</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Crete: Man arrested for equine abuse</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/crete-man-arrested-for-equine-abuse/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/crete-man-arrested-for-equine-abuse/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2015 23:38:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crete]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[donkey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prosecution]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=821</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A disturbing discovery was made by members of the Panhellenic Animal Welfare and Environmental Federation in the district of Heraklion in the Greek island of Crete, when they found tens of equine corpses (horses and donkeys), in the area surrounding a catering business. Policemen had discovered earlier two donkeys in a horrendous situation, hardly able to stand and with their furs fallen off. Based on the reports, it is estimated that the donkeys have been in this condition for at least six months. The man who owns the business claimed that the donkeys had been abandoned and he had collected them for treatment. But nobody believed him, as the federation had received reports about tens of equine corpses and skeletons in the surrounding area. In an effort to rescue the surviving equines which remained in the hands of the abuser, the federation took pictures from the area where the corpses had been found and the police proceeded to his arrest last Monday, 3 August. The man&#8217;s court hearing has been postponed. Treatment for the surviving equines has been arranged. Below there is a small collection of the photos taken (WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGES) Here are the links of the original articles (in Greek): http://www.skai.gr/news/greece/article/288469/kriti-anavoli-pire-i-diki-tou-katigoroumenou-gia-kakopoiisi-alogon-kai-gaidourion http://www.skai.gr/news/environment/article/288330/kriti-sunelifthi-gia-kakopoiisi-alogon-dekades-skeletoi-ippoeidon- http://www.skai.gr/news/environment/article/288464/anavlithike-i-diki-tou-katigoroumenou-gia-kakopoiisi-alogon-kai-gaidourion This is a quite disturbing incident that proves that the equine abandonment and abuse crisis occurs in many countries, where irresponsible people possess equines without caring about their welfare. The fact that this happens in my homeland as well makes me feel embarrassed. At least I hope that justice will do its job. Fast.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">821</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The silliness of abuse</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/the-silliness-of-abuse/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/the-silliness-of-abuse/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2015 12:02:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=793</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[  No offence to our American friends, but I cannot understand what appears the dominant desire for showing oneself off. &#8220;Challenges&#8221;, extreme shootings, etc., things that we can see on YouTube or on TV, because someone is filming or photographing the person doing them -with their consent or request. And these acts are accompanied with stupid smiles, or &#8220;how it&#8217;s done&#8221; advice. Come on, there are plenty of such scenes on the web and the news. So, here is a situation of equine abuse coming from Oklahoma, United States. Two men apparently find it fun to tie up a mare, stand on her body whipping her and sit on her shoulder stabbing her neck with their spurs. And, of course, let&#8217;s not forget about the silly, fat smiles at the camera. They call this &#8220;training&#8221;, for God&#8217;s sake. Now, seriously, what do these men try to do? Convince people about a special achievement or extraordinary skills? Can&#8217;t they see that they appear absolutely stupid? Now, if they are so smart and strong and capable, here&#8217;s another challenge; go to the wild, catch an 800kg stallion and try to do the same. I wonder if they would enjoy this as much! A big campaign is occurring on the social media to find out if that poor mare is alive and to persuade the local authorities to take action against the people who are responsible for this. You can find the petition here: Twitter: @HorseinOKabused , #ShowUsTheHorse Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Horseharslytrained?fref=ts]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2397</post-id>	</item>
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