Video About Horse Abuse Receives Three Million Views in Three Days

“WE ARE GOING TO SPEAK FOR THE HORSES”

by Sharon Rondeau

(Mar. 11, 2017) — On March 29, a group opposed to the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses and other related breeds for purposes of winning competitions will be taking its case to the White House and giving a press conference at the National Press Club.

The organization, CCABLAC (Concerned Citizens Against Big Lick Animal Cruelty), has taken video footage at numerous horse shows throughout the South over the past nine months in which the “Big Lick” is on display, achieved by soring and often accompanied by artificial, heavy shoes and pads, ankle chains and an unnaturally high gait produced from the application of painful skin agents in order to please the judges and win prizes.

According to CCABLAC founder Clant Seay (aka BillyGoBoy), the more than 100,000 signatures he has gathered through a change.org petition will be taken to the White House in an effort to encourage Trump or his designee to publish a new federal rule strengthening the prohibition of soring intended but not achieved by the Horse Protection Act of 1970.

In early January, it appeared that a new federal regulation would be issued specifically prohibiting soring targeting those skirting the law. However, upon the change in administrations, Donald Trump signed an executive order halting all new prospective regulations until they could be reviewed by his incoming team.  He also ushered in a new policy whereby for each new federal regulation issued, two must be rescinded.

Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

The presser will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will take place on the 13th floor of the Edward R. Murrow Room, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D. C., which is in close proximity to the White House.

While the organization is raising money for the trip to Washington, Seay told The Post & Email, “We are 100% committed; it’s going to happen. We are going to speak for the horses at the National Press Club.”

While some horse show sponsors deny that “soring” is happening and that inspections required by the Horse Protection Act are properly conducted before each show, Seay has produced a documentary showing how the effects of soring are camouflaged by experienced trainers beforehand and the horse taught, through negative reinforcement, not to flinch when under inspection.

A video released by thedodo.com on Tuesday using some of Seay’s footage with his permission gained more than three million views in a three-day period, Seay reported on Friday evening.

The video can be seen here:  https://www.thedodo.com/tennessee-walking-horses-soring-abuse-2306089500.html

Update, March 12, 2017, 8:35 a.m. EDT:  Views of the video have now surpassed 6 million.