Not just a felony, but a Class-A Felony. That puts horse abuse on par with assault, homicide and arson.
That's the exciting part.
The motivation behind this change is to gather data on animal abuse nation-wide. The FBI hopes this will improve their ability to track crime; animal abuse is frequently an indicator of later violent tendencies, and many organized crime groups are involved in such activities as dog fighting.
What is animal abuse?
The definition of animal abuse has often felt.. vague and hazy. If you've ever tried to report animal abuse to the appropriate authorities you'll understand what I mean.
The FBI, however, defines animal abuse as:
Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly taking an action that mistreats or kills any animal without just cause, such as torturing, tormenting, mutilation, maiming, poisoning, or abandonment. Included are instances of duty to provide care, e.g., shelter, food, water, care if sick or injured; transporting or confining an animal in a manner likely to cause injury or death; causing an animal to fight with another; inflicting excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering, e.g., uses objects to beat or injure an animal. This definition does not include proper maintenance of animals for show or sport; use of animals for food, lawful hunting, fishing or trapping.
Could this mean a more consistent definition of horse abuse in communities?
Before we begin beating our chests in excitement.. this doesn't go into effect until January 2016, apparently due to funding, paperwork and updating manuals.
Source: Zeroing In On Sociopaths: Feds Finally Make Animal Cruelty a Top-Tier Felony
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What does the last sentence mean? Sounds like an out for anything that prepares a horse for a show- like soring.
I agree Elaine, the last sentence is very murky indeed and looks to be a potential loop-hole for those showing in any discipline including Big Lick. This is far from a perfect solution and the motivation is NOT to end animal abuse so much as to better catch criminals who harm other people. It is however a step in the right direction, and if we continue to put pressure on for more stringent animal abuse laws nationwide this could be a helpful asset.
Yes, this definition of abuse has too many loop holes allowing the existing methods of abuse for showing, racing, breeding or training to continue without penalty.
The end could leave their law open for soring OR it might stop short of encroaching on the jurisdiction of another federal agency. The Justice Department is over the FBI and the Department of Agriculture is over the USDA – which I have always heard is over horse showing. USDA should have continued laws or regulations, as the FBI law seems to cover and stop with true criminality, the USDA should bridge laws and regulations on competition and pick up with showing crimes they can enforce. FBI may not be qualified to assess the showing abuses, but USDA is.
They’re going to have to define the words “proper maintenance.”
Yes, what do they mean by “proper maintenance” ? By whose standards ?
Looks like it’s incorporated under the sentence before it. I hope there really is something to be done about spring, etc.. So sick!
After a little searching I found this – which explains that the FBI has categorized animal abuse as a felony for it’s own statistical data keeping purposes. It has NOT made animal abuse a crime punishable at the felony level which – in general is up to each state to define in it’s criminal statutes. http://barkpost.com/animal-cruelty-felony/
Info about horse abuse shud then b sent to fbi. What about 39 horses to a truck no food or water in their own waste. Why arent they shutting down BLM abuse?
F I make horse abuse a felony
2016? Funding, paperwork, updating manuals. How many animals will be dead before this takes place. And by the time January 2016 rolls around there will be more excuses! Let’s get this done people, goverment should not move so slowly. Let your voices be heard.
What is that thing in the picture?
It’s a comparison of the shoeing between Tennessee Walking horses who are shown – the hoof on the left is that of a stacked and weighted hoof for Big Lick classes, and on the right a flat shod horse (no stacks/padding or weights).
There has been a great deal of controversy about Big Lick classes over the years and a struggle to end them as they require a great deal of abuse of the horses competing, not just in the shoeing and training but a great many are sored as well – which is the application of chemicals to the horse’s legs to cause pain and create more animated movement.
I agree with u I think there should be more money put towards the kind of idk what u would call them devices to mesure the heat level in the worse still legs I read it in a horse and rider magazine idk if u should end them I’m kind of 50 50 on the situation it makes up a large portion of the twbea and all the outher organizations for them out there however there a very large deal of corruption in those classes some arnt so bad I have a light shod mare that has a natural big lick and she is light shod no pad or nothing naturally trained there are horses out there very rear to find yes but that is y I don’t think they should be taken compleatly..
The plantion class I was in just a few months ago there was pads but nothing that really gets my blood boiling
Abuse happens in all disciplines, dressage now has rolkar (blue tongue), jumping, show, racing, rodeo, trail, ect.
Several big differences – Rolkur is definitely a blight on dressage, but it ends after every ride. The horse goes back to its stall or turnout NOT in Rolkur posture. TWHs wear stacks 24/7. They lie down in their stalls more than any other horses. They die from colic more than any other. That tells a lot about their comfort level. And, they don’t get turned out. The constant confinement is unnatural and unhealthy. They die from colic more than any other breed. Sport horses that jump – riders have a vested interest in the health of their horses’ feet and legs. They can’t be hurting when they land, or the rider’s life would be in jeopardy. As for these and other disciplines, nobody denies that abuse occurs. It’s the extent of the abuse that is the focus here. Also, abuse in one discipline does not make it OK in another discipline. TWHs are, by far, the most horrifically abused horses. Watch the HSUS video. I’ve lived in TN and AL all my life, and I’ve seen the abuse going on for over 50 years. It’s time for it to stop.
I guess my problem lies in the attack on only the TWH. While I am not for the Big Lick, I am for the TWH in it’s natural state. I have one. He’s awesome and healthy. There are a lot of healthy, happy TWH’s in the world. As a breed they are no more likely to colic than any other and, if you comment is merely because they are kept in stalls, well make sure you include just about any serious show horse, especially halter horses of any breed. Cruelty is cruelty, whether for a minute, an hour or a lifetime. Doing anything painful or detrimental to a horse’s health or well being, such as Rolkur (which I have read can result in the loss of a horses’ tongue) needs to be included in such a discussion. If you are going to go after TWH for cruelty, you will need to go after other disciplines as well. You cannot pick and chose. Jumpers do break their legs. I personally know of a young man who was jumping whose horse broke his leg and was euthanized. Many of the more athletic disciplines have high casualties with blown hocks, etc. Human athletes suffer many injuries and this is true of any animal athletes. Dogs tear anterior cruciate ligaments from turning when they work herds or just from playing in the yard. These laws as they go into place which seem to be addressing what is obviously wrong in the TWH industry (and actually only a small percentage of that) will effect every discipline. They are vague and non-horse people will be pointing their fingers and law enforcement will be coming after all the disciplines. Will it be illegal to not provide daily turnout, even if you lunge or ride your horse each day? So, in reading your post I wanted to point out you cannot remove your “sport horse” or dressage horses from the mix. There is already an attack on TB racing because many of those horses suffer heart attacks after racing. Be aware PETA and other organizations like them, do not want any horse ownership and laws like this create steps toward that direction. Do not believe you can pick and chose what will be classified as “abuse.”
It,s about time!
When did the FBI start writing laws? While a great idea whose time has come, the FBI doesn’t write laws. Where did this originate?
I agree with some of the other posters. The FBI doesnt make laws, they only enforce them. The source on this is suspect.
Better late than never.
By maintenance they mean things such as banding or show sheen, they’re saying that doing those things or not doing them particularly is not going to lead to an animal abuse accusation. Proper maintenance for a show DOES not include the padding and soring. Meaning if it is obviously hurting the horse, they cannot do it, and its intentional. They also are saying that they aren’t specifying what is and isn’t proper care
Ok I had grown up and shown walking horses. NOT all big lick horses are abused yes some trainers went to far but don’t stone all them. There are bad apples everywhere. My horses where extremely well cared for and placed everywhere. My horses were well mannered but spoiled and I know lots others big time trainers that were the same way with theirs
Randi, Just wondering how do trainers achieve the “big lick” today without soring? What training methods are use today?
From a Saddlebred perspective, we used a weighted chain and surgical tubing stretchers to help build up the muscles for a higher step. I know as far as my own horse went, he was smart enough to step high with the training aids but stopped when it came to showing. Never was he abused, and as the first and only horse of a 16 year old with a passion for training and dreams of becoming a vet, I’m fairly certain to say that he was well-checked for just about everything.
I grew up with “Big Lick” TWHs and never saw one that wasn’t abused to some degree. I didn’t know what I was seeing at the time, but I learned when I grew up. There’s a lot of abusive things go on in the horse show world, but I’ve seen few as bad, and blatant, as Big Lick.
Does this mean the Amish will have to adhere to these rules also? I hope so. I know out take care of their horse but there are a few that only think of them as a work animal.
I’ve shown flat shod horses since 2008. I never thought about showing padded horses because of all the hype I saw out there about padded horses. Anyone with a brain the size of a pecan can look at that old cadaver and recognize it’s from a different era. Most of their cases of abuse is old pictures from a different era. I’ve never seen any of this at any Tennessee Walking Horse Show including the Celebration. Everything I’ve seen about these horses are lies. This old cadaver is before 1988 when a federal judge threw out all shoes and chains. You wouldn’t get through the first inspector with this shoe. After a study done by Auburn University the angle of the shoe can be no more than an 1″ difference front to back. The chain can be no more than 6 oz. The band has to be 1/4″ from the hoof line. Do your own research, there’s a sucker born every day. Don’t get caught in the herd, following a bunch of lemmings will only lead you over the cliff.
It’s not from another era. I’ve seen horses with that horrifying contraption as recently as two years ago.
Lots of things from past era’s are still practiced just in smaller doses usually by people from those times. Donald is right to many pictures with no facts thrown out there with the assumption that it will lead to negative assumption. There are regulations now a days strictly enforced in most all equine athletics, I know for a fact thoroughbred racing, but there’s always idiots that bend and brake rules that make the rest of us look bad
What’s truly disgusting is that veterinarians, in general, do little or nothing to assist in alleviating the plight of these animals or any others. I feel that veterinarians should be leaders in the movement to help eliminate animal suffering in cases like the above, in circuses, road-side shows, rodeos and the like. All too often vets are fence walkers and paid to take sides in far too many situations involving animals and public health. We are the most educated and best equipped to be at the forefront of issues like animal welfare, antibiotic resistances, and zoonotic diseases, etc.
This is a step in the right direction…I can’t believe it will take so long tho…btw, what is this big lick that you speak of???
As much praise as possible for this. The abuse of animals that makes it to the news should have a life sentence imposed.
2 questions:
Is it just horses, if so why
how is the FBI able to define what is and isn’t a felony. I thought that was usually written into the law.
Last time I checked, only congress could make laws. Oh well, this is the way this country seems to be going. Nobody follows the constitution any longer.
Maybe bypassed Congress with executive order.
The FBI does not write laws. They cannot MAKE animal cruelty a felony. The FBI is going to include animal cruelty in the uniform crime report for the first time. They will merely be collecting data, not arresting abusers. That will still be up the local law enforcement. Most states now have felony cruelty laws on the books. The only federal crimes would be violation of the Horse Protection Act which I assume will also be included in the report.
The FBI didn’t make the law — Congress had to pass it, regardless of where it originated. This will hopefully criminalize abuse against animals, including horses — I love them, have followed horse shows, rodeos, races all my life and have grown increasingly disenchanted with the abuse in the horse-racing field. As for this last sentence: “does not include proper maintenance of animals for show or sport; use of animals for food, lawful hunting, fishing or trapping.” It’s not wishy-washy at all — it is designed to make sure that animals used in show or sport (horse-racing for example, or dog shows) are properly maintained but not abused. For example, injections to reduce an inflammation are not abuse per se but injections to reduce and inflammation AND to numb the area so the horse can be forced to run while injured would constitute abuse as that is not “properly maintained.” Often these will be jury questions and the decision will depend on the expert witnesses (usually vets). The rest of the phrase is designed to immunize the cattle industry and hunters, fishermen and trappers from charges of animal abuse — although IMHO trappers are per se animal abusers. Lots of time these immunity phrases are included by lobbies interested in protecting their constituency. That is sometimes the only way the bill can get passed.
Actually soring has been a fed crime for decades. Its been hard to enforce due to intimidation of the abusers and paying off the officials, intimidation goes along way. Go check your facts with the Sound Horse organization. Antone denying it is obviously part of it. Yes it still goes on this day.
I believe this article is mistaken. The FBI has not made any laws. In all states there exists now a felony classification for some animal cruelty. It varies widely by state. The FBI and local law enforcement agencies use a data base to classify crime reports. In the past, animal cruelty was listed under property crimes; in some cases vandalism or theft. Now it will have it’s own crime class in the database. Ever since Randall Lockwood and others found the common report from rare violent prison inmates that they were cruel to animals sometime in their pasts, experts such as Mary Lou Randour have tried to get the National Crime database to track these types of crimes. Now it will.
I would like to have a copy of that photo of the Big Lick shod dead hoof beside normal live hooves if you can share it. It should be posted far and wide because it really shows this the patholgy of this horrific, cruel practice up close. I would post it on FB every time I see an article about the abuse of Tennessee Walking Horses.
I don’t believe in the way they train Walking Horsesbut it’s been around for hundreds of yearsthousands of women a year destroy their feet from wearing high heel shoes so maybe we should put a stop to that too
There is a significant difference between unnaturally shoeing and soring a horse who has no choice in the matter, and a woman choosing to wear uncomfortable shoes. Significant.
Any idiot can see how insane this people are but power and corruption comes in many forms. Take off your rose coloured glasses America and start opening your eyes.
Y’all do realize the FBI does not and cannot MAKE any law?
If only they would eliminate the Big Lick from all events it would at least be a start. In my opinion if you show a gate that is NOT natural to the horse then it is wrong and I would bet there is not one person (even the one above that is so “pro” this topic), who could show me a foal who did the big lick as a natural gate nor would they be able to show me an adult horse that did the big lick “naturally”. Enhancing an extended trot does not even closely compare to the man made man/man created big lick gate. If it does not come naturally to the horse why on earth do they allow it to be a class in horse shows? Is it me or does anyone else think that part of this could be so easily cured by just not allowing any showing or award for unnatural/man made gates that are tied to abusive training methods. Just boggles my mind.
My international trainer who was a genius in Bio
Mechanical workings of the horse and rider, said that all gaited horses are made that way by humans and or faulty conformation that they bred into them over time. Makes sense to me.
As a person who has Saddlebreds AND racing TB’s I have to disagree . The “gaited” horses are either born with it or not. In both Saddlebreds and TWH and a few others the Narraganset Pacer figures heavily in the backgrounds of both and they as a breed preferred to travel in this manner . I have 1- 3 gaited and 2 – 5 gaited right now and one will slow gait unless you MAKE her walk or trot or canter. She just simply likes it .. To look at her some people have thought she was a small Morgan or TB -IE: she is put together quite normally. I do think The Big Lick TWH’s have nearly caused the breed to fade away– not good . I can trace both TB’s and Saddlebreds in my family a few hundred years – although we arent bio mechanical genius’ .
It is a conformation defect that is bred into them so that they will gait. It has been chosen from the original horses that had the same way of moving, simple to figure out.
They are born with it cause they bred them from horses that had that kind of conformation that made them a different movement. I had a Quarter Horse that single footed and the biomechanical veterinarians said that they had Tennessee Walker types of horses bred into them before the registry was made to give them height and black color. (mine was black) They said it comes out sometimes in the foals later down the generation. His mom single footed too when she was being slow or lazy.
Paso Finos gate naturally. I’ve watched babies a few days old gaiting.
Of course they do, they are bred for that conformation to do that.
Of course it does because you have faith in your trainer and wish to believe it rather than have a level of curiosity and investigate it yourself. Of course horses are bred for the talents humans desire it is no different discipline to discipline and faulty conformation has become ubiquitous.
I have been involved in horses for 48 years and taught, trained and investigated many different forms and styles of riding. They horses are all conformationally bred to gait and are picked for their changed conformation. I understand it is something people want, but they also have problems with staying sound. Research it and you will see.
I got ya beat by 4 years and have been VERY fortunate to be nationally ranked 3 different decades but I digress, I will respectfully disagree. None of my saddlebreds 3 or 5 gaited are unsound in the least .Not even my older ones .
Yes Ma’am I have researched it. Actual factual things about several breeds it is my business, it is a majority part of what I do for a living. As I stated, you wish to believe what you do rather than have a level of curiosity and risk being wrong and that is your business. I am merely stating that your perception is clouded which is fine in your own world. However when you get on a forum of this sort and spout untruths and personal perceptions you have to risk being told you are wrong.The second phase is to either learn and accept that a position is incorrect or fight to the bitter end to defend your perception of the world. Either by me is fine and your business. Please be assured that you are not alone in your lack of willingness to accept certain truths of the world.
None of the gaited horse owners want to admit this, but it is true, It is biomechanically proven, conformationally time tested and true. Horses that gait are that way as they have conformation that makes them move that way. And it is not a problem if you like it, or if you are looking for that. The reason you know it is true, is if a certain breed horse like a Quarter Horse has weak conformation in a certain area, they also can single foot, or pace or do other gaits just from the comformation change. If a horse is injured, they can change their gait and way of going. many gaited horses are terrible at athletic activities like jumping, sport horse work, cow work, dressage, etc. as they are not built to do a canter or trot, or get their body up under themselves etc. I have ridden them, trained them and see that they are not able to get their bodies in the correct placement or position to do the athletic maneuvers. I know they are comfortable for some people with back troubles, or for long trail riding, cause they do not move the same as a non gaited horse. At least that is what they say. I do not feel that way, I feel more comfortable on a non gaited horse. But after 48 yrs of wondering why any gaited horse of many different breeds, never could do the same endeavors, could not do the athletic moves, have totally different conformations and do not hold up for soundness over time use, I finally could see how and why they are not able to do these things. I talked to many trainers about it and they did not know why they could not do it, they just said they cannot and are not built right for it. . I am not putting your breeds down, I am stating some facts of horse conformation and movement. More lame horses come into vets and veterinary universities that are gaited horses. I love all the idiosyncrasies of many of the breeds, but certain movements are made by certain conformation make ups. I hope you enjoy your horses like I do and appreciate their differences. I am just saying what I have learned from Biomechanical Trainers and Instructors that have trained in the movement of the horse and rider. God Bless .
First of all; all horses are gaited, secondly no one is argueing with about the fact that they are bred with acentuated gait. What I am taking issue with are your unfounded claims that; “they also have problems with staying sound” and that “It is a conformation defect” that causes their unsoundness. Further your position that “More lame horses come into vets and veterinary universities that are gaited horses” is completely unfounded because no one, not ACVS, the AAEP, or anybody else keeps statistics on the breeds or diciplines of horses that visit universities or veterinary clinics. In the event that they did I would wager that more sport horses are treated than an specific breed.
I train for one of the largest Hackney Pony farms in the world and I can say your trainer was wrong, wrong, wrong. We have babies out in the fields trotting higher than some that we have in the barn all shod up. They just do it. Some a just born with the ability to trot very high, some aren’t(those are the ones I would LOVE to train to be little hunter/jumpers). Not all breeds are forced to do unnatural things. Yes, we do things to enhance the movement(ie putting shoes on them to add a few more ounces of weight that just makes them lift even higher) But we do NOT do anything that could cause harm to them. If you are a TRUE horseman(or woman! ;)) you wouldn’t want to do this because you should care about the horses well being simply because they are a living, breathing creature and because you should also be a businessmen, if you cause irreversible damage you will have a horse/pony that is worthless in your industry or may have to be put down. Your horses/ponies well-being should always be #1!! No matter what laws are or aren’t in effect!!
The last sentence reassures normal people, who wear appropriately sized small spurs and use normal riding crops, that they are not going to have PETAs dialling 911 on them while they walk-trot-canter around an arena during a class.
The FBI did not make animal abuse a felony. They have begun TRACKING cases of felony animal abuse. Felony animal abuse laws have been on the books for some time.
Do you have a bill number for such a event.
I don’t know where you get your information; but I don’t think law enforcement agencies have the ability to classify crimes.
I have seen some nasty nasty things being done to horses to show them. When I was a child, I went to a barn where they broke a horses tail and put them into a harness to pull their tails up, cracking a whip at them in the stall to make them high strung. A friend had a Tennessee walker and she had it at a barn for them to show him. She took the horse out and found out that they had shod him with metal prods sticking into his hooves.
Really gaited horses are not induced by humans or lack of conformation . How stupid can you be ! 1 its natural in gaited horses 2 only ceartain breeds are considered gaited horses . Its not evolution for christ sakes! i have been around horses my whole life and training and i got to say your are well misiformed and need to go back and relearn! SMH at bad conformation some of the best conformations i have seen are in morgans and saddlebreds and tennesse walkers . really shocks me how little knowledge most folks know about horses and horsemenship!
They need to get rid of what Washington calls horse tripping they do at the rodeos out there! That is the worst case of horse abuse I have ever seen and some of the law is involved in it!
That’s great. My horse got violently raped with farm implements by someone. The police would not try to find out who so the barn hired a private security guard. When he was caught he just got counseling. I hope that changes in the future.
This is not true! The FBI does not make or change laws. Please read this: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr
Does this law affect charges before january 2016 or will it apply to charges made after january 2016
https://youtu.be/b4GxhmqCqQA