Calling out the reining trainers that inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on horses in their training programs – win at all cost mentality

reining horse collapses in show ring

Reining Horse collapses in Show Pen and Refuses to Get Up Again

NRHA says Respect the Horse: What About This Distressed Reining Horse

The horse walks into the show pen visibly distressed, and suffering and not a sole at this NRHA event did anything to help him, even though they spread marketing everywhere about Respect the Horse.

Expected to show as a top athlete in a physically demanding performance, his distress is obvious at the event and recorded on video.

Not the gate marshal, the show manager, the stewards, the judges, the scribes, the owner, the trainer/rider, other competitors, or a single person in the crowd. They just watched as he suffered and then screamed in elation at him, being made to spin fast whilst pissing himself.

Adding to his suffering, the rider jab spurred the horse multiple times every stride to force it to keep walking. As a result, over 100 spurs hits are counted before he got to the center.

It truly is a Reining Trainers Enigma. Watch the video below of the distressed reining horse.

For years the spotlight has been on the animal welfare of show horses, and reining has recorded some of the worst treatment consistently since first busted back in the early 2010s at the FEI shows.

In an attempt to demonstrate welfare issues are being addressed, the NRHA made minor changes to their rules. Still, the content of the descriptions was vague, and repeated offences of abuse and drugging continued. It’s a culture in the sport that the horses are run on medications, and it’s the dark underbelly of the sport. There is no real penalty for those who cheat and harm the horses.

The NRHA can put out all the marketing in the world, with glossy advertisements, slogans and photoshoots made to look like being kind to horses, but it is all a farce when they let down the animals time after time, year after year. It’s not just a leadership issue – it’s a membership issue.

With the new focus on million-dollar events and horses competing in a Hollywood circus-like environment, the pressure to make these horses perform to win has escalated to the highest level in history. The association was unable to regulate welfare just five years ago, and now they are so far out of their depth that it is showing signs of being irresponsible to the one ingredient of their circus, the horse.

If the NRHA were serious about welfare these incidents would be used to demonstrate their management of potential animal abuse, instead of spending their time finding ways to get out of making judgments.

Reining was kicked to the curb by the FEI for the pressure they put on young horses, the drugging, and the general disdain audiences had for their horse management outside the show ring. So, of course, the NRHA polished the separation story to what would put them in good light to the membership and allowed them to be protected from action in their bubble. NRHA has even made it into the explosive book “I Can’t Watch Anymore”, reporting people had tears running down their faces watching what reining trainers put the horses through. The video of the abuse was watched over 150,000 times in the first months of its release.

Judges should not look for reasons in the rule book why they did not have to take action, but rather should apply commonsense and stand up for the horses when they enter the pen, clearly distressed, drugged, or so tired they can hardly walk. They should not be shy in blowing the whistle and getting horses immediately vet checked. Point penalties are just feel-good Band-Aids in flawed animal welfare rules. Large financial fines and barring competitors-trainers is the only method of control of horse abuse.

Finally, an equine vet from within the circus bubble has stood up for the horses calling for change after watching this distressed horse. A formal letter to the NRHA Board and Executive Committee dated February 10th 2022, documents what changes to the rules are required and the intervention of veterinarians. At the time of writing this article, our understanding is that the NRHA is yet to respond to the letter or raise it.

The public is more astute and the people outside the bubble no longer accept the canned responses and defences delivered by the NRHA membership. Inside the bubble, seems to be an acceptance that is just how it is, and as this young rider demonstrates, it’s generational now. It is time that this circus is brought into line with what the world now accepts in horses’ fair and kind treatment.

Without change from within, the trainers, competitors, judges and show management are risking the final closure of horse sports and showing. They are the custodians of the future and appear negligent in their stewardship of the sport as abuse continues.

You can disagree, but the evidence is growing. Circuses are gone. The pentathlon is cancelled from the Olympics following the outrageous abuse of Saint Boy. They are calling for equine sports to be removed from the Olympics and bring a strong case to the table, with reining used as evidence. Dressage is heavily under the spotlight too.

To the rider of the horse in the video, in our opinion, you are despicable for a clear lack of sensitivity and care for the animal you use to earn a living or own. If, at minimum, the horse wanted to pee as he entered the ring, you would have given him the minute he needed to be comfortable instead of demanding he shows in a high-performance class as a distressed reining horse.

Could it be a drug problem that NRHA Members and Enthusiasts openly talk about?

Read their conversations on drugging here.

© 2022 Reining Trainers Enigma. All Rights Reserved.

Quarter of Qualifiers Have Been Written Up for Horse Abuse TRFM – 2021

It’s the Biggest Event on the Reining Horse Calendar ever!

 

In 2021, during The Run For A Million Event, 4 of the Top Ten Qualifying Riders have been written up for horse abuse and caused major uproars for their treatment of horses across the world. Yet here they are being cheered on and promoted.

—  Does it take a known horse abuser to set this event on fire?

—  Does it take questionable or unacceptable training tactics to get these horses to perform?

—  Has reining really changed or is the media machine burning up membership money to hide what goes on behind barn doors.

What we can tell you is the offenders are not the highest scoring person or the only female in the team.

Amid the lights and applause remember the journey some of these horses are going through to be in the ring. 

 

 

reining horse loses balance showing signs of being drugged

Reining Extreme Maneuvers and Horses Suffer

With the emphasis on rining extreme maneuvers in spinning and stopping  – are reining horses now being pushed beyond their limits? You read about the human subscription psychological drugs being administered to these horses, and the off label use of other unprescribed drugs, and cocktails. The contraptions were added to their equipment in order to enforce behaviors.

Where do all the training methods appear – in the show ring as they compete to win the big dollars – at all costs.

Be warned: some people may find this video of reining extreme maneuvers distressing to watch, and it’s just a sample of what goes on. Are they drugged? Tired? It sure is not normal – or is it?

WATCH THE ENTIRE VIDEO – 2.19 minutes
The horses in the video are ridden by top riders and million-dollar trainers. The last horse is interesting too.

Video of reining horses suffering from the extreme pressure applied by reining competitors.

 

This may well have been a training video for NRHA judges and members to understand what the penalty is applied for by innuendo of its title, but it was published to the public.

Are the rule-makers creating an epidemic of this style of training and showing of reining extreme maneuvers?

Does it happen that often now they had to add a clause in the rule book – a 5 point penalty for that single run? Reining people have no issue with this reining extreme maneuvers – this is what showing reiners is all about. Just watch their comments on Facebook justifying that horses are not under extreme pressure. 

A penalty score of 5 points is applied for this conduct. They may be out of the money on that run, but they are back in the next round pushing the horse to deliver the reining extreme maneuvers.

Is the NRHA living in the modern world where people don’t want to see horses suffering from extreme physical demands that show them suffering?

A well-managed association would be taking a more serious approach to rulemaking and the enforcement of rules. But maybe if the rules were enforced as members say ”there would be no-one left showing”.

Should collapsing on their knees be a suspension for six months and banned for it happening twice for over-riding or over-pushing the horse? Should it be an instant drug test? (These horses may not have been in the tiny sample of horses tested at the show that day. If they do test positive they usually get a smack on the hand. Trainers gamble their number will not come up. Reiners have the highest positive drug test results in FEI competition.)

Also, watch their tails and you can see which horses are using their tail to stop and those that lay flat-looking a lot like a tail block has been done.

If you care for the Welfare of Horses please vote on our poll now for change. Now Closed

Footnote: When Casey Deary’s horse went down he was applauded as a hero by the NRHA Marketing Machine as they moved quickly to respond to the claims of abuse. Deary himself releasing an NRHA PR styled response as the equine public reeled from what they saw. The horse was incapable of going on and questions are raised over potential drugging are yet to be answered.

Casey Dreary reining horse collapses exhausted in show pen

Serial Reining Horse Abuser Brags Publicly about not being Caught

Reining Horse Abuser Brags about his horrendous treatment of horses and people flock to him for advice on reining horse training.

Warning this is traumatizing to read for horse lovers.

As he wanders the world, staying at people’s properties for weeks and months assisting them in training their horses, they open their doors while knowing his reputation for horse abuse.

These old trainers are often referred to as barn flies. They brag about their knowledge and mumble about their success from bygone years while skiting, unfiltered, about their conquests of cruelty to win a prize. Their audience of people finds it entertaining as they break the lines of what is abuse and use mental ramblings and techniques in pursuit of winning. Old-timers swap stories trying to outdo the others sitting around squatting barn flies. The horse – nothing but a piece of meat to take out their tortuous theories on to be the winner.

In his bizarre ramblings claiming to have PhD in Psychology, this man enjoys, if not boasts the cruelty he has inflicted on horses to win. We are sure The Ohio State University is proud of its PhD graduate and the emotional intelligence he gained from a PhD. Shame they did not teach him how to spell and string a sentence together nor reference the PhD in the correct format. We would enjoy that certificate of achievement being published with his name on it.

 

Farcically, this man bursting out against the cruelty that is alleged to have occurred on two semi-finalists in the recent NRHA Futurity claiming he has a video of quivering lips with a loose curb chain as the wire in its mouth took effect in the full knowledge of NRHA Directors and professionals. His attack aimed at the NRHA with little regard for the horse. A horseman would have filed a protest against the horse’s trainer and owner. But that is a whole other story.

On his public Facebook page, he writes of his opinions and conquests and of course, his best friend Tommy Manion, an extreme horse abuser who has been suspended many times across different disciplines.

Proud of his conquests he brags:

larry rose writing about his horse abuse techniques

 

All we can say is sickening. You don’t need to be PETA or an animal rights extremist to know how sick that is.

Not satisfied with shocking the world with that pearl of information he goes on to say:

larry rose writing about his horse abuse techniques

 

Was it necessary?  Heck no. The photo on this page is Hollywood Jac 86 – one of the greatest horses in reining history. A hall of fame horse and hall of fame sire. His floppy ears never stopped him from earning. Thanks to the person who messaged us and reminded us of this great horse’s ears for comparison.

While many reining horse people support this man, others have a different view. Some top trainers employ him to improve their training skills. Those that have been in the sport for a few years are fully aware of the barbaric treatment he has put horses through. At any time, he could be a hair-trigger away from applying it on any horse.

He brags about his talent in not getting caught:

larry rose boasting he has never been caught for horse abuse

 

There is commentary that he has been suspended, but a review of the NRHA disciplinary list and his name does not appear. Some people want him banned, and many others in the reining horse community are strong supporters.

Those long-standing people talk of firsthand experience of the horror of things seen when visiting his barn. They talk about his reputation for crippling and killing horses.

What his posts do show, in our opinion, is a person with no emotional intelligence, a person that has little to no ability to show concern for the welfare of a horse. Any teachings he does would be potentially doused in cruelty as he has no measure of what is right and wrong. To the people that he spends time with “Your Vibe is your Tribe.”

Did you miss who this person is: Meet Larry Rose (the guy on the left) on his public Facebook page.  Scroll down and you will see all the people he hangs out with and those that support him. You will see him also going out of his way to be pictured with the famous people of reining to make a bigger man of himself.

Best of all read the most ironic post at the top of the page – he is anti-cheaters. But does he consider cheating differently from abuse?

picture of larry rose

 

Then there is the Larry Rose Fan Page with currently 191 people registered that say he is the greatest. There is a saying about the company you keep, so you may want to jot their names down.

If you wish to have a real good belly laugh then head on over there and read about how Larry Rose is going to save NRHA and is best buddies with the NRHA directors. What a team?

WHY DO YOU NEED THE RULES IMPROVED?

Can anyone explain how a person like this that publicly confirms abuse for many years can be tolerated to be part of any horse sport? Do the members open their arms to him?

He should be banned from having anything to do with horses or animals for life.

Vote for Change in the Rules and Enforcement of Rules by clicking here. Now Closed

© 2017 reiningtrainers.com – All Rights Reserved

professional trainer leading horse

Professional Reining Trainer is Looking for His Next Meal

So, you’ve decided to get a reining horse. You have seen the glossy images of horses sliding and those stud horse advertisements. You visited some shows, and wow you are in. You have been told it’s the greatest sport on earth and you want to be part of it. You have heard all about the futurity, and that seems to be the conversation all the trainers want to have. There are horses advertised for sale but its hard to know where to start. Your friends all start advising which trainer is the one to use and what a great fella he/she is too.

So, the first thing that becomes obvious is you need to get a professional reining trainer. Rarely does anyone take on being in reining without a trainer nowadays. These animals require specialized schooling, training surfaces, shoeing if you want to be competitive at even the lowest levels. You also need assistance in finding the right horse – a sound one if that is possible.

You are about to potentially pay $20,000 – $50,000 – $100,000 or whatever sum over to a person that could do whatever they want with your investment or passion and leave you with nothing.

What to know about trainers

From this moment forward is when fools can part with a lot of money only and end up with a broken down, out of fashion horse that is of no value. Trainers have a unique way of dealing with their clients. Many operate on the basis of how much money can they drain from your pocket in pursuit of their personal goal. They want to win a futurity and the owners fund them.

It is much like a pyramid, those at the top get the pick of the crop of clients and horses. They rule the world and convey the view you cannot live without them. They have all the salesmanship of a professional car salesman and operate in an industry with no rules or regulations on how they treat and manage horses and clients outside of the show pen. There is some waffly piece of paper called the NRHA Code of Ethics, but that has as much value as a piece of toilet paper. The NRHA print it, but they do not stand by it in any form. The top trainers can churn and burn clients, and no-one cares what happens to the client or the horse. They have a nickname for all the clients “Next.”

The lower ranked trainers have their own special kind of story. They have learned how to keep horses in barns for a longer period of time, so they feed their families each week. They don’t have the prize money to live off, so they are a good salesman. It’s a survival skill they learn early in the business. They are always on the lookout for what is referred to in the industry as the ‘dinner plate horse.’ An owner that is excited about having a horse in the futurity and dumb enough not to question what is going on. They also come with a healthy bank balance that will hold together for two years.

Then there are those trainers just starting out that talk of great feats of ability as a non-pro and now hang out his or her shingle and proclaim, “Today, I’m a professional horse trainer.” They don’t like working nine to five and decide that a life of training horses is the way to go. Do what you love is what the guru’s tell people to do. They have little experience in managing horses outside of their own, low levels of veterinary knowledge and certainly have not been astride enough horses to add real value to the process. Their fees are a little lighter, but so is the feed bucket the horse will get. They are usually cutting corners on everything, including your horse’s welfare, to keep the lights on in their house.

As recently cited in an article by Rick Dennis “However and for the record, there are a lot of really good horse trainers out there; however, the corrupt, immoral, fraudulent and imbecilic individuals operating within the industry, as well as the ones causing the abhorrent abuses and fraudulent activities, are unfairly stigmatizing the honorable ones. For the record, not all horse trainers are created equally or share the same moralistic values of trust, duty of loyalty, honor and country.”

Isn’t funny that everyone seems to be meeting many of the bad ones and not too many of the good ones these days.

Did you know that thousands of horses are started for the futurity each year? It’s the business of the NRHA – a futurity. Look at the entries that made it through to the event, and the least heard the excuse for a horse not being there is the client ran out of money. Most horses have broken down mentally or physically in the training regime of drilling them numb to complete a reining pattern.

Are references the answer?

People say, to get references before picking a trainer. But here’s the thing. The biggest thing you will possibly learn about is the reining horse business.

The top trainers have another little skill that no one new to the industry knows about. The skill of hiding their skeletons and being rid of the evidence. The lesser trainers have the same skill but often not the expertise and political power. The one thing that is standing out to Reining Trainer Engima now is how many people have a civil action against top trainers, and other lesser trainers, for abuse of their horses and welfare problems. Horrific tales of what happened to their animals and the common fact is they, the client, are now exiled from the reining horse industry. To participate in reining, you have to accept the horses are wastage or you’re out on your ear. For people that have a passion for horses and a touch of kindness in their soul, it’s a hard lesson to learn from the suffering of your horse.

Those reporting to RTE their experiences often sought support from the NRHA only to be told it’s not in the rule book so move on. They have a lawyer on a retainer to manage those squeaky wheels called owners. The NRHA ignores what happens outside of the pen, even though one day they decided to publish their Code of Ethics. You have to wonder what their intention was.

Another lesson for today

To the newcomer or the unsocialized owner, they would be unaware of the issues in a specific training barn as huge prize money means trainers cannot be questioned – the client is always wrong and just a troublemaker or stupid. No other industry would have such arrogance but reining (and other horse disciplines) prize money brings immunity. This makes reference checking hard, so most people learn through their pockets as they are lured by the salesman.

Back to the purchasing of a horse. Trainers make good money on sales commissions of horses so they can always fit you out with a horse or two or three. They will tell you romantic stories of its breeding and lure you into writing out a nice check.

You finally settle on a horse and after many x-rays and disappointments of failing vet checks (hopefully, you got x-rays) you find your new dream. In fact, the trainer helped you find two. One for you to ride and one for them to take to the futurity – what a great guy/gal.

If you have gone and purchased your own horse and want it trained, just make sure of the following:

  1. Do not put a horse that is not bred by the trainer’s stallion (or tops client stallion) as it will rarely make it. They support their own stock first.
  2. Make sure the person can get along with a mare/stallion/gelding. Some trainers cannot work with some genders.
  3. Be aware that other top clients (ones they have romanced for some time) will always get the winning ride. It’s a loyalty thing – intentional or not. Their horse always gets that extra bit of care.
  4. If the trainer does not get excited about your bloodline – step away immediately. Don’t try and convince them and don’t let them give it a go. Many people report of trainers taking their money only to turn around and say ‘gee I hated that horse’ or ‘I knew that bloodline was useless.’ Nice bit of information to find out after you load it up on the trailer.

What else could possibly go wrong?

You start on the journey, and the expectations are set of what the horse can potentially do. Herein lies the trap.

  1. How do you know if your horse is a dinner plate horse?
  2. Is the trainer really riding the horse or is one of the sidekicks on it?
  3. Is the horse being properly cared for with the right amount of food, clean stable, turn-out time and rugging?
  4. Is the horse stressing being in training, but you are not being told? Does the trainer even like the horse or is it last out to work, if it’s not too late that day.
  5. Is your horse spending seven days in a stall and working only every couple of days?

You can make regular visits to the barn but that is usually at a set time, and you get a stage show put on every time you visit. Unless you’re an experienced horseman yourself, with good knowledge of welfare and training methods, you can be quickly bamboozled. Remember: they are professional at doing stage shows to clients, they do them all the time. So, don’t think you can catch them out easily. These salesmen have burned some of the best breeders and owners.

Make unannounced visits to the barn during the week. If the trainer does not like it, then bring your trailer. He is in a business that should be working horses daily. Don’t expect the trainer to drop everything and cater to you, but hang around and watch what is happening with all the horses. Stay around at feed time and offer to help. Gosh, the day you visit you may even get to see your horse worked and found it in a stall not tied to a tree out the back.

If you are in doubt your horse is not being cared for or suspect you are being led up the path; you can pretty much be sure it is happening. Don’t trust them, don’t believe their stories, verify everything and ensure you regularly visit your horse to oversee its welfare. Good Luck and remember the NRHA is not there for you.

To solve this problem, the NRHA needs to be made accountable or remove their Code of Ethics. Please vote for change. Now Closed

© 2018 Reining Trainers.com. All Rights Reserved

exhausted horse laying on barn floor with very poor bedding

Million Dollar Reining Trainer Gives Confessions of Sport Abuse

Million dollar reining trainer, 14 times world champion, two times NRHA futurity champion and one of the most respected people in the reining sport, with an international reputation, Craig Johnson has posted to his Facebook Page on May 29th, 2017 a confession regarding the reining horse sport. Craig writes – “I was asked the other day at an NRHA event by one of the other million dollar riders if I had retired. Umm.”

Craig responds:

“Maybe it’s because I’m no longer willing to do the things I use to, and things I’ve seen, in order to make a horse do what it takes.”

“Maybe I’m not interested until I find a better way. Maybe I’m home experimenting with a better way. Maybe I think we should take longer, wait on horses, and create something that is broke, sound, and happy for years.”

“Maybe I’m not as selfish as I use to be. Maybe I’ve decided it’s more about the horse and what it wants to be rather than what I need it to be.”

“No I haven’t retired, I have evolved.”

There are many other similar statements throughout his confession. A confession of major significance and confronts all those people that say that horses are not started too early, broken down, or forced to fulfil giant egos. You only need to read our other posts and people’s stories on our website and Facebook page comments on the atrocities that these horses endure to fulfil the dreams of desperate trainers and their limelight hunting owners wanting instant results and futurity glory. An association driven by making money from horses and lauding their positions over the small membership of just 11,000 odd people globally.

His intent may have been to promote himself to other equine disciplines like ranch riding, or maybe to distance himself from the now epidemic of abuse in the international reining sport. Only he knows the intent of his confession, but the statements made are loud and clear.

Yes, you may be evolving Craig Johnson, but the proof of how far you have evolved is when you use your status to change the rules of the NRHA and influence trainers to back off and put the horses before themselves and selfish limelight hunting owners. Maybe some others will follow in your enlightened example, and the abuse of these beautiful horses will no longer be acceptable at shows and at home at their barns. It will be interesting to see what other reining trainers will stand at your shoulder and what you do from here on.

One thing is for sure, the denial that exists from within the industry is now out in the open; exposed by one of their own. Those ego-driven and unenlightened people, living in the reining bubble are now shown up for their ignorance and/or denial as the horses are made to perform at the cost of their welfare and wellbeing.

His confession speaks volumes to the reining horse sport, the NRHA that defines it and those trainers that endorse what the horses now endure.

We have been asking for change, and the million-dollar reining trainer is confirming why we are right!

Please vote for Change on our Poll – Now closed.

© 2017  ReiningTrainers.com. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

Reining horses hardly stand a chance

“A lot of reining horses eliminate themselves early on, even if they have the ability and the try, because they can’t hold up.“ – Timothy Bartlett, DVM, of Vincennes, Ind., has been actively involved in the sport as a president of NRHA and an NRHA judge.

An interesting view that it is the horses problem Dr Bartlett, not the trainers or the futurity system.

Half a century ago, when Robert M Miller, DVM was cowboying, he says “colts were started at four years of age or older. Once in a while, one might be started as a three-year-old. Despite some very hard work, barring accidents, those ranch horses were still sound and working into their 20’s.”

Today, more and more, with big money for futurities, these horses MUST be started as two-year-olds; and some are starting them as young as 18 months, thinking more riding will make them more competitive.

Because of this, many of these horses end up with bowed tendons, navicular disease, bone spavins, bone chips, stifle injuries, blown-out hocks, hairline fractures, arthritis, severe back problems, sprained necks and a myriad of other problems and conditions associated with the strain and stress to young developing bodies. Many horses break down in the first year and those that make their 3yo or 4yo end up with debilitating problems at only four or five years of age and live on anti-inflammatory medications and/or painkillers in their feed or through injections.

The sad fact is that of the tens of thousands of reining horses bred each year, only one hundred or so make it to the Futurity. [see footnote] The others are lost in the system, and many end up slaughtered as they are damaged beyond repair and have no value to this futurity driven industry.

The vets are now recognizing that reining horses have one of the highest incidents of breaking down next to race horses; and sadly the same fate.

Dr. Grant Miller, DVM says “we have established that repetitive trauma on the joint from the athletic performance can cause degenerative changes to the cartilage and bones. Race horses and futurity Quarter Horses that train heavily in the juvenile stage of their lives often show early signs of hock-related pain. Reiners commonly have hock issues.”

It seems this futurity driven industry that starts out knowing the pain they will inflict on these young animals actively deny the veterinarians research and evidence and continue their practices. Is this respect and compassion as promoted on the NRHA website?

The management of the reining horses can further exacerbate their health issues as most futurity horses are weaned at three months of age then placed on a high growth diet. They are kept in stables 22-23 hours per day as they are prepped for sales and/or go into trainer barns. Extended stabling time would be similar to you going into your coat closet and spending most of your time standing there. There are mental issues and physical suffering that comes with this confinement. Their joints stiffen at an early age, and they suffer similar pain and stress that we would suffer standing still for hours on end cooped up in a confined space. A life of standing in a barn and then being worked hard for half or a full hour – is that respectful? There are some trainers that provide pasture time for horses each days, but many don’t. They don’t have the room, the time nor the desire to have horses away from the barn taking longer to catch and increasing the work load.

Raise any issue of abuse or mistreatment with reining horse people, and you will be sprayed with comments attempting to justify they are treated like kings being stabled, rugged, fed, washed. They do not think of the horse’s mental welfare and the pain he/she suffers standing in an unnatural environment 24/7. They walk away to their comfortable homes, while the horse stands still.

The horse skeleton and muscle are structured for continual movement through grazing. They are designed to walk many miles each day.

Living in this abnormal stall environment conflicting with their structural make-up and being worked hard, too early, finds many reining horses live on a cocktail of drugs every day of their life to keep them going. The focus has shifted from producing physically and mentally sound horses to being knowledgeable in drugs to keep them seemingly sound enough to ride. The rule book is now saturated with drug testing commentary but little evidence of testing, and only randomly, at some large events. Like any drug testing, the providers are able to keep ahead of the tests much like you see in professional sports people.

Managing young bodies

Trainers rarely x-ray the horses they are entrusted with, and owners rarely demand x-rays until something has gone wrong. The use of blood tests to identify abnormalities or issues even rarer. If the horse looks in good condition and can be ridden, with or without drugs, all’s good to go, and the focus is set hard on the futurity. It has become a custom that horses are injected in the hocks and receive daily medications; never questioning why or changing their program. Many trainers believe they have knowledge beyond science and can just ‘know it’s ok.’ Often drugs are administered based on observational symptoms without validation of underlying causes. Some trainers inject horses without the owners even knowing as they attempt to keep horses in their barns.

The pressure, stress, and suffering of the horses all in pursuit of winning the big money at the futurity. Imagine if the horses were not allowed to be ridden for just one more year, how many more entries would there be? Imagine how those horses would be if they were kept and worked in a program that was more in line with their skeletal requirements. Imagine if the owners all started to demand x-rays and blood tests and were pro-active in their horse management.

Some may say only the best make it, but with the refined breeding programs and the number that breakdown early, you would have to question the program more than the breeding, wouldn’t you?

Winning no matter what?

Robert M Miller, DVM cites the story “One of my clients was a prosperous, educated couple. They were very congenial, and they owned three Quarter Horses. One day, they called me to come to their home to worm their horses and check them over and booster their vaccinations. When I arrived, I found only two horses, so I asked where the third one was. “Oh, he is in training as a reining horse, with ____________” (a successful and notoriously brutal trainer who also happened to be one of my clients). Then the wife said, “We know how cruel he is to the horses, but he wins!”

 

Do you believe the NRHA is standing behind their statement “We expect our members to consider the welfare of their horses paramount and to always treat them with dignity, respect and passion”?

Don’t forget to vote on the Poll for Change. Now Closed.

Footnote: NRBC enrolled studs, which are the top escalante of reining horses – 182- average 100 mares each a year 18,200 alone. Plus all the other studs that are not enrolled – and a bunch more of them should not even be studs. And that is just in the USA. Then there is Canada, Brazil, Australia and all the European stallions of which is there a very high number too and the list goes on. Tens of thousands is not an overestimate.

Hundred or so is a generalisation across many countries. The USA has a larger number whereas countries like Australia have micro futurity with just 10 all in.

© 2017 ReiningTrainers.com  All Rights Reserved.