TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Genesis 2:24

End the abuse of horses

Kudos to country music artist Tonya Tucker for her part in trying to stop the abusive practice of “soring” that is done to Tennessee Walking Horses. I shall never forget witnessing the “soring” of a horse in the late 1950’s. I had never seen or heard of such a thing until a friend told me she planned to “sore” her Tennessee Walking Horse that afternoon, and asked me to join her at her training barn.

I did not know what that meant until I reached the barn, and saw the following: The horse’s ankles had the skin broken around them the day before by pouring caustic chemicals on them. The horse’s trainer was in the process of pouring additional caustic chemicals to the open wounds.

Flies were thick while feeding on the open wounds and the horse’s head shuddered in pain. When I questioned what was happening, I was told this

LETTERS

Email letters to letters@commercial appeal.com; mail Letters to the Editor, The Commercial Appeal, 495 Union, Memphis, TN 38103; or click on the “Submit Letter” link on the Opinion page atcommercialappeal.com. was part of the training done to Tennessee Walking Horses in order to make them lift their legs high enough to win the Blue Ribbon in a show. That was 60 years ago, more or less, and it’s still being done to helpless horses in order for men and women to have their egos stoked by winning a ribbon.

At this time, there are bills before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that aim to end the abusive practice of “soring” horses. I beg you to email both Sen. Alexander and Sen. Corker and ask them to support S. 2957, and to email your representative and ask him or her to support H.R.1847.

Rita Roe Bartlett, Memphis