To save the
Walking Horse Industry from the devastating effects of HR1518 and S1406 please
help by taking action. Your help is
needed on behalf of the performance Tennessee Walking Horse and this will only
take 10-20 minutes of your time. All
members of the US Congress and US Senators need to hear, right now, that they
cannot ignore the walking horse family.
We must stand united and strong to stop this discriminatory bullying and
hate attacks by the extremist radicals, Federal Government and HSUS. Your voice could be the tipping point.
Will you join
us and take just a few minutes to call and leave a message or speak with the
federal legislators for your state? You will want to call/ email and talk with
all of your state’s US Congressmen and US Senators in Washington DC. To obtain
contact information for your specific legislators, simply go to this website:
Who
Should You Speak With:
When you call the office, ask
to speak directly to the elected official.
If they are not available ask to speak with their chief of staff. If the chief of staff is not available ask to
speak with the legislative director. If
you are sent to voice mail, do not hang up.
Start by leaving your name, address, phone number then tell them you
would like to speak with them about HR1518 and S1406. Tell them you will expect a return call. If you do not hear back within a hour, call
them back until they speak with you. Speak to anyone you can get on the phone…the
more people you educate the better!
Points
To Cover With Congressmen and Senators:
My name
is______________________________. I am
from ___________________________ and I am calling regarding HR1518 and S1406.
1- If HR1518 and S1406 (PAST ACT)
becomes Law, it will close down the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry
Please recognize that sponsorship
and passage of the PAST Act (HR1518 and S1406), an amendment to the Horse
Protection Act, will effectively close down the Tennessee Walking Horse
Industry. While the Tennessee Walking
horse is so versatile that it can be shown in eight divisions based on how he
is shod, if the HSUS/ Whitfield bill becomes law, 7 of those 8 divisions will
become illegal. The one remaining division that would be left makes up only 10%
of the under saddle classes at a typical Tennessee Walking Horse Show including
the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.
2- The Tennessee Walking Horse
Industry has a 98% compliance rate with the Horse Protection Act.
Actual figures from government trained and supervised industry inspectors
(which have been accepted and published on the USDA website) indicate that less
than 2% of the entries are found to be suspected of being in violation.
3- Connie Harriman, HSUS
employee, wife of Rep. Ed Whitfield has her husband doing the bidding for HSUS.
This is personal and this representative is simply taking up a cause to
help his wife at work. Harriman and Whitfield, along with their radical
supporters, are proposing such radical legislation that it will eliminate the
Tennessee Walking Horse as a show breed.
Almost the entire show breed will be gone and this will devastate the
Tennessee Walking Horse industry to the extent that it many never recover. The HSUS/ Whitfield legislation would
eliminate over 85% of all show classes.
4-If implemented HR1518 and S1406
(PAST ACT) will have devastating economic impact on the US Economy.
Hr1518 and S1406 will impact more than 20,000 jobs. It will have a negative economic impact of
$3.2 billion. It will also cause a $1.3
billion loss in horse values. This amendment will have a severe economic
impact, not just on this industry, but also on many individual investors,
communities and charities which are the beneficiaries of profits created by
this industry through shows, exhibitions and events. These bills will put successful agricultural related businesses out of
business. By eliminating 85% of the
horses showing JOBS WILL BE LOST in not only direct equine related business,
but in those secondary businesses which also depend on equine agriculture. This
means more people in unemployment lines. Entertainment dollars will
cease flowing into communities from
shows causing restaurants, motels, gas stations, dry cleaners etc to feel the
hit. One Middle Tennessee community
sees $40 million alone in revenue directly from one horse show. $2,563,195.00 flowed from horse shows in 10
states into charities over the last 3 years. This charitable giving will also
cease if the PAST ACT becomes law. The
passing of this act will cause many to lose their homes, farms and businesses
and will add to the already significant number of people on government
assistance.
5-Yes, the Tennessee Walking
Horse does perform a unique gait.
However, it is important to note that by its unique breeding and DNA the Tennessee Walking Horse is born to
perform a unique gate. DMRT3 (a gene/
enzyme which is found in the Tennessee Walking Horse that is not found in
trotting breeds) plus generations of selective breeding is why the Tennessee
Walking Horse has the ability to do its unique and exciting gate. Our day old foals do the exact same unique
gate as our performance horses.
6-According to the Auburn
Scientific study on the Tennessee Walking Horse, the performance shoes do not physically
harm the horse in anyway.
The information which was provided by the HSUS/ Whitfield group on this
matter has not been accurate, nor true.
The performance shoes do not cause harm to the horse nor does it hurt
the horse’s feet in anyway. In the most
comprehensive scientific study performed regarding the Tennessee walking horse
(done at Auburn University) scientist concluded that the performance shoe does
not harm the horse in anyway. The HSUS/
Whitfield opponents have never attempted to refute this study with facts.
7- Performance Shoes are used by
many other breeds of horses.
It is important to note that performance shoes, bands and action devises are
used by breeds other than the Tennessee Walking Horse. Horses like the American Saddle Bred,
Hackney, dressage, Friesian, and Racking horses all perform a unique gate and
use performance shoes, action devises and use bands. Each of these breeds also use shoes similar
to those worn by the Tennessee Walking Horse.
To put the performance shoes into perspective, if you look at the
comparison between a running shoe used by humans and the performance shoes used
by the Tennessee Walking Horse you will not only find similarities but on a
comparative basis the performance shoes used on the horse today is lighter than
what we as humans use when we run. Both
have or allow for additional cushion and both are elevated from the heel to the
toe to provide better support and improvement on the ability to rock or move
forward.
8- HR 1518 and S1406 is stepping into an area of states’ rights.
HR1518 and S1406 attempts to solve
a state problem with a federal legislation.
As you know, the horse protection act is a federal Commerce Bill and
HR1518 (PAST) amends that bill. The
horse protection act applies to the protection of horses at horse shows. State laws cover the protection of horses at
private barns. Animal cruelty is a state
issue and for the federal government to step into this area is a slippery
slope. The video that HSUS and Whitfield have been playing and using has
nothing to do with the horse protection act.
Passage of HR 1518 (PAST) has absolutely no affect on private barns and
has no jurisdiction over actions taking place within them. This is a state matter. Make no mistake about this, the next steps
for HSUS is to use the Whitfield amendment to get its foot in the door to the
entire equine world. Their goal is to
make the horse, like they are trying to with other farm animals, a “companion”
animal and a lawn ornament. If
successful with this who knows how many other horse breeds they will devastate
over the next 5 years.
9- You don’t throw out a whole bag of apples because one is bad.
Please understand, I do not
endorse, approve or condone the abusing or harming of any horse. I am sickened by what some sick individuals
have personally done to their horses and horses under their care. When athletes break the law, use drugs,
1000’s of horses die on the race tracks or a driver cheats in a NASCAR race it
is an embarrassment to their industry. And
yes, like many other industries, some bad apples have been an embarrassment to
our industry as well. However, no
politician has ever stepped out and suggested that horse racing, NASCAR, Bike
Racing, National Football League or National Basketball Association, National
League Baseball industries be closed down and eliminated because of these types
of offensive and illegal behaviors by some renegades. Instead, these industries have implemented
additional over site and scrutiny to prevent further problems. I believe the
Tennessee Walking Horse industry has been doing this as our industry and horses
are put through one of the most strenuous pre and post show inspections of any
horse breed and are 98% in compliance.
10- I ask you, as my elected
representative in Washington, to join Representative Marsha Blackburn and many
others to vote in opposition to this amendment.
11-Thank You for taking time to listen
to me and for taking action to oppose HR1518 and S1406. If you have any
questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call back at ___________________________.
