I'm a lifelong horse lover, rider, and owner, and I've devoted much of my life to these majestic creatures. For too long, the brutal methods associated with "Big Lick" have gone unchecked, causing immense pain and suffering to Tennessee Walking Horses. It's time to put an end to these outdated and inhumane practices.

"Big Lick" involves the use of painful soring techniques to achieve an exaggerated gait. This includes applying caustic chemicals to a horse's limbs, creating deliberate pain so the horse will pick up its feet higher in an artificial and unnatural manner. It's a cruel practice that has been tolerated for far too long, and it's time for our lawmakers to take a firm stand against it.

Moreover, this isn't just about soring. The manipulation of a horse’s tail movement and positioning through chemical, surgical, or insertion devices is equally abhorrent. Horses should be free to move naturally without interference that causes distress or permenent debilitating, and frequently life ending, injury. When these horses are broken, at a very early age from these practices, they are thrown away and found in the horse slaughter pipeline in the kill pens and auctions. 

We have the power and the duty to protect these animals. Legislating against "Big Lick" practices at a federal level is not only the right thing to do, it's what is demanded in a society that claims to value animal welfare. This isn't merely an option; it's a necessity that reflects our integrity and compassion.

The existing laws have clearly been insufficient in deterring abusive owners who seek to exploit these animals for personal and monetary gain. Our nation must adopt stronger, clearer legislation that unequivocally bans soring and tail manipulation practices.

Join me in urging our leaders to act. Sign this petition to make it clear that intolerance for animal abuse is a principle we all stand by, and let us finally put an end to the suffering of the Tennessee Walking Horses,  specifically "Big Lick" and those that profit from it. It's time to act responsibly and ethically towards these magnificent creatures. Please sign the petition and make a difference.