Soring is the cruel, inhumane practice of inflicting pain to a horse's front limbs by applying caustic chemicals such as mustard oil or kerosene to their pasterns and then they wrap chains around the sores. Or, these evil people insert sharp objects into their hooves to get them to lift their front hooves high to avoid the pain. This is done in the Tennessee Walking, Racking and Spotted Saddle Horse world.
It is an evil practice and I find it hard to believe that anyone would do such a thing but it is quite common, believe it or not. It is ridiculous that the federal government has to get involved to stop it. You'd think that people's own sense of right and wrong would stop it!
I compete in dressage. In my world, our goal is to develop the natural, beautiful gates of a horse with the minimum of interference by the tack or rider. I look at that top picture, at the UNnatual movement of that horse and I am sickened. They call that high lift, the "Big Lick." All I see is big pain.
Last November, two of my books were honored in New York City, by the Equus Film Festival. While at the awards ceremony, I met the director of a short called "Awesome Gal," that is a story about a horse that escapes from his cruel owners who were using soring on her. If you get a chance to see the movie, do so! Here is their FB link: www.facebook.com/chancesawesomegal
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