Animal Rights Are an Individual Responsibility; C. Hill

To date, laboratory and food animals have received far more attention from animal rights groups than have sport or companion animals. However,more frequently, people who are not knowledgeableabout animalsare protestingthat the physicaldemandsmadeon sportandworkani mals are too great. More specifically,established humane organizationsare taking stronger stands on activitiesthat theyfeel may be causingstressin horses.Racing,rodeo,enduranceriding,and plea sure and gaited-horseshow classesare receiving Cherry Hill is a full-time equine journalist and book author in Livermore, Colorado. Her articles have appeared in The Chronicle ofthe Horse, American Far rier's Journal, Horseman, and numerous other equine publications. She is the author of The Formative Years: Raising and Training the Young Horse From Birth to TWo Years, From the Center of the Ring: An Inside View of Horse Competitions, and Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage. She is a judge for the Appaloosa Horse Club, The Palomino Horse Breeders of America, and the International Buckskin Horse Association.

the closestscrutiny.Becomingmore familiarwith the situationin today'shorseindustrycan helpany citizenbetterto understandthe animalrightsissues especiallyas theyrelateto outsideintervention. Horsepeopleare acutelyawareof abuseissues. In a recent Equus magazine poll, horse people wereaskedto listtheirdeepestconcernsregarding the state of the horse industry.The results were reported in the November1989 issue: "The most pressingconcernacrossthe board, in the number of people affectedand the strengthof their reac tion,is the abusivetreatment of horses." Animal abuse not only hurts animals and destroys people's integrity, but it also severely undermines animal-related businesses. Even thoughsuch a surveyshowsthat horsepeopleare aware of and are dealing with abuse issues in house,they may be increasinglyput on the defen siveby overzealouswelfaregroupsto explaintheir management,training,and exhibitionpracticesto non-horsemen.

The AmericanHorseCouncilis a nationalasso ciation which unites, informs, and represents America'shorsecommunity.Sinceitsformationin 1969, AHC has become the recognizedvoice of the Americanhorseindustry,and it worksdirectly with Congress,Federal regulatory agencies,and the media to protect and promote horses. The AHC's Board of Trustees, at its June 13, 1989, meeting, passed a resolution stating: "That the AHC continuesits affiliationwith and support of the Farm Animal WelfareCoalitioncoordinated by the Animal IndustryFoundation,a subsidiary 152 THE FREEMAN • APRIL 1990 ofthe AmericanFeed IndustryAssociation,which gives direction for educational activity,monitors activitiesof animal rights groups, including pro posedlegislation,and keepsallsegmentsofanimal agricultureinformed." According to the ARC Executive Secretary MaryD. Midkiff,"The ARC alsopromotesa con cept which allows the horse to perform in a pro gressivemanner,withinitscapacity,under humane conditionsas determined by experienced,knowl edgeablehorse persons."

It is essentialthat regulation of horse issuesbe left in the hands of knowledgeable horsemen. Althoughit is true that casesof animalneglectand exploitationdo exist,it is alsotrue that normaland acceptable methods of animal care and handling are more frequently being labeled abusive by uninformedparties. Animal care, handling,and trainingtechniques are a matter of personal and professionalethics. Abuse is a multifaceted problem that hinges on personal integrity and responsibility.Such quali ties cannot be legislated or enforced. Yet over emotional and inexperiencedindividualsoutside the animal professions often pass judgement on the activitiesof others to the extent of proposing regulations or violating animal facilities. In responseto the recent increasein violentincidents directedat animalfacilitiesby self-described"ani mal rights activists," the Farm Animal Facilities ProtectionAct of 1989was introduced.Suchlegis lationwouldmakeit a Federalcrimeto break into, vandalize,remove animals,trespasson, or disrupt a horse operation.

Definingthe Tenns To get at the root of things,a distinctionshould be made between abuse and cruelty.Abuse pri marilyconsistsofphysicalmistreatmentwhilecru elty includes mental mistreatment as well. Obvi ously it would be much more difficult to assess animalcrueltythan abuse. Animal abuse (and often cruelty)is generallya resultofignorance,willfulneglect,or exploitation. People often perform abusive acts inadvertently when they lack adequate knowledge. A horse ownedbyan inexperiencedpersonmaynot be giv en enough of the right kind of feed and may become emaciated; the same animal, if grossly overfed,couldeasilybecomefatallyillor crippled. Both cases constitute abuse due to ignorance.So should we immediatelybegin legislationfor feed inglicenses?Absolutelynot. Insteadwe mustcon centrate on education. When learningto ride, the typicalhuman reac tion to the motion of the horse is holding on stronglywith the legs (the horse'sreflexresponse to thisis to run) whileat the sametimepullingdes peratelyon the reins(the horse'srefl~x responseto this is to raise its head and possiblyshake it back and forth whilemakingthe gait quicker andchop pier). Carryinga novicerider can be a major trau ma for a horse.When a person uses equipment or training techniquesthat give confusingor contra dictorysignalsto an animalthat the animalhas no wayofphysicallyresolving,the personis technical ly beingabusive.Shouldthe novicerider be issued a citation?The conscientiousenthusiastof anydis ciplinerecognizesthe need to be informed about his or her pursuit.The "responsibilityof knowing"

is one of the personal obligationsof animaluse or ownership. The type of abuse that is the most easilyrecog nized and inexcusable is willful neglect. When horses no longer matter to some people, they no longer care for them properly,sometimes result ing in starvation. This is when the Humane Soci ety steps in with legalaction againstthe negligent horse owner; the emaciated animals are usually impounded by court order. A typeofabusemoredifficultto defineand deal with is the exploitationof animalsat the expense of their welfare.Such abuse is often motivatedby greed or need. A person with a voracioushunger for moneyor whois experiencinghard timesmight paylittleheed to an animal'swelfare.Somepeople exploit animalsto gratify an insatiable ego. Such mistreatmentnot onlyhurtsindividualanimalsbut lowersthe imageofthe animalbusinessas a whole. BetterOffWdd? The horse has been domesticated only a tiny fraction(1112,000)ofthe timesinceitsspecies'ori gin,some60 millionyearsago. Becauseof this,the modem horse still has the innate abilityto revert to the feralstate. Perhapsthat is why even domes tic horses are a symbol of a beautifully wild and freespirit.PeoplewhohaveseenonlyHollywood's versionof the horseor the softand gentlecreature depicted on cards and calendars don't have the ANIMAL RIGHTS ARE AN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 153 A partnership based on trust and mutual respect is what allows a rider to depend on her horse in adverse conditions. The author riding Sassy Eclipse on her northem Colorado ranch.

background to understand the realities involved in horse ownership and training. They may harbor idealistic philosophies that simply don't work on 1,200pounds of horseflesh. The feelings of animal rights activists are based largely on their belief that animals want to be and would be better off in a more natural or wild state than in a confined, domestic setting. While this may be partly true in some cases, when applied across the board, it is faulty thinking. A horse properly cared for in a domestic setting is healthier and lives longer than today's wild mustang. Many non-animal people also get caught in the anthropomorphic trap. They view horses as having human characteristics and needs. This can be very dangerous. Treating a horse as if it had human understanding and motivations can lead to tragedy. Among horses, biting hard with the teeth is a sociallyacceptable ritual often denoting a play ful attitude or affection. If a human kisses a horse on the mouth and the horse reciprocates with a bite, the anthropomorphic error has been demon strated in a very graphic sense.

The cute little foal that weighs 90 pounds at birth and is taught to put his front legs up on a per son's shoulders for a hug continues the behavior as an adult even though the horse now weighs over a thousand pounds. Horses are horses. Humans are humans. This distinction is clear to the individual who has respect for the animals he works with as well as for himself. The ProfessionalViewpoint Noone better regards and admires a horse than does a true horse person. The conscientious horse person understands a horse's needs and behavior patterns and is able to provide a domestic environ ment that involves minimal stress and results in maximum wellbeing. The conscientious horse person knows many details about the senses, habits, rituals, and social interactions of horses. Horse people, over the years, have devised ways of aiding horses in mak ing successful adaptations to the domesticated world of man.

Horses are potentially very dangerous animals. They have strong instincts, lightning quick reflex154 THE FREEMAN • APRIL 1990 es, and tremendous strength. Therefore, they must be trained with well-designed techniques and equipment in order to make them safe for use in man's world. The training of any animal requires certain periods when the animal is taught the rules. To make a horse safer (for his own good and that of the handler) and therefore more useful, a horse must, at times, be made to do things he normally wouldn't choose to do. Standing quietly in one spot while various activities are going on around him is something a horse wouldn't normally do on his own. His instincts would tell him to flee and perhaps inspect things from a distance. Teaching a horse to stand quietly in spite of the activities going on around him is an essential part of a horse's education. The lessons can be calm and uneventful or explosive and traumatic. When· the techniques are fair and the rules are made clear, a horse becomes more confident, safe, and useful as a result of his lessons.

He learns new parameters of behavior. Yet an animal rights person might misinterpret the proper use of a whip as a signal to step forward or the use of a chain over a horse's nose to retard forward movement. Sometimes a sweeping gener alization is made against all such items when one bona fide misuse of a whip or chain has been wit nessed. There is a saying among horse people that a rider's hands are the single most important means of communication with a horse. It is not the mechanical devices, in themselves, that are inhu mane; it is the way in which they are applied through a person's hands, and this is something that cannot be legislated. The vast majority of horses are trained and han dled with techniques considered to be normal operating procedures among horsemen. Unfortu nately, there are unethical people who own and handle horses. Some highly profit-oriented people lose sight of the organic nature of horses. The horse merely comes to represent a means to make a living and is treated like an object. It is not just the wellbeing of the horse that is at stake here, but the integrity of the human spirit as well. It is ironic that horses, which offer people a means to escape the pressures and ills of society, often bear the brunt of these pressures from some of their human keepers. Unfortunately, it is not the story of the conscientious horse owner that makes the head lines, but that of the exploiter.

MediaAttention The fact that a little bad press can bring a dispro portionate amount of attention to an activity makes it more difficult for the legitimate, consci entious animal owner to proceed without compli cations. Unsanctioned, unethical horse events can givea bad name to a sport and can detract from the image of horse activities overall. For example, there was an unsanctioned endurance ride held in June 1987 near Catoosa, Oklahoma. Since a $20,000 jackpot was offered, the race drew a considerable number of very com petitive riders. But when it was announced that there were to be no veterinary checksin the shorter race and the races would be run in 94 degree heat and 70 percent humidity,the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) withdrew its sanction the night before the race. The race was still held independently, and, as a result, an estimated 13 horses died during the race or within hours of com pletion. Seven of them were buried along the trail.

Endurance riding (and the AERC by association) got media attention when the equine graves were unearthed on national television. The finger has also been pointed at the sport of rodeo as an inhumane activity.Although the Pro fessional Rodeo Cowboy's Association (PRCA) sanctions only 30 percent of the rodeos held in this country, it has taken on the task of educating the public and addressing the Humane Society's con cerns about rodeo livestock abuse. In an illustrated 28-page booklet entitled "Humane Facts," dealing with the care and treat ment of professional rodeo livestock, the PRCA discusses many facets of rodeo that may be misun derstood by the general public. There is a discus sion of each event, and the stock and equipment involved, as well as a list of the rules enforced by the PRCA that ensure the humane treatment of livestock. Besides informing the public about rodeo, the booklet serves as a guide for the non sanctioned rodeos that have not evolved to the lev el of having their own regulations for humane han dling of stock.

In the last 20 to 30 years, the emphasis in horse show competitions has shifted toward events which offer large purses for young horses. This puts economic pressure on trainers to push young animals, often beyond their mental or physical ANIMAL RIGHTS ARE AN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 155 capacities. Historically, abuse in performance horses has centered around the horse's gait, energy level, or cosmetic appearance. When show-ring photos became an important part of advertising and sales, a certain artificiality began to creep into the horse business. Many hors es were forced to move mechanically and with unnatural gaits in order to maintain a consistent sil houette or frame. When horse shows were boom ing in the 19708,exhibitors used the horse as a vehi cle to display fancy tack and attire, in an attempt to attract a judge's attention in the large classes.Some classes evolved into beauty contests rather than horse contests. It was as if the superficial "cosmet ic" appearance of the handler or rider on the horse vehicle had become considerably more important than the quality of the horse's conformation, train ing, or the use of humane practices.

Most sudden fads in the horse business are tem porary exaggerations that do no long-term good for anyone. The more unnatural the qualities that are being sought, the more artificial the training techniques and equipment become, and the more chance there is for abuse or cruelty, inadvertent or purposeful. When abuse is identified, what should be done about it? Should measures be taken to prevent abuse? Or must abuse first occur in order to be penalized? Exactly what should be done and who should do it? OutsideIntervention Would it be appropriate for a Federal judge to declare it illegal for a rider to use spurs on his or her horse? Or to make it mandatory for all horses under five years of age to be ridden with rubber (rather than metal) bits? Or to require that every show horse undergo an expensive and time-con suming series of biological and mechanical tests before being admitted to the show grounds? These things may not be so farfetched.

Look, for example, at the ongoing lawsuit which the American Horse Protection Association filed in 1984 against the United States Department of Agriculture. ARPA claimed that the USDA was not adequately enforcing th~ 1970 Horse Protec tion Act and its most current rules (1979) which prohibited the soring (the use of chemical and mechanical means to create pain and/or open sores on the pastern/coronet area to affect the gait) of show horses, particularly those of the (Ten nessee) Walking Horse Association. (For many years the WHA has been accused of using inhu mane training and showing practices. The WHA is a very specialized segment of the horse industry, comprising just a fraction of one percent in total horse numbers in the United States.) The appeals dragged on until March 21,1988, when U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Gasch invalidated the regulations and ordered the Secre tary of Agriculture to institute new rules on pads, chains, and other action devices for horses. Four days later, the USDA advised the entireU.S. horse industry (by registered mail to all breed and per formance organizations, not just the WHA) that, among other things, padded shoes were illegal on all show horses and no horseshoe could weigh over 16 ounces. It was unclear at the time just what breeds these regulations applied to, and for about a month shows were in a state of confusion, with at least two dozen being cancelled. A complete ban on hoof pads would complicate corrective and pro tective famery. And limiting horseshoe weight to 16 ounces would make the standard shoe worn by large horses illegal.

During April 1988, three different revisions to the rules were published. It was very difficult to procure reliable information as to just what the interim regulations prohibited. By the end of April, however, most associations were made aware that, although there were restrictions on the thickness of hoof pads and their material, the cus tomary use of normal flat pads on show horses was legal. Beginning in April, representatives from the American Horse Protection Association, the American Horse Council, the American Farrier's Association, and various breed associations met in Washington and also exchanged letters and phone calls discussing the situation. What had started out as a problem isolated to the gaited-horse commu"'" nity, a very small and specialized segment of the horse industry, had now drawn in other breeds and resulted in copious red tape and confusion. Additional changes to the Horse Protection Act rules were recorded in the FederalRegisteron May 2; for one thing, weight limits were dropped. On August 1, 1988, another set of USDA regulations went into effect, replacing the final April revision.

Input continued to be received until the end of the comment period in October 1988.

156 THE FREEMAN • APRIL 1990 On February 14, 1989, the USDA released its "final regulations." The regulations contained some unexpected modifications which the Ameri can Horse Protection Association considered an unacceptable compromise. So, after review, the AHPA filed a new lawsuit. How the outcome of this suit will affect horses outside of the Walking Horse Association remains to be seen. It would, no doubt, have been more expedient and more appropriate for the Walking Horse Association to deal with their issues in-house. By educating their trainers and owners and enforcing a humane and reasonable set of rules, they could have avoided outside intervention. InternalRegulations Each national breed and performance organiza tion has a list of approved judges to officiate sanc tioned events. The judges follow the rules listed in the association handbooks. As a result of the AHPA/USDA ongoing legal battle, various equine associations have taken a closer look at their own potential abuse issues. The American Horse Shows Association and The American Quarter Horses Association, two large and long established groups, often lead the way with rules changes and additions.

An unfortunate trend concerning the rate of travel and demeanor of western pleasure horses was carried to extremes throughout the stock horse industry in the 1970sand '80s.To make west ern pleasure horses look completely under control and supposedly relaxed, they were shown moving very slowly with an extremely low head carriage. Some unscrupulous exhibitors used drugs, starva tion, or very intimidating training methods to get the horses to move this way. So in response to the outcry from conscientious horsemen, the Ameri can Quarter Horse Association began taking steps to discourage this poor use of horses. In 1989, the AQHA added Item 0 to rule 455: "If a horse appears sullen, dull,lethargic,drawn, or overly tired, faults to be scored accordingly." Another recent rule defines abuse as "that which a reasonable person informed and experienced in generally accepted equine training and exhibition procedures would determine to be cruel, abusive, and inhumane." Other associations have followed suit in adding these rules to their handbooks.

However, qualitative rules such as these leave generous room for interpretation. They involve concepts that are difficult to measure. Because judges are often the only officialsat a horse event, they are expected to enforce the rules. Yet many judges resent being put in the role of policemen. A horse showjudge is hired to rank the quality of ani mals and performances at a show. He or she has the expertise for evaluating quality; most judges feel they should not be expected to enforce laws while evaluating horses at a show. A serious error can be committed if a person or group develops internal regulation of a problem solely to avoid outside intervention. The motiva tion should instead be based on a straightforward acknowledgment of the problem and a sincere desire to improve the situation. It should not be a matter of "them" against "us." Rather it should be a matter of each individual doing his or her part to make things better. Education is one of the impor tant keys to the prevention of abuse.

Because the intense competition and the rigors of today's horse sports can make some individuals lose sight of their horse's welfare, the goals of horse competitions need to change. Rather than offering the biggest purses for young horses, class es should be designed to reward older horses who have stayed mentally and physically sound while still retaining a competitive edge. Horses last longer and stay fresher mentally if they are trained and exhibited with long-term use in mind. Animal abuse is not a comfortable topic to talk or write about. However, the issues will not go away by ignoring them. Every animal owner should become better informed about the far reaching effects of outside intervention. Personal responsibility is the logical guide in animal use and ownership. D 157 A REVIEWER'S NOTEBOOK The VerDlont Papers by John Chamberlain F rank Bryan and John McClaughry,two res ident Vermonters, call their book The Ver mont Papers:RecreatingDemocracyon a Human Scale (Chelsea Green Publishing Compa ny, Chelsea, Vermont 05038,308 pages, $18.95).It is a many-faceted book that will repay several readings. The best of it is its Vermont history, which goes deeply into Vermont's Dark Age when demographic tides were depopulating the Ameri can Northeast by spreading emigrants over the Middle and Far West.The Mormon Church had its Vermont origins. Philosopher John Dewey was a Vermonter before he went to Chicago and New York. He gave us pragmatism, which explains much in the American character.