The Tennessee Walking Horse, Hackney, and Saddlebred are breeds that are synonymous with their iconic high-stepping gait. Competitors have historically done better in the showring with horses that have the most exaggerated form of this gait, known as the “big lick”. Nowhere is this more coveted than in Tennessee Walking Horse shows in the southeastern United States, particularly Tennessee and Kentucky.
But the history of this breed of high steppers is controversial. While the breed has a natural level of high step, to increase it for the showring many trainers resort to what is called “soring.”
Soring is defined as “the intentional infliction of pain to horses front limbs to induce an artificial high-step,” or “big lick.”
The advocacy group Animal Wellness Action (AWA) who run a campaign to ban the practice, has a more detailed description on its website: “The abusive practice of “soring” is when morally bankrupt trainers intentionally inflict pain on a Tennessee Walking Horse’s hooves and legs to force the horses to perform an exaggerated, high-stepping gait to obtain an unfair advantage at horse shows. Caustic chemicals are applied, and plastic wrap is used to cook the chemicals directly into the horse’s flesh for several days. Chains are attached to strike the wounds, and screws and nails are driven into the sensitive tissue of their hooves with the purpose of causing pain that will cause the horses to raise their legs and perform the exaggerated gait. These horses are subjected to constant severe pain.”