09/05/2026
The abuse still continues and the horses are still suffering. Thank you for realizing this and becoming an advocate for what you know was wrong. It’s never too late to correct a wrong. They teach the young what they are doing is out of tradition when all it really is brain washing them to think evil is allowed.
Yes, I am hitting this nail on the head once again. I don’t mean to be redundant, but several of my posts this week have been leading up to this one. This is a topic that continues to weigh heavily on my heart, and I simply cannot stay silent about it.
Behind the glittering trophies, pristine outfits, and roaring crowds at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee, it is easy to get swept up in the incredible pageantry. There was once a time in Carl’s life when this week, and the frantic week of preparation leading up to it, felt like pure magic. Raised in that world, the anticipation, the lights, and the energy of the Celebration made it the most exciting time of the year. It is incredibly easy to become a product of your environment when everyone around you normalizes the status quo. But as the saying goes: when you know better, you do better. Carl eventually saw past the illusion. He turned his back on his training career to become a fierce advocate for the horses. He learned that beneath all the glitz lies a devastating reality that can no longer be ignored. The exaggerated, high-stepping movement known as the "Big Lick" is completely artificial, forcing these majestic animals into an unnatural posture through systemic physical pain and heavy stacks that alter their alignment.
Beyond the physical damage, it is a form of deep psychological abuse that breaks the horse's spirit. Compounding this trauma, new equine brain science proves the severe neurological and developmental ramifications of starting horses in this high-stress, intensive training at such a vulnerable, young age, permanently altering their stress-response pathways. Shockingly, the industry hides behind statistics, boasting a "96% to 99% compliance rate" during inspections to shield themselves and justify their actions. But this is a manipulation of the word "compliance"—these numbers lump in thousands of sound, flat-shod horses to intentionally dilute the data and mask the systemic violations still occurring in the Big Lick world.
One must ask the question, has the USDA succumbed to the industry’s relentless justification continually delaying federal crackdowns and essentially trying to determine an “acceptable level of sore” rather than enforcing a total ban? Make no mistake, abuse happens across all horse competitions, and it absolutely happens in flat-shod horse competitions as well. You can try to justify these practices in all the ways you want, but you can put lipstick on a pig and it’s still a pig. True pageantry does not require cruelty, and political stagnation should never be used to mask abuse as tradition. Carl's journey proves that change from within is possible, and it is time for all of us to stand up, peel back the glamour, and take a firm stance against this celebrated abuse. Please raise your voice, contact your legislators to support horse protection laws like the PAST Act, and help us demand an end to the Big Lick.
A note to anyone in the Big Lick community who wants to chime in, attack us, or bring up Carl's past as a trainer to discredit this post: Carl has already openly admitted his wrongdoings, taken accountability, and chosen a path of active reform. If you choose to lash out by highlighting the very practices he used to do, you are simply validating the exact abuse we are exposing and admitting to your own ongoing wrongdoing. We welcome the conversation, but defensive deflections only prove our point.
