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Boot Scootn Boogie |
When The North American Saddle Mule
Association began developing the show rules for approved NASMA
events, the newly formed American Gaited Mule Association (AGMA)
requested gaited rules be included that would govern the exhibition
of the gaited mule. While AGMA includes all types of gaited mules
from various gaited breeds of horses, Tennessee Walking Horses were,
by far, the most popular source for gaited mule dams and the very
smooth flat and running walk gaits. The desire of the newly formed
organization in regard to these rules was to protect the gaited
saddle mule, no matter what breed of origin, from the ever growing
abuses that were coming under scrutiny in the Walking Horse
industry. With the increasing popularity of the smooth gaited saddle
mule for trail riding, AGMA realized that this mule would soon be a
favorite in the show ring just like its gaited horse cousins.
Many of the Charter Members of AGMA are also Charter Members of
NASMA. Their insistence on NASMA gaited rules that protected the
animal from abuse and held owners, trainers and riders accountable
for their actions resulted in rules and restrictions which prevented
those actions prevalent in the horse industry. Realizing that
unscrupulous individuals from the Walking Horse industry might see
an opportunity to use their unprincipled practices in a new,
unsuspecting equine venue, NASMA and AGMA decided to make sure the
gaited rules prevented them from doing so. In other words, AGMA
intended to head them off at the pass and NASMA helped.
One of the issues that needed to be addressed in the rules was the
soring. This practice which is described according to the USDA,
"The application of any chemical or mechanical agent applied to the
lower leg or hoof of any horse that causes pain, or, can be expected
to cause pain, for the purpose of "enhancing" the horse's gait for
show purposes is strictly prohibited under The Horse Protection Act,
as amended (15 U.S.C. SS 1821 - 1831)." There are many ways to
sore horses. As a sore horse tries to escape the pain in his front
feet and lower legs, he snatches them up quickly, which gives the
"desired effect" of tremendous lift in the front. Meanwhile, he
tries to take as much weight as possible off his front feet by
shifting his weight to his back feet, squatting down in the rear as
he reaches beneath himself with his hind legs.
In 1970 a Federal Horse Protection Act was passed as law to be
enforced through the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service. Congress found and declared
that the "soring" of horses is cruel and inhumane and that sored
horses when shown or exhibited compete unfairly with horses that
have not been sored. Although a similar gait can be obtained
naturally by conventional training methods, soring achieves the
desired gait faster and more easily and gives the user an unfair
advantage. Eventually, the definition of sored was expanded to
include scars on the lower legs caused by inhumane treatment, along
with illegal shoeing measures that produced exaggerated gait.
In l976 an amendment was passed to the above law to expand the
inspection process (which had formerly been to allow only licensed
veterinarians to inspect horses). The DQP (Designated Qualified
Person) program was part of this amendment. A DQP is a person
who under the law may be appointed authority by the management of a
horse show or sale to inspect horses for the purposes of determining
"soreness" and enforcing the law. Individuals who are licensed as
DQPs are usually farriers, trainers or long-time horse people with a
basic knowledge of horses and the equine industry. DQPs must
successfully complete a formal training program before becoming
licensed and attend a yearly "update" training course to stay
certified and licensed. Although they hold a license "through" a
breed organization (known as an HIO -- Horse Industry Organization),
these licenses are good nation-wide and for any breed and are
Federally sponsored.
Any horse show management may hold a horse show without having a DQP
present, but should the USDA veterinary medical officers attend and
find a sore horse, then there is no "middleman" (i.e. DQP) to
protect the show officials from prosecution and/or fines for
allowing a sored horse to show. Be aware that once the DQP is on
the grounds, he/she is a Federal official with a lot of
authority and should be treated with respect.
It was only a matter of time before the USDA would take notice of
such large shows such as The Great Celebration Mule Show and begin
to investigate possible abuse. Having a DQP present was obligatory
in order to check abuse of the mules, but the prosecution of show
management for allowing such practices.
At shows where a DQP is present, the horse MUST be presented to the
DQP for inspection before it can enter the warmup area (usually two
to three classes in advance) and ultimately the show ring as access
to the show ring is only through the warmup area. The horse must be
presented again each time it enters the warmup area.
In addition to the inclusion of the DQP as NASMA shows which offered
gaited classes, AGMA and NASMA decided to include rules for the
“built up” mules or mules on pads. These are mules who are not “flat
shod”, but have had pads added their feet to affect their gait like
Tennessee Walking Horses. The effect of pads on feet can be as
abusive as soring with deterioration of the mule’s foot through
disease. While NASMA has no authority in regard to these practices
at the training farm, it does in any event sponsored by NASMA. And,
that’s exactly why NASMA developed rules for built up mules. If
classes for built up mules are outlined and can be provided by show
management, unless those classes are offered, entry of built up
mules into the flatshod classes is prevented. To avoid the unfair
advantage pads would give that mules against naturally going mules,
they were to have classes only for them. This also gave show
management the opportunity to eliminate exhibition of built up mules
at their show by NOT offering classes for them.
Consequently, NASMA included the use of the DQP and making a place
for the “built up” mule in the rules regarding the exhibition of
gaited mules to protect the mules, those who train them naturally
and the show management. Apparently it was a good decision because,
while the use of soaring may be considered and practiced by some
mule trainers, the use of the DQP has prevented its pervasiveness in
the mule industry as we’ve seen in the Walking Horses.
While some gaited exhibitors might complain about the cost of the
DQP being added to entries, their use has safeguarded mules from
soring abuse and reinforced NASMA objectives to protect the saddle
mule. And, the use of pads to affect the mules gait has not been
observed except in a few instances and no classes, as of yet, have
been offered to encourage this practice.
It appears to have been a wise choice on the part of NASMA with the
help of AGMA and the best way to police the saddle mule industry
before the Federal Government gets involved as it had to in the
horse industry.
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