Soring, A Graphic Description

It is now time to stop "pussyfooting" around about what is going on in those "few" training barns (not just in TN), in order to sore our beautiful horses into that UNNATURAL walk both in the Padded-Up and Flat-Shod classes, for showing. I don't think most of the people who are supporting the clean, sound horse are aware of how the pain is being created in the dark corners of those barns. Many have talked about the "smell", many have talked about the "moaning" of the horses, many have talked about the wide, terrified eyes of the horse in the ring. And what I am about to tell you is the cause of all that and more! It's going to be hard to read and even harder to believe. Those that don't want to believe, won't! But you might ask those Breeders/Owners/ Trainers that have come to see the light, and come to the side of the sound horse after years of abuse, and they can tell you what is true and what is not. I give them my profound respect and admiration and those that haven't come to the side of the sound horse are Criminals and that is the nicest term I can think of to use. You know who you are, whether you are a well-known Owner/Trainer who goes the whole route of abuse, or one of the smaller Owner/Trainers who believe in the "little dab'll do ya" method of training.

Chemical Agents are the first choice of Sorers, so this is what we will address first:


Methods of chemical soring:

Mustard Oil:
Most commonly used soring agent. Chemical name: AllyIsothiocyanate (no relation to the mustard in your refrigerator). It is highly toxic, is a carcinogen (causes cancer), Mutagenic (causes inheritable genetic damage). Contact with skin causes burns and sensitization. It is readily absorbed through the skin so the use of DMSO is not necessary. Application of Mustard Oil and the covering of it causes blistering and severe burning. (Remember the Saran Wrap?). It is a yellow liquid and the smell at greatly diluted amounts can cause wheezing, coughing, pulmonary edema, headache, nausea, vomiting and has an affect on asthma. Exposure can cause convulsion, muscle contractions and coma. It causes changes in the Gastrointestinal tract (colic, anyone?), affects fertility and is fetotoxic (can kill a fetus in utero). It also causes rapid heartbeat and if overused can cause heart attack. It is produced by Sigma-Aldrich Corp. who is not responsible for any effects resulting from it's misuse or wrongful use. By the way, I'm sure everyone in the Walking Horse world is aware of the reports of the Indiana trainer, Mike Civils, who tried to mail a package containing Mustard Oil to a well-known Walking Horse farm in TN, the package was not labeled "Hazardous Material" (which is a Federal Offense). Package was accidentally dropped in the Post Office and the building had to be evacuated because of the noxious odor and affects on Postal Employees. Some of whom had to be hospitalized! Whatever happened to that trainer? Was he prosecuted? If not, why not? Who protected him? Why has he been allowed to come from Celina, TX to Florida to be a Show Judge instead of serving time in jail? And why was he hired by MOWHA to be the judge of their Annual Fall Round-up Celebration?

Crotonal:
(commonly referred to as Croton Oil). Chemical Name: CROTONALDEHYDE and was manufactured and distributed by Union Carbide Corporation. It is corrosive, toxic and immediately dangerous to life and health. Inhalation of vapor causes severe mucous membrane irritation, sore throat, coughing, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, collapse or unconsciousness. Pathological findings reveal bronchiolar damage. It is corrosive to skin and causes acute sensitivity. Contact with liquid causes severe irritation with redness, pain and possible 2nd degree burns. Systemic poisoning may occur due to absorption through burned skin. If ingested it is toxic. Absorption through skin can affect the central Nervous System. It is a mutagenic (causes mutations in offspring) and a tumorigenic (causes internal tumor growth). It is clear and colorless but turns yellow if exposed to air and water. The odor is pungent and irritating to mucous membranes, has a tarry smell. Union Carbide has discontinued manufacturing it. Now, CROTONAL is so strong that it is cut with kerosene before being applied to horses legs and burns to the bone when mixed with DMSO. It was never used as an enema (as was previously stated by someone) but because of it's high absorption rate into Gastrointestinal Tract, it can and does cause colic in horses. (How many show horses have you heard of that died of Colic?)

Salicylic Acid:
(this is not aspirin! but when added to other compounds, produces aspirin). Chemical Name: 2-HYDROXY-BENZOIC ACID It causes skin irritation and may permeate skin in toxic amounts. Ingestion causes abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and black, tarry diarrhea. It also affects the kidneys. Skin permeation can occur in amounts capable of producing the effects of Systemic Toxicity. If this product is used in very dilute solutions it can cause a sloughing off of the skin which is the preferred method of removing or reducing scar tissue on sored horses, without affecting hair re-growth. Show horses treated with this chemical to remove forbidden scars, have lain in pain in their stall for days while the skin comes off their legs. The pain has actually caused death it is so intense! It is odorless and white or beige in color and completely soluble in turpentine. It is produced by Fisher Scientific, Tenneco, J.T.Baker and Rhone-Poulenc, Inc. who are not responsible for any and all ill effects resulting in misuse or wrong use of product.

Fuel Oil:
(also known as Diesel Oil, Diesel Fuel or Furnace Oil) It is not a chemical on it's own but is made up of a mixture of hundreds of compounds. The primary routes of entry into the body are through the skin and inhalation. Overexposure may cause weakness, headache, nausea, confusion, blurred vision (could those last two symptoms be the reason for the wide eyes on the show horse?), and nervous system effects. Inhalation may cause those symptoms plus rapid breathing, impaired judgment, personality change, memory impairment, convulsions, unconsciousness and death. It is an aromatic liquid that is clear or light yellow in color. This is the oil of choice when soring with chains.

Collodion:
a new product in the line-up of soring agents is a chemical made up of Proxylin 5-10%, Ethanol 20-30% and Diethyl Ether 60-70%. It enters the body by way of inhalation, skin contact or eye contact. It is a SERIOUS skin irritant and must be used with Rubber gloves, safety glasses with side shields and if possible a respirator! the conditions produced in the horse with prolonged use are nausea, colic, dizziness, narcosis (stupor, coma then death), suffocation due to lack of oxygen, lowering of the blood pressure and damage to Central nervous system. It is not soluble in water and is a pale yellow, syrupy liquid, which when applied to a horse's legs, AFTER the deeper burning chemicals described before, forms an airtight seal which keeps the heat of those chemicals in the skin and tissue in order for them to do a more complete job of soring, and eliminates the need for plastic wrap which has been banned at most shows and if found at a trainers barn is a dead give away that soring is taking place! On the horse's leg COLLODION becomes almost invisible to the naked eye and it's use is just one more proof of t he growing sophistication of the sored horse trainers and owners in their quest for the blue. This is a Hazardous Material that when stored in closed containers and exposed to heat can explode and release Nitrogen Oxides Hydrogen Cyanide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the air for considerable distances! It comes under the EPA Hazardous Waste Numbers (D001) and is also known as Proxlyin Solution, Nitrocellulose Solution and Nitrocotton Solution. .Collodion is manufactured by J.T. Baker of Phillipsburg, NJ who are not responsible for the misuse of this product.

Methods of mechanical Soring:

Chains:
When left on a horse for long periods of time can cause lasting pain and when a horse has been sored with heavy chains at the barn for a week before a show and then shown in the accepted 6oz. chains, he suffers intensive pain from that lighter chain hitting the same sored area over and over, not to mention the sensitivity of the area from previous Chemical soring.

Nails:
once used extensively to cause pain are not used often any longer due to the effectiveness of the fluoroscope used by DQP's at shows. In New Mexico is was discovered that screws were inserted right into the hoof wall under the band used to keep the heavy shoe on. The screws were backed off to get through inspection and quickly screwed back into the hoof just before going in to the ring!

Pressure Shoeing:
Still a popular method of causing horses intense pain when putting a foot to the ground with his weight behind it. The hoof wall is filed away almost to the quick, so that the sole of the hoof is placed directly on the metal shoe causing unbearable pain when the suffering horse has to put that foot and his weight on it, on the ground.

Road Foundering:
A method of soring that is gaining popularity with each show. The hoof is rasped down to almost the quick (as above) and the shoe is put on. The horse is then ridden up and down a hard surface like macadam or concrete until it is hurting and limping. Then stewarding gets it past the DQP's!

Stewarding:
The use of topical anesthetics containing Lidocaine and Benzocaine are gaining in popularity among the sorers, (ie. Hurricane Spray) and also temporary freezing agents that numb temporarily, because of the crackdown by the USDA at the shows and their "looking over the shoulder" of all HIO's (Horse Inspection Organizations) who are inspecting horses.