The Big Lick Horse Controversy: A Clear Guide for Concerned Horse Owners

Hello fellow equestrians. If you’ve watched a Tennessee Walking Horse perform that extreme, high-stepping gait and felt a deep unease about how it’s made to happen, trust that instinct. Your worry for the horse’s comfort and the ethics behind the spectacle is shared by many who prioritize equine welfare.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the facts, covering what the Big Lick actually is and why it sparks debate, the specific, painful training methods often used to achieve it, the direct impact on a horse’s body and mind, and practical, humane alternatives for enjoying natural equine movement.

Drawing from my years of daily barn management and training horses like the sensible Rusty and sensitive Luna, my advice comes from the dirt floor of the stable, always advocating for gentle hands and plenty of turnout time.

Defining the Big Lick and Its Central Problem

What is the Big Lick?

Picture a show ring where horses move with an unnaturally high, snappy step, their forelegs shooting up toward their chin with each stride. That’s the Big Lick. It’s an exaggerated, high-stepping gait crafted for spectacle in certain competitions. This dramatic movement is a manufactured performance, a stark contrast to the efficient, flowing strides a horse uses in the pasture or on the trail. Watching it, I’m always reminded of the difference between a relaxed, swinging walk and a painful, forced march. The horses I’ve spent my life with move with a purpose that conserves energy, never with this jarring, artificial animation.

What is Soring and How Does it Relate?

Soring is the deliberate act of hurting a horse to make it step higher. Trainers inflict pain on the pasterns, heels, and coronary band so the animal flings its feet up to avoid the discomfort of touching the ground. Common methods include slathering legs with chemical irritants like diesel fuel or acidic compounds, applying tight, painful bands, or using harsh mechanical devices. The goal is singular: to produce that exaggerated Big Lick action. I’ve had to care for a sored horse that came to our barn, and the smell of harsh chemicals on his legs and his palpable fear of being touched there is something I’ll never forget. It’s not training; it’s torture designed for a blue ribbon. It’s nothing like putting on boots on a horse properly for support or protection.

The Tennessee Walking Horse and the Big Lick Tradition

The Breed’s Natural Gait vs. The Artificial “Lick”

The Tennessee Walking Horse is gifted with a born-to-please gait called the running walk-a smooth, gliding four-beat rhythm that feels like floating. The Big Lick hijacks this genetic blessing and warps it into a painful caricature, where the horse’s natural head nod becomes a strained jerk and its comfortable stride becomes a painful, high-reaching hack. While other gaited breeds like Spotted Saddle Horses can get pulled into this world, the TWH bears the brunt. I’ve ridden pure, untouched Walking Horses, and the difference between their innate smoothness and the strained “lick” is the difference between a relaxed sigh and a pained gasp. Understanding tennessee walking horse gaits gives context for what you hear in the running walk. It helps distinguish natural smoothness from the signs of strain, guiding any further exploration of the topic.

The Mechanics: How the Big Lick Gait is Created

Unnatural Shoeing and Pads

This starts at the ground with something called “stacked” or “performance” packages. These are towering pads, often of plastic or rubber, glued and nailed under the hoof, building height that nature never intended. Paired with long, heavy shoes, this setup forces the hoof into an abnormal angle, straining tendons and ligaments and often leading to lifelong lameness, navicular disease, or founder. I’ve helped a farrier work on a rehab case where removing those pads revealed weak, crumbly hoof wall that took over a year to grow out correctly. The biomechanics are all wrong, like asking someone to run a marathon in platform shoes.

Action Devices and Chains

Here’s where the cruelty connects directly to the equipment. So-called “action devices” are chains or textured rollers placed around the pastern that swing and slap with each step. On a sored leg, these devices aggravate the inflamed tissue, reminding the horse with every movement to pick up its feet faster and higher to escape the pain. Do horses feel pain in their hooves? They do—hooves are richly innervated, and painful stimuli are quickly recognized by the nervous system. It’s a vicious cycle: the soring creates sensitivity, and the chains exploit it. The metallic jingle in the barn aisle used to signal “show horse” to me, but now I hear it and think only of the constant, low-grade agony it represents for the animal.

Laws, Rules, and Ongoing Challenges

The Horse Protection Act and USDA Oversight

Back in 1970, the federal government said “no more” to the deliberate infliction of pain for a flashy gait with the Horse Protection Act. This law makes soring—using chemicals, devices, or training methods to hurt a horse’s legs and force that high step—a federal crime. The law exists because, as I’ve seen with sensitive souls like Luna, a horse’s reaction to pain isn’t always a dramatic rear; sometimes it’s a subtle flinch or a reluctance to move, and that deserves protection. Enforcement relies on a two-tiered system: USDA inspectors and Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs). This federal law complements state-specific animal cruelty laws for horses to provide a broader protection framework.

USDA inspectors are federal agents who can pop in at shows. DQPs are private inspectors, often hired by the shows themselves, trained and licensed by the USDA to perform exams. Think of it like this: having a DQP is meant to be a first line of defense, like me doing a daily hoof-check on all the boarders before a ride, but the USDA holds the ultimate authority for surprise audits.

Current Legal Battles and Enforcement Gaps

Despite the law, consistent enforcement is a persistent problem. The system has cracks you could drive a horse trailer through. Inspection protocols can vary wildly, and some trainers become adept at hiding evidence or timing soreness to avoid detection. The reliance on industry-funded DQPs creates a potential conflict of interest, where the person checking for violations might also be judging the class or friendly with the exhibitor. It’s a loophole that can leave horses vulnerable.

Legislative efforts like the PAST Act (Prevent All Soring Tactics) aim to shore up these weaknesses. This proposed law would ban the use of all action devices and heavy stacks of pads associated with soring, strengthen penalties, and end the DQP system in favor of independent inspectors. Progress is slow, but the ongoing push for the PAST Act shows that for every person looking for a loophole, there are ten of us in the barn aisle advocating for clearer, stronger rules.

Weighing the Arguments in the Controversy

Arguments Presented in Favor of the Big Lick

To understand the full picture, you have to listen to the other side of the ring. Proponents often frame their defense around a few key points, which I’ve heard debated at tack shops and shows.

• Tradition and Heritage: For some, the “Big Lick” is a deep-rooted cultural tradition, a passed-down art form within certain communities and families.
• Economic Engine: The circuit generates significant money for breeders, trainers, exhibitors, and related businesses in its regional strongholds.
• The “Humane” Claim: Some insist a visible, high-stepping gait can be achieved through “natural” talent, meticulous conditioning, and skilled shoeing without inflicting pain.

Presented neutrally, these arguments hinge on perspective, but from a welfare standpoint, they often clash with the physical reality of the horse. That distinction between a ‘good’ horse and a tired horse is central to turnout decisions. This connects to our exploration of debunking five exercise turnout myths.

The Animal Welfare Case Against the Practice

The veterinary and ethical case against soring is built on observable, tangible harm. It’s not about opinion; it’s about physiology. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) uniformly condemn the practice as inhumane.

Physically, soring creates chronic pain. Chemical burns, pressure sores from chains, and joint stress from abnormal locomotion are commonplace. I’ve treated hoof abscesses and tendon strains, and the idea of intentionally causing that level of distress to alter a gait turns every principle of care on its head. Many common horse health issues—hoof, tendon, and joint problems—reflect how anatomy and biomechanics bear weight and handle movement. Understanding whether these issues relate to a horse’s anatomy helps inform humane, preventive care. Psychologically, it breeds fear and anticipation of pain, damaging the trust between horse and human.

The core ethical conflict for any horse caregiver is this: our job is to alleviate suffering, not manufacture it for a ribbon. Watching my reliable old Rusty enjoy his turnout or seeing clever Pipin solve a puzzle for a carrot reminds me that a horse’s value isn’t in how high they can step, but in their soundness and spirit. Sometimes, we might even think we’re doing the right thing by pushing them a bit harder for that elusive win, but deep down, we know it contradicts the core ethical principles of horse welfare and ownership.

For the Horse Owner: Advocacy and Moving Forward

Knowledge is the first step toward change. As horse people, our duty of care extends beyond our own pasture gates.

Recognizing the Signs of a Sored Horse

Trust your eyes and your gut. A sound horse moves with fluid grace, but a sored horse tells a story of discomfort. Look for these signs, whether you’re visiting a barn or considering a purchase.

• Observed Pain in Movement: Watch the horse walk on a firm, level surface. A sored horse often exhibits a painfully exaggerated, high-stepping gait in the front to avoid placing weight on its tender heels. They may land toe-first or seem to “snatch” their feet up.
• The “Parked Out” Stance: At rest, the horse may constantly shift its weight off its front limbs. You might see it standing with its front feet stretched far out in front of its body, trying to relieve pressure from the sorest areas.
• Extreme Sensitivity to Touch: Run your hand down the front legs, over the pasterns and coronary bands. A flinch, a pulled-away leg, or a visible anxious reaction to gentle pressure is a major red flag. A happy horse dozes while you pick its feet; a sored one may not let you near them.
• Scarring and Physical Marks: Inspect the pasterns and ankles for bald spots, raw skin, or thickened, scarred tissue. Look for telltale signs of chemical burns or blisters that have been covered by hair grown back in.

If you see these signs, you are not being overly sensitive; you are witnessing a welfare issue that demands attention. Speaking up can be uncomfortable, but silence perpetuates the problem.

How to Support Ethical Horsemanship and Welfare Reform

Turning dismay into action is empowering. We can all be part of a better standard for the Tennessee Walking Horse.

• Educate Your Circle: Share what you know. When someone admires the “big lick” in a video, explain the hidden cost. Use clear, factual language about soring. I’ve had many enlightening chats at my own feed room, changing perspectives one person at a time.
• Support Enforcement and Advocacy Groups: Organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Horse Protection Association work tirelessly on lobbying, investigations, and public awareness. Donations and sharing their campaigns amplify their voice.
• Vote With Your Viewership and Participation: Choose to attend, watch, or compete in TWH divisions that celebrate the natural gait. The “Flat Shod” or “Performance Show Pleasure” divisions prohibit pads, chains, and excessive weight, allowing the horse’s true beauty and comfort to shine. Spectator dollars and show entries send a powerful market signal.
• Celebrate the Natural Horse: Actively promote and share content of Tennessee Walkers and other gaited horses excelling in trail riding, dressage, or pleasure showing without artificial enhancements. Show the world that soundness and talent are more impressive than forced spectacle.

Progress is measured by our collective choice to value the horse’s well-being over tradition for tradition’s sake. Every educated glance, every conversation, and every choice to support ethical treatment builds a stronger foundation for the future of all horses. That mindset also invites us to question common training rules that may stall progress. We’ll unpack and debunk 9 popular horse-training rules that often hinder genuine improvement while keeping welfare first.

FAQ: The Big Lick Horse Controversy

What is soring in horses?

Soring is the intentional infliction of pain on a horse’s legs, particularly the pasterns and heels, to force an exaggerated high-stepping gait. Common methods include applying chemical irritants like acids or using mechanical devices such as chains to create discomfort. This practice is universally condemned by veterinary associations as a severe welfare issue that leads to chronic pain and injury.

Why is the Big Lick controversial?

The Big Lick is controversial because it often relies on soring to achieve its extreme gait, directly harming horses for the sake of competition and tradition. It creates an ethical conflict between showcasing equine talent and upholding responsible horse care that prioritizes comfort and soundness. Many in the horse community view it as a violation of trust, where artificial spectacle overrides the animal’s natural movement and well-being.

What is the current legal status of soring?

Soring is illegal under the U.S. Horse Protection Act of 1970, which prohibits using pain-inducing methods to alter a horse’s gait for shows. However, enforcement remains challenging due to inconsistent inspections and industry resistance, with ongoing legislative efforts like the PAST Act seeking to ban associated devices and strengthen penalties. Horse owners should support these reforms to ensure clearer, more effective protection for all equines.

The True Mark of a Horseman

Let your horse’s soundness and demeanor guide your choices in the show ring or at home. Opt for training that celebrates natural movement and outright rejects any device or method that inflicts discomfort for the sake of a trophy. Pay close attention to their body language by understanding the signs of a happy horse.

Progress in horsemanship is measured in trust and well-being, not blue ribbons. Your most reliable gauge for any practice will always be the horse standing quietly in the cross-ties, so make his comfort your primary goal.

Further Reading & Sources

• r/Horses on Reddit: The Big Lick – and why hasn’t it been made illegal yet?
• The latest in our fight to end the ugly practice behind the ‘Big Lick’ | Humane World for Animals
• Soring – Wikipedia
• Exposed: The cruel reality of horse soring in Tennessee’s Walking Horse tradition | Humane World for Animals