After almost 2 decades being a member I’ve now lost all hope TWHBEA will act to their member’s requests by supporting the sound horse and to make an end to the horrible abuse in the Tennessee Walking Horses scene. During my first term as Director in 2003 I hoped to be able to change things from inside but without much luck. However, being a positive person, I remained my TWHBEA membership, understanding it might take some more time for a Tennessean organization to see and understand what people outside Tennessee and outside the continent see with much disgust. Even though this so called ‘Big Lick’ Performance horse might be a decade’s long tradition, that doesn’t automatically mean it is ok to hurt animals.
For the past years I tried to hold on to Thomas Paine his quote from 1776:
“a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”
More than once I believed things would change. If not from the inside (TWHBEA) than from the outside. By now the majority is for passing the PAST Act and still TWHBEA, the breeds registry, is not supporting the PAST Act. Is this how you listen to your members? How is it possible that 2 States out of 50 States in total can prevent a bill to pass? I hold you, TWHBEA, responsible for this, as well as Senator Mitch McConnell and Marsha Blackburn.
Still, I was hopeful to be able to change things from the inside. So I offered to run for Director of Region 1 again in 2014. At that time Region I included Europe excl. Germany + many other countries like Australia, New Zealand and more. Somehow Region 1 shrank to Europe excl. Germany only without any notice upfront nor explanation afterwards. With fear I watched this year’s Celebration and noticed the danger for sound horse people that had the strength to speak up. Tennessee no longer feels save when you have a strong voice for the sound horse. Then the change of By Laws, poorly explained to the members who have no clue about the impact of those changes. Again, you, TWHBEA, are responsible. The By Laws passed, another step backwards for the sound horse.
Meanwhile I have been chosen as Director and when thinking about planning my trip I realized Tennessee, the State with the beautiful flowing hills where I’ve felt so at home for decades, no longer feels the same. It is like entering enemy grounds, I feel ashamed being a member of an organization that doesn’t put any effort in ending the abuse in their own breed but keep supporting the people who harm those beautiful creatures. There was a time when TWHBEA was focusing on Europe as the market to export their horses to. Well, don’t bother anymore because you have ruined the market completely. Most European breeders already quit breeding or switched breeds. Game over! TWHBEA did this to itself. You were lucky you had so many devoted European breeders and natural walking horse enthusiasts who kept the business going several years longer.
To say I am disappointed in TWHBEA is an understatement. I can no longer watch this ‘freak show’ and no longer want to be part of it in any way. I will never give up on my horses but I did lose any hope for TWHBEA and I am pulling the plug.
Farewell.
Naturally,
Sandra van den Hof
www.pleasuregaits.com
Walking the way of the horse
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