magnificent Tennessee walking horses owned by former President Lyndon B. Johnson.

There are, however, trainers and owners that will sacrifice the well being of these horses simply for the glory of the blue ribbon and silver cup.

A walking horse can be humanely trained to produce a gait which is known as a "running walk" but this is a long, slow process. Impatient trainers and owners found many years ago that the same effect could be artificially produced in a very short time by a relatively simple method-injuring the horse's front hooves so severely that the animal could not bear to walk on them.

In the beginning, this was accomplished by primitive methods, such as driving tacks into the quick of the hoof. This could probably best be compared with inserting bamboo shoots beneath the fingernails of a human being. These primitive measures are all but abandoned because of the fact that they are much too easy to detect.

Unscrupulous trainers of Tennessee walking horses have become extremely sophisticated in their methods of torture. Waited chains, sometimes with spikes, are placed over the animal's pasterns in the shadows of a stable. Painful wedges are driven between the horse's hoof and shoe and then covered with a material which make them all but impossible to detect. Painful burning chemicals are used in the pastern area-a method which could only be comparable with walking on hot coals.

The unknowing public watches these spirited and beautiful animals in the show ring, gliding along on their rear legs and throwing their forelegs high into the air with white boots flashing and admires the action. The public does not know, however, that the animals are gliding along on their rear legs because they can put weight on their forelegs only with excruciating agony, and that the flashing white boots covers man's cruel handiwork-cuts, wounds, scars, and often blood.

For many years now, The Humane Society of the United States has investigated and protested the treatment of Tennessee walking horses. Our investigations began as far back as 1957 and have continued to this date.

We have accumulated extensive files of complaints, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles concerning abusive and barbaric treatment of Tennessee walking horses. I do not want to burden this Committee with reams of repetitious material. We would welcome, however, any member of any one of your staffs at our office at 1145 19th Street, N.W. We would be happy to allow them free access to our files and to assign a secretary to work with them to accumulate any material which might be desired.

Our campaign was probably most intensive in 1960 when charges of cruelty to animals were brought against the owner of a Tennessee walking horse at a show in Lynchburg, Virginia. The owner was convicted of cruelty and the trainer, who was also charged with cruelty, forfeited his bond and never appeared for trial. The total fine was $25. Because of the limitations of time, I will not attempt to read them into the record, but, for the benefit of the Committee, attached to my testimony you will find two copies of notarized statements; one from a veterinarian, the other from a Lt. Commander in the Navy concerning this particular

case.

It has been impossible to control the abuse of these animals under state anticruelty laws because of the difficulty of examining the animals, and the difficulty of proving to a court the actual person who did the soring. You can well imagine that even though an animal might be discovered in a ring with blood running over its hooves, that it would be extremely difficult to prove whether the trainer, one of the stable boys, or the owner himself had inflicted the injury upon the horse. To further complicate investigations, humane society agents have been forcefully barred from stable areas and from horse show rings by the trainers and owners of Tennessee walking horses.

Even though the American Horse Show Association and the Tennessee Walking Horse Association have specific rules and regulations that bar the soring of walking horses and the use of some of the more painful devices, such as acid and certain weighted boots, it has been impossible for them to control the vicious cruelty that is inflicted upon these animals for the glory of their owners and for the entertainment of the public. It has also been impossible for local humane societies to control this cruelty on a local level.

S. 2543, the bill introduced by Senator Tydings, would accomplish a task that none of these organizations or humane associations have been able to do. The Department of Agriculture, with its intricate network of veterinarians in every

state of the country, would not only be the logical but would be the most effective enforcing agency.

In recent years, the problems that have plagued the United States have been many but the Congress of the United States has proved, along with dealing with the many problems that are faced by our peoples, that they are also interested in the welfare of the animals of the United States.

In 1958, the Federal Humane Slaughter Act was enacted and signed by President Eisenhower. In 1966, after many Congressional hearings, the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act was passed and signed by President Johnson. The time has come for the Congress to prove once again that, as well as being aware of the problems of people, they are aware of problems of animals and that this Congress will not put up with the cruel and vicious treatment of animals for entertainment. There is violence, brutality, and cruelty surrounding us today on every side. Favorable action by this Committee on Senator Tydings' bill, S. 2543, will prove to the people of the United States that this Congress is opposed to cruelty. The Humane Society of the United States sincerely hopes that this Committee will report favorably on Senator Tydings' bill.

Thank you for allowing me to appear before this Committee today. STATE OF VIRGINIA,

88

Lieutenant Commander Joseph Pavela, being duly sworn, deposes and says: 1. I hold the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, and am currently stationed in and about Washington, D.C. As an avocation, I am interested in Tennessee Walking Horses, and have owned, trained, shown and judged Walking Horses for a period of seven years. I am a member of the American Walking Horse Association, and currently hold the office of Vice President of the said Association; in addition, I am a member of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders Association and the American Horse Shows Association. I am a registered judge of Walking Horses with all three Associations, and have judged Walking Horse Classes at many horse shows in various parts of the country.

2. On and about the 30th day of April, 1960, Mrs. Pavela and I attended the Greater Lynchburg Horse Show, at Lynchburg, Virginia. At that time and place, in the forenoon of the said 30th day of April, I had a conversation with a man personally known to me as WADE STEPP, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At that time, Mr. STEPP showed me a certain black mare of Walking Horse Breeding, known as "Go Boy's Miss E", and stated to me that this mare was then sore as a result of a vesicant agent having been applied to the pastern area of her front legs, by some person whom Mr. STEPP did not definitely identify. I observed that the mare was obviously in pain stemming from the region of the front legs and feet, as evidenced by the fact that she laid back her ears, shifted from one front foot to the other when cross-tied in the barn, and stumbled when walking around the stable area. Further, she attempted to bite or strike when anyone approached her closely.

3. I later observed the same horse being shown on the evening of the same 30th day of April, 1960, at the said horse show, as an entry in the Walking Mares Class, Class No. 43, ridden by Mr. WADE STEPP, who wore on his back Horse Show Number 322. The said "Go Boy's Miss E" was, in her gaits during exhibition in the said class, exhibiting what is known to persons familiar with Walking Horses as a "sore lick", by which is meant an exaggerated and artificial gait ordinarily and usually produced by injuring or making sore the forelegs of a Tennessee Walking Horse, in such fashion as to cause it to imitate, as a result of such artificial soreness and lameness, the gait of outstanding Tennessee Walking Horses, although such "sore lick" is nevertheless clearly distinguishable from the true and natural gait of such horses. The said "Go Boy's Miss E" was performing, during the said class, such painful and artificial gait, moving with most of her weight carried on the hind legs, and abnormally "reaching” and "pointing" with the front legs and feet, thereby giving every indication of continued pain from the sore condition of her front legs and feet which Mr. STEPP had pointed out to me on the forenoon of this day, as above set forth.

4. At the same time and place aforesaid, I observed that the said "Go Boy's Miss E" was awarded the Blue Ribbon, indicating first place in the aforesaid class No. 43, by Mr. JOHN CRAWFORD, of Wartrace, Tennessee, the judge of the said class under the rules of the Greater Lynchburg Horse Show, although, as a fact of my direct observation, not only was "Go Boy's Miss E" exhibiting the "sore lick" above described, but there were other horses in the same class

which were performing in the manner of the true Tennessee Walking Horse, and were obviously not performing such "sore lick".

5. The above statements are true to my own knowledge, and I make them freely, and in the interest of substantial justice, without any inducement or hope of gain whatsoever. I had and have no interest, financial or otherwise, in any horse or matter connected with the said Greater Lynchburg Horse Show, and no prejudice or malice against any person concerned in the episode described, or in these proceedings. I submit this affidavit instead of appearing personally because my military duties make my personal attendance impossible.

JOSEPH PAVELA, LCDR. USN.

On this 11th day of June, 1960, before me personally appeared LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JOSEPH PAVELA, to me known and known to me to be the person herein referred to, and signed the same in my presence, making oath that the above-contained statements were true to his personal knowledge.

[SEAL]

My commission expires

County of Lee ss.:

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI,

Clayton Stephens, D.V.M., being duly sworn, deposes and says:

Notary Public.

1. I am a registered veterinarian, duly licensed to practice veterinary medicine, and a member in good standing of the American Veterinary Medical Association, as well as of other professional groups and societies. My home, and the location of my principal practice is Verona, Mississippi. I have for many years been familiar with the breeding, training, show, judging and treatment of Tennessee Walking Horses.

2. On and about the 30th day of April, 1960, I was present at The Greater Lynchburg Horse Show, in Lynchburg, Virginia, as special veterinary consultant to The Humane Society of the United States; and at that time and place I saw a certain black mare, which was subsequently identified to me as "Go Boy's Miss E", being ridden in the show ring by a man wearing Horse Show Number 322, and which individual I later found to be Wade Stepp, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At the time referred to, the said mare was being shown as a part of the Walking Mares Class of the said Horse Show, this being Class Number 43, as designated in the official program. By viewing the gait and manner of going of the said "Go Boy's Miss E", I was able to deduce that the said horse was sore and lame in the front feet, and in my opinion this fact would have been obvious to any person acquainted with the characteristics of Tennessee Walking Horses.

3. As the said "Go Boy's Miss E" left the show ring, as aforesaid, and at the special instance and request of representatives of the said Humane Society of the United States, I then and there made a veterinary examination of the front feet and legs of the said horse. I found that it was in fact sore and lame in both front feet and legs, to the point at which it was both highly painful and difficult for the horse to use its front legs, as a result of the application of an irritant or vesicant substance within the preceding twenty-four hours. In my professional opinion, the lameness of the said horse was neither natural nor accidental. Mr. Wade Stepp, who had just dismounted from the horse, and who identified himself as its trainer, under contract with Mr. A. E. Hauser, of Lynchburg, Virginia, the owner, stated in my presence and hearing, and in the presence and hearing of others, including Mrs. Paul M. Twyne and Mr. John M. Zucker, of the Humane Society of the United States, and Comdr. and Mrs. Joseph Pavela, persons then and there present, that the fact of lameness of the said horse was known to him, and that he believed that it had been deliberately induced by some person acting for the owner.

4. At the time when I made examination of the said "Go Boy's Miss E", Mr. Stepp was carrying a blue ribbon of the type commonly used to designate winners of a horse show class, and it was announced over the public address system, in my hearing, that the winner of Class No. 43, the Walking Mares class, was "Go Boy's Miss E", owned by Mr. A. E. Hauser of Lynchburg, Virginia, and ridden by Mr. Wade Stepp. To my personal knowledge, the judge of the aforesaid class, under the rules of the Greater Lynchburg Horse Show, was Mr. John Crawford, of Wartrace, Tennessee. I had previously been introduced to Mr. Crawford, and during the Walking Mares Class just referred to, I saw him in the show ring, judging the entries in the said class.

5. The above statements are true, to my own knowledge, and I make them freely, and in the interest of substantial justice, without any inducement or hope of gain. My fee for professional services at the said horse show has been paid by The Humane Society of the United States, and was in no way contingent upon any findings, or testimony I might give here or elsewhere. I have previously testified to this same effect, under oath, in a proceeding before the Magistrates Court of the City of Lynchburg, Virginia.

CLAYTON STEPHENS, D.V.M.

On this day of June, 1960, before me personally appeared Clayton Stephens, D.V.M., to me known and known to me to be the person herein referred to, and signed the same in my presence, making oath that the abovecontained statements were true to his personal knowledge.

[SEAL]

My commission expires

Notary Public.

Senator TYDINGS. Mrs. Pearl Twyne, president of the American Horse Protection Associtaion.

Mrs. Twyne, I think in the interests of expediency and completing the hearing, we will incorporate your statement in the record in its entirety. I would ask you to emphasize those points which are not repetitious.

I might say I am grateful to you for the efforts you have made in this whole area of protecting the Tennessee walking horse. You have done a great public service.

Would you please proceed?

STATEMENT OF MRS. PEARL TWYNE, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN HORSE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, D.C.; ACCOMPANIED BY BERNARD FENSTERWALD, JR., ATTORNEY AT LAW; DR. WILLIAM SHORT, DVM; MRS. WILLIAM L. BLUE; AND DR. WILLIAM R. PORTER, DVM

Mrs. TWYNE. I will eliminate this statement since it is a matter of record, and I will accent the things I think are terribly important. First I would like to say that it is impossible for these horses to be shown sore unless the show committees or the show officials cooperate with the exhibitors that want to sore horses.

I would like to say that these horses are sored by different devices, and I would like to have you see these chains and to have you feel them. These chains weigh over a pound, and they are placed over the pastern area.

These are black because lampblack has been used to hide the blood on the horses' feet. These chains are put on the pastern area and weigh over a pound, and they ride up and down on these blistered areas until you saw the horse outside. Those scars result from these chains.

We saw horses wearing these chains at the celebration. These are rollers, and these weigh over 2 pounds. Some of the trainers say that they do not "cut up" the feet as badly as these chains do.

If you would like, I would like you to feel how heavy these are. They weigh over 2 pounds and rub on the raw area.

We have oil of mustard which we bought at the Shelbyville show. It is on the open market; anyone can get it. They use this in burning the forefeet. And we have what they call "Reach," and it is advertised "to make a champion." This is a flesh-burning ointment that they use

on the horses. Then the chains are rubbed up and down. I would say that 90 percent of the horses we saw at Shelbyville were sore; and some of the horses were so sore that it was sickening to watch these horses

move.

I saw horses put one forefoot down and shiver and grunt and go back on their hocks. The trainer was not on the horse then. He would lead the horse forward and do this again, and he made this horse go-I don't know how many feet; about 20 or 30 feet. Then finally he got on the horse and started walking it. When the horse started moving, it was almost parallel with the ground in the back, it was so sore, which is contrary to its natural gait. The champion horse in the middle [indicating a photograph on a chartboard] is walking square; that is a good gait. But the other horses are down in the hocks and they are twisting their hocks like this, trying to take the weight off their sore feet.

I would like to say that, as a humane officer for the State of Virginia, I have attended numerous horse shows and it has been my experience that this soring results from cheap training methods and the indifference of the trainers, exhibitors, and the show officials.

The working of these sore horses is a violation of all the humane codes in every State in this country. However, the show committees ignore these violations of the various codes and make every effort to protect the exhibitor, at the expense of the tortured animals.

I have seen animals lying in their stalls with their feet rigidly thrust out, bleeding from the pasterns; and when I asked for permission to have my veterinarian examine the horses, the exhibitors refused and said they did not want to be incriminated.

I had one show veterinarian tell me that, if I had one of his exhibitors arrested for cruelty to animals, it would be his duty in supporting the show committee to testify against me, even though he knew the horse was sore.

I think the show committees and the show officials are the ones who are promoting this because they employ judges whom they know are sore-horse judges, and if they employed a clean horse judge, one who does not like the sore lick, there would be no exhibitors.

I have been to a hunter class and these classes are very strenuous. The horses are jumping and running but they are not sweating or panting or showing the distress that an ordinary walking horse shows when it goes around the ring three times. That horse's nostrils are flaring; he is profusely wet and showing every evidence of pain.

The American horse shows rules, the Tennessee walking horse rules, the State horse shows rules-they all have rules against this soring, and they are completely ignored when these horses are entered.

The trainers claim that they have organized and are trying to clean up the industry. But at the Shelbyville show I think I have seen some of the sorest horses I have seen in the 10 years that I have been interested in this kind of work. I do not think the trainers are trying to clean it up at all. I think that they are united; and most of them are the judges who help promote the soring.

Senator TYDINGS. You had an experience with the Washington International Horse Show last year, did you not? Mrs. TwYNE. Yes, I did.