I would never use these things on an animal.

Pinch collars. I hate those collars. People say, "Oh, it doesn't hurt! Put it on your arm and see!"

Try putting that monstrosity around your neck.

These chokers don't work and they look awful for the dog. There's no way these collars are comfortable.

Did I mention they don't work? I've seen big dogs in pet stores with them, yet they still pull. I've even seen some people jerk the leash when the dog pulls.

Here's some food for thought, dickwad. Why don't you try a head collar or harness that's designed to stop pulling? They work much better and are a lot more humane. You could also try some obedience classes. Using those chokers only shows that you never bothered to properly train your dog and/or you have no idea what you're doing.

#2: Lip chaining.
If you need to lip chain a horse, it shows that you've done a crapass job of training your horse and/or you have no clue what you're doing. ( Are we seeing a pattern?)

I've seen this a lot on Thoroughbreds and Arabians, which makes sense because they're both known for being high-strung. I've never ever needed anything more than a halter and lead rope to lead any TB or Arab. If you're a good horseman, you don't need a lip chain. Most decent horse people don't need chains at all.

The only time I ever use a chain is when I'm deworming Norman, and it's the traditional stock breed show method that goes under the jaw. He hates his dewormer... lol He runs when he sees me coming with that syringe. XD

I firmly believe that no one should need a chain to simply lead a horse. Now, I'm not gonna call you evil if you use the under-the-jaw or around-the-nose method, but shame on you if you use a lip chain!

Have you noticed how many big time race horses are seen like that? The dumbass trainers teach them to break out of the gate and run with all their weight on the forhand, but apparently not to lead nicely. Ground manners are the most basic skill a horse learns! You can't do anything with a horse if they have no ground manners.

I'm really impressed when I see someone leading a stallion with a normal halter and a loose lead. You imediately know that the handler knows what he's doing and the horse has been well trained.

Chains in a horse's mouth is never appropriate. It's invasive in such a sensitive area, and it reflects bad horsemanship. That's the horse's mouth! I doubt they enjoy a chain wedged in their gums. That's an excellent way to hurt them.

These bits scare the shit outa me. Particularly the last two. Nobody should ever need to use a bit like that. If your horse has a strong mouth, you can use a leverage bit with a smooth mouthpiece and still have control. I use a kimberwick for Vic and he goes perfectly in it. I hate corkscrews. I would never use a bit like that on any horse. Why not use a smooth bit with a curb chain? You still have leverage and it's more comfortable for the horse. I understand some horses need a harsher bit, but there's a line to be drawn. If you wouldn't put it in your own mouth, don't put it in your horse's!

#3. That SOB Cleve Wells and his weapon-like line of equipment.

WTF is that? It kinda looks like some Chinese torture device.

What kind of trainer is he if he sells bits like this? If he's half the trainer he claims to be, he should be able to ride a horse in a plain curb or snaffle. It makes it worse when you see how he rides. Jerking the reins like a moronic idiot. Have you noticed that every horse he rides has its ears back and tail swishing?

If you look on his site, he's even got solid metal curb straps and corkscrew snaffles.

Look how thin that is! That's a nasty bit. Someone needs to strap that into Wells' mouth and start yanking away, the same way he does to the horses. This bit is currently out of stock, which means people are buying them up like crazy. I pity the those peoples' horses.


And that's not all, folks! You can get your very own torture kit for the unbelievable price of $650.80! It must be a good deal if Cleve Wells says it is, right? He is a proffessional trainer, after all!

These are the kinds of things that give Western pleasure a bad rap. I don't even want to get into the shit they do to those horses. It's all about winning. They want their stupid little ribbons and belt buckles and don't care how they obtain them. They bit up and use spear-like spurs as a cheap way of making the horse look soft.

I love Prince of Wales spurs. They give you that extra pressure you need for less obedient or more-whoa-than-go horses. It's not easy to hurt a horse with those. You should never use any spurs excessively because the horse can eventually become desensitized to them. They're only to be used as a reminder.

But do you really think people always use them the way they're intended? Western spurs are meant to be rolled, not jabbed, but all too often people abuse them. I've seen horses with their sides torn up from western spurs.

I have no problem with gentle spurs that are used correctly. Sadly, there's a lot of spur abuse in the show ring. Particularly western.

Lastly, a note on the Big Lick discipline. This is probably one of the most controversial topics in the horse world. I'm one of the people who hates it. The pads, the chains, the bits. I hate it all. The gait is not natural for the horse. If it was natural, you'd see them doing it out in the pasture all the time and they wouldn't need the pads or chains. Soring is a consistent problem as well.

You can't watch this video and think that doesn't hurt the horse. It looks unbalanced and uncomfortable, not to mention the rider's atrocious posture.

More big lick horror. And even more. This is video proof and people still deny it. They're caught on camera torturing horses and they continue to insist it doesn't happen.

Moreover, the whole thing is just hideous. The gate is ugly and makes the horse look lame. They call it "enhanced". Yeah, artificially enhanced. Or better yet, artificially ruined.
This happens all the time in the Big Lick show ring. It explains everything in the last video I mentioned. If a few horses are sored, it obviously gives them an "advantage" over the competition, so what do you think all the other competetors are going to do? Even up the odds. How many people in this industry do you think actually put their horse before that blue ribbon? They'll win by any means necessary. Soring is everywhere in this discipline.

People might say, "You don't see dressage horses doing the passage out in the pasture!"

Well, that's true. However, dressage doesn't push a horse's leg action past their natural range of motion. Their gaits aren't enhanced with anything. There's nothing fake about it. And if you look at a lot of dressage horses, most of them love what they do. Ears forward, mouth closed, throwing their effort into every step. Yes, there is mistreatment in dressage, as with any show discipline. But be serious. I haven't seen anything in dressage, jumping, or eventing that compares to the shit they do to TW's. When a lot people think of the Big Lick, they associate it with soring, chains, and generally paints a bad picture. Hence the word controversial.


One more thing! Tail extensions. They're everywhere. I have one question for people who use them: Why???

They're ugly, expensive, and totally obvious. You can see where the real hair ends and the extentions start. They don't move with the rest of the tail. They just hang there. The last show I went to, almost every horse had them. I think every western horse had them. Some were even different colors than the real tail. On one horse, you could actually see where it was tied in. The horse didn't like it, either. He kept fidgeting his tail. Poor guy. I hope he dumps his owner hard one day.


Okay, the last thing I wanted to point out goes back to dogs. Why do they make chihuahua-sized choke chains? Why in the world would anyone put a choker on a 10 pound dog? For shows, yes. But they're available in every pet store! I'm not a big advocate of chokers at all, but on little dogs? They've got delicate little necks! You know they have to breath, right? And they have vertebrae the circumference of your pinkie finger that need to stay intact in order for them to live? Good grief.

No Common sense. None.