Comment from Jerry Harris

It is easy to point the finger at the Walking Horse and talk about the past but that helps nothing. The USDA doesn't look at these horses through a trained eye but through an eye that has been convinced by groups with an agenda like the hsus and others. A well known USDA VMO who was know for his tough inspections told the Trainers how great our horse looked and how much they had improved only to hear 5 minutes later from another USDA employee who will not even inspect a horse that they had failed to improve. Which one is right. You have a VMO inspects a horse and talks about how great he looks and 5 minutes later the horse comes back through inspection and the same VMO gives him a 2 foot scar rule ticket. A VMO turns down a horse because of scars and 15 minutes later passes the same horse. Is this a problem with the Walking Horse or the inspection process and training of the VMOs. In order to fix a problem you must address the whole problem and so far this has not been done simply because the USDA spends too many hours listening to people with an agenda to raise money and the Walking Horse has become the cash cow through untrue statements. The SHOW HIO has done more to enforce the HPA in 2 years than the USDA has in 40. To correct the problem you must correct the whole problem and in 40 years. You have to know when a horse is worked he will show signs of being worked. Just as the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse show signs of being worked so does the Walking Horse but the WH is said to be abused. I'm not trying to point the finger at any other breed I'm just saying if the Walking Horse was treated with the same respect most of our problems would be gone. We would still be like other breeds and have those that would try to beat the rules but as long as the human factor is involved it will remain. My suggestion is believe what your eyes see and stop listening to those that would have you believe every Walking Hores is abused which makes the USDA part of the lie