Walking horse trainer faces state charges of horse cruelty

A grand jury inwards Tennessee has indicted 4 people suspected of animate existence cruelty allegedly involving the soring of Tennessee walking horses.

One of those indicted is Maryville-based walking Equus caballus trainer Larry Joe Wheelon, who had a felony accuse of Equus caballus abuse dismissed on a technicality terminal August.

The terra firma charges that Wheelon together with iii others similar a shot expression upwardly arise from the same circumstances.

Soring is the human activity of applying acid or other caustic substances to strength horses to perform the high-stepping “Big Lick” gait together with thence desired inwards unopen to facets of the walking Equus caballus industry.

The grand jury indicted Wheelon, together with iii other Tennessee men, Randall Stacy Gunter, of Louisville, Brandon Lunsford, of Walland, together with farrier Blake Tanner Primm, of Sevierville.

The indictment covered 17 counts inwards all, alleging aggravated cruelty to livestock animals together with conspiracy to commit that cruelty to animals.

Wheelon, Gunter together with Lunsford are defendant of abusing xvi horses named inwards the indictments. Primm is named inwards the illustration of entirely i horse.

The Humane Society of the US applauded the Blount County Sheriff’s Office together with Tennessee prosecutors for its investigation inwards the case, centering on a Maryville grooming barn used past times Wheelon.

The society’s Tennessee terra firma director, Leighann McCollum, said: “Anyone complicit inwards the depraved do of soring should hold upwardly held accountable — including owners who may convey knowingly position their horses inwards the hands of abusers.

“We are grateful for the persistence of the government inwards Blount County on this case, together with nosotros encourage them to croak on aggressively investigating anyone who participated inwards these vicious together with illegal practices.”

The Performance Show Horse Association said it was aware of the indictment against Wheelon.

“We convey non reviewed the charges against Mr Wheelon together with at this fourth dimension experience it is entirely fair that nosotros allow the judicial procedure to play out completely before commenting further,” it said inwards a statement.

The association noted that the charges against Wheelon were non violations of the federal Horse Protection Act simply rather terra firma charges of animate existence cruelty.

It said it supported the laws of Tennessee together with condemned whatsoever activity that violated laws regarding animate existence cruelty.

“The overwhelming bulk of Tennessee Walking Horses are treated alongside the highest score of attending together with assist from owners, trainers, riders together with those who honey this breed.”

It said the breed, along alongside a handful of others, were existence targeted for “virtual competitive extinction” past times supporters of HR 1518, a federal mouth aimed at tighter regulations together with tougher penalties inwards the walking Equus caballus industry,

Wheelon walked gratis from a Tennessee courtroom inwards August after a felony animate existence cruelty accuse involving alleged soring was dismissed after a procedural employment meant a crucial witness could non testify.

Judge Robert Headrick dismissed the accuse after ruling that a fundamental witness, US Department of Agriculture veterinary medical officeholder Dr Bart Sutherland, would non hold upwardly allowed to give evidence.

Sutherland, who undertook the assessment of soreness on horses seized from Wheelon’s stables, had flown inwards from out-of-state to give evidence inwards the case, existence heard inwards Blount County.

In an apparent procedural mistake past times a federal agent, Sutherland was ushered into courtroom together with sat for xxx minutes piece evidence was existence given.

Judge Headrick had before ordered that upcoming witnesses hold upwardly excluded from the courtroom.

When Sutherland was called to give evidence, Wheelon’s counsel, Rob White, lodged an objection, together with the gauge ruled that the veterinary could non testify.

This meant Blount County Assistant District Attorney Ellen Berez could non create evidence of the essay results on She’s Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Sweeper, the Equus caballus Wheelon was charged alongside abusing.

The prosecution illustration closed shortly after together with White asked that the accuse hold upwardly dismissed for lack of evidence.

Headrick, inwards dismissing the felony count, said: “There may hold upwardly evidence out there, simply I tin entirely dominion on what I convey before me. I convey no other alternative simply to grant Mr White’s motion to sack the charge.”

Arrangements were afterward made for the provide of nineteen horses removed from Wheelon’s Blount County stable inwards a raid inwards mid-April. Most were owned past times others who had engaged the services of Wheelon for training.

The ongoing assist of the animals before the charge’s dismissal had been arranged past times the Humane Society of the United States.

The 4 men named inwards this week’s indictment are scheduled to seem inwards courtroom on Monday.

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