two cowboys riding on arena

One of these Reining Professional Trainers is a convicted horse abuser?

Do you know who? Would you know if any of the Reining Professional Trainers have records for convicted horse abusers or NRHA reports for horse abuse?

Right now, there is a person who is a repetitive horse abuser, charged in a court of law in recent years, is promoting his status as an NRHA Professional.

At the court hearing for horse abuse, witnesses came forward and told how they had seen this man over a number of different incidents, over time, cause harm and severe distress to horses on his property, even leaving them tied high without food and water for extended periods of time. The horse in question showed severely gauged and blooded horse sides and mouth photos were sickening. Evidence from other horses were presented. He pleaded guilty to four counts of horse abuse.

That man now struts around promoting the badge of honor of being an NRHA Professional. He has a shiny website and a FaceBook page that tells a great story. He has the videos and all the trimmings. You would think you are booking your horse into one of the safest barns because he is an NRHA Professional. A highly promoted standard of the NRHA.

He appears at shows, and you could be unaware of his track record for abuse as only those in the inner circle may know, and they do not speak ill of their ‘family’. It is like horrible Uncle Bill, knowing he commits domestic violence but no one interferes with many excuses as to why.

His fellow trainers and NRHA Professionals are slapping him on the back saying what a good man he is, knowing full well of his history. Probably thinks it is a shame he got caught. They welcome him and join him in the festivities before, during and after the shows.

Is a convicted multiple time horse abuser the standard of horse management they accept in the NRHA? 

With first-hand knowledge of this person and his conviction, the NRHA has approved his membership, and he has passed the litmus test of the board being ‘a person in good standing.’ They have even gone on to approve his membership as an NRHA Professional Trainer.

Here is his handy work on a horse he was entrusted with to train and severely abused including a torn tongue and bleeding mouth. Is this how you train a reining horse?

The question is “how many other horse abusers are out there promoting themselves as NRHA Professionals or Reining Professionals and the public are not being informed?”

How do you find out who it is? All the trainers and die-hard reining enthusiasts chasing the lights, stick together and keep those skeletons hidden behind barn doors.

In fact, many equine victims and their owners are hunted off to the abyss away from the sport to remove all evidence as though they committed the crime, not the trainer. We have many tales posted by the public of the horrific suffering that left the sport. Some NRHA members doing everything they can to deflect and whitewash the fact ‘a convicted horse abuser is accepted as an a-ok trainer for reining horses’. They even attempt to deny abuse is occurring and have become online trolls attempting to gang bash anyone who makes a comment about concern for reiners.

Times have changed and these barbaric practices and guarding of the guilty are over. Society no longer accepts this attitude and any association or its members supporting such practices is as guilty as those who commit the abuse. Those bad apples need to be ejected from the sport, whether they are on the board of directors or in a barn out west.

Please click here and vote for change and improved transparency and accountability of reining trainers. The poll now closed.

Wondered who it is and can’t find out elsewhere, click on the image.

©2017 Reining Trainers Enigma. All Rights Reserved

17 replies
  1. Rebecca Smyth
    Rebecca Smyth says:

    Not surprising and down right sickening. This sport has become one of the cruelest sports and everyone just keeps turning a blind eye. Are the people that sick for attention they can discard their horses to fulfil their personal ambition. Owners, Trainers and the Board are all equally as bad as each other

    Reply
    • Dan Knowles
      Dan Knowles says:

      Its all about the check book with the NRHA. They shudder with excitment any time someone opens up and hands them a check and they give them a free pass to do whatever they want. Horses are the least of their concern as long as the circus keeps rolling into town for the futurity that is their deal. This guys cousin is probably on the board for all we know.

      Reply
    • Suzanna Leaoti
      Suzanna Leaoti says:

      Too true. I don’t see Uncle Bill standing up against his brothers any time soon.Its an old boys club like the Tennessee Walking horse. They actually believe their own BS when they justify abuse.

      Reply
    • Ellen B
      Ellen B says:

      My husband and I come from ranching families and have bred, raised and worked with horses all our lives. We visited at the derby show and were appalled at what we saw behind the scenes. These people have no respect for their horses and just fools playing cowboy chasing money. Strutting around like madonnas with young fools that have never seen a working horse gullible to their every word. The horses are machines to them. My father has booted cowboys off the ranch for treating horses with such contempt and disrespect. The people have no measure of horse abuse as its all they see in front of their eyes. We left heart broken and disappointed for the horses. Keep your fight going on this site to help them.

      Reply
  2. Carla Menzies
    Carla Menzies says:

    What morals does this association have? What morals to the owners and trainers have? The people that support this cruelty are as guilty as the one’s abusing them. I am sick of reading on FB my horse has a great life – locked in a box 24 hours a day, ridden for 30 minutes being belted every time they put a foot wrong is not a life. That is mental and physical abuse. A pyschologist would have a field day with this “Family”.

    Reply
    • Geraldine Pierra
      Geraldine Pierra says:

      Carla – their top reining horse Gunner is both deaf and dumb. He sires deaf horses What that hell are these people breeding serious faults like that. The dumb is supposed to be a winning trait that the trainers look for. They must submit quicker. They need a team of psychologists not just one

      Reply
  3. Patricia Schweikart
    Patricia Schweikart says:

    Where are the authorities who oversee this sport. What about AHSA. Are they no longer the ultimate authority. This is disgraceful and inhumane. They must be stopped.

    Reply
    • Animal Welfare
      Animal Welfare says:

      It is managed by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). They are accountable to no other horse authority.

      Reply
  4. Chris Puckeridge
    Chris Puckeridge says:

    I am speechless. I read the comments on FB share and are galled by the attitude of what are clearly reining horse riders. This is inexcusable abuse and as if you would ever trust that piece of trash near a horse again. Shame on you all I say thinking there is nothing wrong with this.

    Reply
    • Suzanne Cox
      Suzanne Cox says:

      I know how you feel Chris. I saw the comments and thought it was a sham article but decided to click through.OMG people – who the hell would support this pig being near a horse is deranged. The patheticness of clearly reining people supporitng this guy on FB shows people who have no morals or love of horses on any level. Who would risk their horse near him. Where is the Psychologist- their book will fill for the year???

      Reply
  5. Steph Merrel
    Steph Merrel says:

    Why is there no register for these bastards to warn all horse people. I cannot believe anyone would think it is OKay for him to be a trainer – he never was one to do this. Shows how much abuse there is that they think is acceptable. My god, pray for them for all.

    Reply
  6. Doreen
    Doreen says:

    Everyone that is commenting in this article or in the comment section that knows the names of the identities of the abusing individuals and are not disclosing those names are as guilty of the ongoing abuses as the ones doing it. What’s with all the disgust yet secrecy

    Reply
    • Animal Welfare
      Animal Welfare says:

      The article has the link to the original blog where we outed him with the information and the persons name and locaton. Click on the image. The person is not being kept secret at all. No-one is supporting abuse in their comments on this web-page.

      Reply
  7. Ray Gomez
    Ray Gomez says:

    Ellen your right. They are so good they hide it to the averge joe visiting their barn. They are slick talkers and like magicians destracting people from what they doing. Dropped by a top barn with friend and could not believe the harm being done to those horses and I not tree-hugger. I work on a ranch. Horsemans my aunt.

    Reply
  8. ted kuczynski
    ted kuczynski says:

    Its a disaster! I just had to pull two head from a trainer in PA. If you want to see real reining horse abuse go to campbell hall NY.!!
    I am so over the NRHA and this club of sponsors and cheaters taking every red cent they can get from the membership.

    Reply

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