Horses

In response to your article on the Tennessee walking horse (Metro, April 6), the injuring of feet and legs is just the tip of the iceberg.

I feel the major problem with this breed and the American Saddlebred is the cutting of the main muscle in the tail which renders the tail useless for its purpose of swatting flies. Because of the cut muscle the tail must be kept up in a tail-set harness. Once the muscle is cut it is a permanent thing, it doesn’t reattach.

The reason behind the cutting of the muscle and using a tail-set harness is that in the show ring the tail is held high which shows off the walking gait.

The issue of the cut tail muscle should be addressed along with the injuring of the feet and legs as it is so very cruel and such a useless practice.

As a horse owner and lover I cannot bear the thought of something like that being done to such magnificent animals.

DIANE BEESON

Camarillo