3 Plead Not Guilty to Harming Horse

A veterinarian, a horse trainer and a horse owner each pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that they injected a show horse’s tail with alcohol to keep it still during an exhibition.

Veterinarian James Johnson Rushing, 52, of Jackson, Wyo., owner Frederick Scott Johnson, 30, of Burbank, and trainer Michael Dunn, 30, of Burbank face misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and mutilation. Each could face up to a year in jail if convicted.

Rushing, who has practices in California, Arizona, and Wyoming, could lose his licenses in each state if convicted, according to the Los Angeles city attorney’s office.

The men are accused of deadening the tail of a $25,000 show horse named Michelle, said Deputy City Atty. Don Cocek.

The illegal practice, called “tail-blocking,” is supposed to numb a horse’s tail so it appears better-behaved to judges, Cocek said. In this case, Michelle’s tail suffered permanent damage, he said, leading to the mutilation charge.

“It’s the dirty little secret of the horse-show business,” Cocek said. “It’s a practice that isn’t done openly because it’s unethical to alter a horse for a competition. We don’t have anyone in this case disputing the fact that [tail-blocking] was done.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled May 19.