Walk into a major horse show in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and the first thing you’ll notice isn't the smell of hay. It’s the sound. A rhythmic, heavy clack-clack-clack that echoes against the dirt. This is the world of big lick Tennessee Walking Horses, a subculture of the equestrian world that is as visually stunning to some as it is horrifying to others.
The movement is undeniable. You see a horse sitting back on its haunches, front legs flinging toward the sky in a high-stepping arc that seems to defy physics. It’s called the "Big Lick." To the fans in the stands, it is the pinnacle of grace and power. To animal rights activists and many veterinarians, it’s a spectacle built on a foundation of systemic pain.
What Exactly Is the Big Lick?
Basically, the Big Lick is an exaggerated version of the Tennessee Walking Horse’s natural four-beat running walk. While every Tennessee Walker has a smooth, gliding gait, the "Performance" division takes it to an extreme.
How do they get that height? It’s not just breeding.
These horses wear "stacks"—heavy, weighted pads made of plastic or leather that are strapped to their front hooves. Imagine walking around in six-inch platform shoes that weigh several pounds each. Then, add metal chains around the pasterns. These chains, often called action devices, strike the horse's skin as they move, encouraging them to lift their feet higher.
It’s a look. It’s a vibe. But it’s also the center of a decades-long legal war.
The Dark Shadow of Soring
You can’t talk about big lick Tennessee Walking Horses without talking about soring. This is the practice of applying caustic chemicals—think mustard oil, croton oil, or salicylic acid—to a horse's front legs. The goal is simple: make the skin so tender that when the chains hit, the horse flinches upward. That flinch creates the signature high-step.
It’s illegal. The Horse Protection Act of 1970 (HPA) was supposed to end this. Yet, here we are in 2026, and the battle between the USDA and the industry still rages.
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Honestly, the industry has tried to police itself, but the numbers often tell a different story. In some years, USDA inspectors find significantly higher violation rates than industry-appointed inspectors. This discrepancy has fueled a massive push for the PAST Act (Prevent All Soring Tactics), which aims to ban the stacks and chains entirely.
Some trainers argue that soring is a "few bad apples" problem. They’ll tell you that you can get the Big Lick through proper shoeing and training alone. Others, like former trainer Joe Landrum, have gone on the record describing how ingrained the practice was in the culture. It’s a messy, complicated rift that has split the Tennessee Walking Horse community in two: those who want the Big Lick and those who want a "flat shod" horse.
Why Do People Still Love It?
It's about the adrenaline.
If you’ve never stood ringside when a championship class of big lick Tennessee Walking Horses enters the arena, it’s hard to describe the energy. The horses are massive. The riders are dressed to the nines. The "Power Walk" makes the ground literally vibrate. For many families in Middle Tennessee and across the South, this isn't just a hobby; it’s a multi-generational heritage.
There’s also the money. A top-tier performance horse can fetch six figures. Breeding fees for a World Grand Champion are sky-high. When that much capital is on the line, people tend to fight tooth and nail to keep the status quo. They see the "stacks" as a tool, no different than a weighted bat for a baseball player or a specialized shoe for a sprinter.
But the optics are getting harder to defend.
The Science of the Stacks
Dr. Tracy Turner, a renowned equine veterinarian, has spent years studying the impact of these heavy shoes. The biomechanics are pretty brutal. When a horse wears stacks, the angle of the hoof is altered significantly. This puts immense strain on the deep digital flexor tendon.
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Think about it this way.
The horse is essentially "walking on its toes" while carrying extra weight. This leads to a higher incidence of laminitis and various hoof pathologies. Even without the chemical soring, the mechanical stress of the Big Lick is a point of major concern for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). Both organizations have called for a total ban on the use of action devices and performance packages.
The Great Divide: Performance vs. Flat Shod
Not every Tennessee Walking Horse is a Big Lick horse. In fact, the majority aren't.
There is a thriving community of "flat shod" riders who believe the horse’s natural gait is beautiful enough on its own. These horses wear standard horseshoes. They trail ride, they compete in "pleasure" classes, and they don't use chains.
The tension between these two groups is thick.
Flat shod advocates argue that the Big Lick ruins the reputation of the breed. They’re tired of people assuming every Tennessee Walker is being "sored." On the flip side, the performance crowd often views flat-shod horses as "boring" or lacking the "fire" that makes the breed special.
It’s a classic battle for the soul of a breed. Does the Tennessee Walking Horse belong to the people who want to preserve its natural utility, or to those who want to push it to its physical limits for the sake of the blue ribbon?
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What the Law Says Right Now
As of early 2026, the regulatory landscape is shifting. The USDA has recently moved to strengthen the Horse Protection Act regulations. The biggest change? Eliminating the industry's self-policing program. For years, Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs) were responsible for inspecting their own shows. Critics called it "the fox guarding the henhouse."
Now, the move is toward independent, USDA-trained inspectors.
This hasn't gone over well with the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration leadership. They’ve filed lawsuits. They’ve lobbied Congress. They claim these regulations will "kill the industry." But for many observers, it's a long-overdue step toward transparency.
Looking for a Big Lick Horse? Here’s What to Know
If you are entering the world of Tennessee Walkers, you need to be an informed consumer. Whether you support the performance division or not, understanding the health implications is vital.
- Check the scars. Look for "scurfing" or hair loss on the pasterns. This is often a sign of past soring.
- Observe the gait without the gear. A truly talented horse should have a rhythmic four-beat walk even when barefoot or lightly shod.
- Ask for the vet records. Specifically, look for treatments for hoof pain or "sensitivity."
- Understand the maintenance. Keeping a horse in stacks is expensive and labor-intensive. It requires a specialized farrier and constant monitoring to prevent infection under the pads.
The Big Lick isn't going away tomorrow. It has survived fifty years of controversy and federal oversight. But the world is changing. Public sentiment toward animal welfare in sports is shifting—just look at what happened with the circus industry or Greyhound racing.
The big lick Tennessee Walking Horses remain the flashy, high-octane stars of the show ring, but their future depends entirely on whether the industry can prove that the "lick" can exist without the pain.
Actionable Steps for Horse Enthusiasts
- Educate yourself on the HPA: Read the full text of the Horse Protection Act to understand what is legally defined as soring. Knowledge is your best tool at a horse show.
- Support Flat Shod Organizations: If you want to see the breed thrive without the controversy, look into the Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH). They promote natural gaits and sound training methods.
- Attend a "Sound" Show: Go to a show that doesn't allow stacks or chains. See the difference in the horses' demeanors and the atmosphere of the event.
- Speak Up to Your Representatives: If you feel strongly about the PAST Act or USDA regulations, let your voice be heard. Legislative change in the horse world happens slowly, but it does happen.
- Prioritize Soundness Over Ribbons: If you’re a buyer, refuse to purchase horses with a history of soring violations. Market demand is the fastest way to change industry behavior.