Marlo save us all

If you ever see a horse wearing these padded 'shoes' (called stacks) on its feet, you are looking at an abused horse

Stacks are used in a riding discipline called padded performance, or more commonly known as big lick. In this discipline, the goal is to create as big and flashy of a walk as possible.

To get a big flashy walk, big lick trainers put weights on the horse's front feet (to make it lift the legs higher) and use action chains, which smack against the ankles every time the horse moves (making it lift the legs faster to try and escape from the painful chains). Though it's technically illegal, many trainers also use soring, where they rub mustard oil or kerosene onto the horse's ankles (to cause pain so it has a stronger reaction to the action chains). Soring is widely accepted in padded performance, and trainers will apply chemical irritants to their horses at shows, out in the open for everyone to see.

Horses naturally carry 60% of their body weight on the front legs. When the front legs are sore, they'll carry more weight on their hind legs, which causes rapid joint degeneration. It's not unheard of for retired big lick horses to have completely deformed hind legs

There is no ethical way to do padded performance. Big lick riders will talk about how stacks don't cause issues (often citing one study that looked at padded horses slowly walking on a treadmill without rider), how soring is illegal, how hard-working their farriers are, how closely they work with veterinarians, how their horses live like kings, how beloved their horses are, etc., but it's all talk.

If you see a horse with stacks, you are looking at an abused horse.

I'll add a few relevant videos under the cut (from least to most graphic)

trying to get back into drawing by being more sketchy and less perfect !!

most inspired i have felt in weeks

it is a huge 17776/20020 inspired road trip across the entire united states, from a burger king in livermore, california, to the statue of liberty in new york city.

i am very much NOT in a position to go on this trip any time soon, but hey, a creature can dream, and if anyone out there wants to check it out then that would make me very happy. maybe one day in the future (hopefully not as far as 17776!) i can gather some of my fellow 17776 fans and we can go on this huge trip together!

here are the locations i've got on it (from left to right)

the burger king lacrecia probably went to

the bulb!

the place where nick and manny did their run across the desert

the place where game 96249 is stuck

the location of game 27

the building nancy finds that is made entirely of sidewalk

the forgotten lawn

eddie krieger's cave

the location of the locomotive lateral (MAN is that fun to say)

the air and space museum! not exactly explicitly 17776 related, but it has the REAL Ten at it (her flight spare, technically). I went to go visit her recently and it's super fun!

the statue of liberty

the mural from the new york chapter

there is clearly something Wrong and Fucked Up with this one. therefore i am now in love with them

^tagged by @soctherapy but the post was getting too long

this isnt a win for me.......

Honestly, not the worst thing to happen.

Well that’s not great. It could be a lot worse though.

Could be worse

YESSSS

I mean im certainly not complaining look at this man

Specifically Rocky Rickabys tail

I needed it for a reference lol

IM FUCKING CRYING

I CAN FIX HIM FS FS (I can't) THIS IS A WINNN

Doctor Gregory House as a flower. Honestly I don't know what this means for me.

GLADLY

would rather not....