VOICE Magazine Restricts Action Pictures
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The September 2010 issue of the VOICE magazine, Official Publication of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association, will not allow action pictures of padded Tennessee Walking Horses. Advertisers were not made aware of this restriction until it was reported by people who had their ads changed removing their action pictures.
This is a special issue designed to be distributed at the International Equestrian Festival being held at the same time as the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky.
The August issue of the VOICE was dominated by padded show horse advertising and was one of their largest issues of 2010. The October issue will reportedly feature padded show horses with coverage and advertising from the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.
Owners and trainers are being urged to contact TWHBEA officials with their objections to this policy change at the VOICE magazine. Several Executive Committee members are arranging a conference call of the committee to address this situation as well as the apparent endorsement by TWHBEA Executive Director Stan Butt of the recent petition filed with the USDA by several humane groups.
It appears the Executive Committee did not participate in these decisions nor were they informed by staff. This policy change has touched off a firestorm of e mails and chat room comments with most of those being highly critical of the magazine and Association.
The following e-mail captured the sentiments expressed in numerous others. "The VOICE and TWHBEA leadership is ashamed of our horse and is turning its back on the very group of members and advertisers who have kept the VOICE alive all these years with their advertising dollars. They will take our advertising money all year but leave us out of a special issue designed to promote ALL Tennessee Walking Horses in September. They have the perfect opportunity in this issue to promote and educate an international audience of horse lovers about our horse and leaving out the padded show horse is outrageous."
A number of individuals are discussing the industry producing its own special edition on the padded show horse and also distributing it during the World Equestrian Games and the International Equine Festival. They are calling for show horse owners to stop advertising in the VOICE and instead advertise in this special industry supported issue.