First, I would like to express to all at Horse & Rider what a wonderful publication. I have been a subscriber for many years, and in the horse world for many years, and you always seem to come up with something useful in every issue. For that, Thank You. Unfortunatley you are going to be "spot-lighting" Mr. Cleve Wells in your up coming issue. There may be many subcsribers that will be very interested in what Mr. Wells has to say. I am not. Pending the current circumstances surrounding him at this time, I am very surprised that you will be using him as an authority on the basic skills every horse should have. I will not be reading that issue. Just thought you would like to know this, and I am sure there are a few others out there that are more than a little upset about the up coming issue.

Thank you for your concern about the article announced in our February issue.

I am very glad to hear this given the condition of some clients horses! 

This whole Cleve Wells mess makes me very sad.  I cried when I saw the pictures of the horse in question.  I'm so scared there are others out there suffering like this.

It’s so horrifying what people considered “leaders” in an industry can do behind closed doors. Kudos to H&R for taking necessary action! Hopefully, he (along with others like him) will be punished for his actions, in this world and the next...

Thank you so much for your suspending this article on this particular issue.  I have witnessed firsthand what this man can do to a horse, having seen him rip the hide off both sides of a horse at a QH show MANY years ago (and CONTINUE to ride the horse!), and by the time we could get management involved (very slow in responding), the horse was gone.  I've been haunted with those memories for years, and now I can finally speak up about what I witnessed, also.  I am more than proud of the owners of this horse for sticking to their guns and bringing a criminal case against this man.  It has been a LONG time coming, and God bless them for having the strength and courage to see this through.  CWilcox

Juli 

I am apalled at this responce and will pull my subscription to your magazine. I will also inform everyone I know of this decision and I am sure subscriptions will be cancelled.

Since when do we make harsh judgments without knowing the facts?

There is no excuse for a magazine like this announcing to pull a contributor when only one side of the story comes out on the Internet as gossip and opinion.

 

 

I see that everyone here has Mr Wells tried and convicted because some people have posted an Internet campaign to pubicly ruin his business before he has ever had a hearing.

While I want all horse abusers punished, I also believe in the American ideal of Innocent until provern quilty.

By not publishing Mr wells article, you seem to be saying he is quilty of horse abuse and following the herd of  Internet sheep.

I would have hoped more from this magazine and that is why I will no longer purchase it. 

You may find the information on this website to be helpful understanding a persons rights under the law in a case like this.  http://www.equinelegalsolutions.com/blog.html

Susan J Schwab

Schwab Quarter Horses

Ooo, looks like some of the minions have showed up....

I applaud the moral leadership shown by the Horse & Rider staff regarding this matter.

On the gohorseshow site, in his On the Cart interview with Ted Turner, Troy Compton said:

"TC: This deal is going to get big.

TC: AQHA has got to start making a stronger stand on policing it. They’ve got to. We’ve got to start policing ourselves and this is going to have to boil down to that."

------- 

The one gentleman in question is not an isolated case, unfortunately, and Mr. Compton is correct, the trainer community must start policing itself 

Lil Peck / Kansas

Schwab:

I see that everyone here has Mr Wells tried and convicted because some people have posted an Internet campaign to pubicly ruin his business before he has ever had a hearing.

While I want all horse abusers punished, I also believe in the American ideal of Innocent until provern quilty.

By not publishing Mr wells article, you seem to be saying he is quilty of horse abuse and following the herd of  Internet sheep.

nikelodeon79:

Mr. Wells is accused of abuse of horses.  Horse & Rider is a magazine that promotes healthy relationships with horses.  There is absolutely no reason why he shouldn't be put "on leave" as a writer in their magazine until after this mess has come to a conclusion.  I support H&R's decision wholeheartedly.

I, too, believe in INNOCENT until proven GUILTY (Sorry, I had it posted backwards before.  Please, excuse my blunder.).  But as someone pointed out, other professions suspend people until the courts have a chance to weigh the matter legally.  I certainly wouldn't want someone accused of child abuse dealing with my child and I woudn't want someone accused of animal abuse training my animal.

Further, I believe that Horse and Rider has made a reasonable and responsible move to pull Mr. Wells article until the matter is clear up, one way or another.  After all they are responsible for the information that they bring to their subscribers.  Being aware of a possible problem, they really have no other alternative.

 nikelodeon79

 Please show me when his trial is supposed to happen? Please show me where it says a hearing with the PHA is anything but a hearing.

The only accusations I see are on the internet, with evidence put forth by someone I have never heard of or ever seen.