Check out this 8 minute educational clip telling about the soring of gaited horses and what people can do to stop this abusive practice.

Franklinville Girl Scouts'
Gold Award Project Goes Nation Wide!
By Lois Zendarski (09/26/2008)

Three Franklinville Girl Scouts have successfully completed their Gold Award project. The Gold Award is the highest nationally recognized award a Girl Scout can earn.

Ashley Schichtel, April Zendarski and Holly Zendarski of Senior Troop 44 in Franklinville, being interested in the welfare of horses, took on the problem of abuses in the gaited horse industry. The problem of soring, or treating a horse's hooves with caustic chemicals or using mechanical means to cause pain to a horse in order to enhance a horse’s gait has been going on for decades. The painful methods cause a horse to 'step more lively' or higher therefore winning more blue ribbons. The pain endured by the horses treated with such things as diesel fuels, acids, and chains is excrutiating.



The girls worked to help Friends of Sound Horses, Inc., (FOSH), (www.fosh.info), which is an organization dedicated to stopping these abusive practices. The girls met with FOSH President, Lori Northrup and came up with an idea for a Gold Award Project.

Two years in the making, and having done many pre-requisites, the girls produced an 8 minute educational DVD telling about the soring of gaited horses and what people can do to stop this abusive practice. The entire production was girl led and girl done encompassing the actual photography, script writing, learning movie making computer software and obtaining permission from various sources to use photographs, production and distribution.

Lori Northup, President of FOSH, said, “The Girl Scout Gold Award project “See it Through My Eyes” is a very moving, professional, and well-targeted presentation on the battle against soring. Soring is the cruel and illegal practice of using artificial means to enhance the high-stepping show gait often seen in Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited breeds. I was amazed at how concise and factual a job Holly, April and Ashley did covering this issue. Factual, and yet their presentation on the need to end this abuse will bring a tear to the eye of any animal-lover. Bravo!”

DVDs have been sent to Girl Scout councils around the United States where the problem of soring is most prevalent. They have received countless requests for their DVD.

The girls will be receiving their award at the Gold Award banquet in May of 2009.
Ashley Schichtel is the daughter of Gerald and Mary Schichtel. Ashley is a senior at Ten Broeck Academy in Frankinville. Ashley plans to attend college after graduation.

April and Holly Zendarski are the daughters of Theodore and Lois Ann Zendarski. Holly, a recent home school high school graduate, bridged to adult Girl Scouting this past June. Both she and April are students of Breyer State University, working on their Bachelor of Science degree in equine studies. April, along with college classes is also home schooled. Holly hopes to be a Parelli natural horsemanship trainer and April hopes to pursue a career in equine massage therapy and natural horsemanship training.

About the project, Holly tells us, "It's been an interesting journey to experience!" April said she is glad they chose this subject. “It is something that everyone needs to know about, even those who are not horse owners. It’s just that important!”