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FOX's Neil Cavuto smacks MSNBC, sticks up for Ann Romney (VIDEO)

By April MacIntyre Jun 21, 2012, 14:25 GMT

Ann Romney, Mitt Romney, Donald Trump - Donald Trump © PRN / PR Photos

Fox news reporter Neil Cavuto addresses the media buzz around Ann Romney’s horse therapy for her MS symptoms.

This is a very personal topic to Cavuto who also suffers from MS. Although he doesn’t use such equine treatments himself he is saying that critics should have more common sense before they speak out on dealing with day-to-day battles and symptoms that they do not have.

Transcript courtesy of FBN:

“Finally you know, I promised myself, I promised myself, Neil do not get involved in this one, Neil just butt out, that defending Ann Romney and this latest attack on her riding horses to deal with her multiple sclerosis would look too self-serving. That because I have MS my comments might be taken with a big grain of pity salt, and more than a hint of sympathy bias.

Well, guilty as charged. But sorry, I’m just charging in because I’ve had enough. Enough of condescending commentators at another news channel whose incredible ignorance of an illness I know all too well, risks being accepted by an audience that might not know the facts that well. So, here are the facts. Ann Romney has multiple sclerosis. I have multiple sclerosis.

Ann does not need your sympathy. I don’t need your sympathy. That is, unless it makes you feel sorry enough  for me that you want to watch my show at 8PM/ET on FOX Business Network at least I’m up against a guy who’s not physically ill, Bill O’Reilly. But enough of me, back to me and this crucial point: Ann Romney deals with her MS riding horses. It’s called hippotherapy, some call it dressage.

But at its core, for MS patients, it refers to the use of horseback riding as a treatment for medical conditions, namely for treating walking difficulties. Now neurologists have long debated whether riding around on horses is a cure for MS, but many firmly believe it helps relieve some of the very real symptoms of MS. As their industry bible “Neurology Care” noted last year, a number of studies have found that, and I quote here, “some people treated with riding therapy exhibited improvement in balance, emotional functioning, pain, and muscle stiffness.”

Other studies have pointed to improved mood and walking ability, still others, more energy. My point is that this is a legitimate therapy. Now do I use this equine therapy? No, but that’s only because I’m generally bigger than the horses, and I don’t want to hurt them. Ann is not, so there’s no such risk. But seriously, let’s get serious.

Ann Romney doesn’t need my defense, but her critics need to use some common sense here. Just because you might find such therapy strange, trust me when I tell you, this disease it helps treat is a lot more strange and a lot more cruel. So go ahead and have a good stupid laugh over Ann and her horses and whether they have anything to do with her illness. Ignore the fact she got really into this big time about the time she was diagnosed with this illness- you might want to look that up. It just seems odd to me that a network with the very letters “M-S” in its name wouldn’t resist making fun of someone who has to live with MS every day. Now Ann Romney doesn’t need their pity, just their accuracy.

She’s got a lot of money, but it clearly has not bought her a pass from a lot of hell, has it. Take it from me, I’m not horsing around. These guys taking pot shots at Ann Romney are horse’s asses. Take it from the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Academy of Neurology, the European Neurological Society, the MS Research Center, the Child Neurology Society, and so many others who devote so much to an illness that is so bad and chronicle the very real benefit of horseback riding that they all report has a proven history of doing some good.

Hippotherapy, dressage, working with horses, whatever the hell you want to call it. You don’t have to lean forward to appreciate it just check your facts before you joke about it because right about now you condescending, sanctimonious twits who are allegedly healthy, you have proven that you do not know the benefits of horseback riding one bit but you sure are good at piling on the lies and shoveling what amounts to unadulterated horse…well stuff.

Alright I just had to say that. Again, I don’t want your sympathy but do remember what I said about 8PM again it’s FBN. Sorry, I just had to say that because sometimes you know you repeat lies often enough some impressionable good people, they’re fooled, you can lie to them and they’re decent enough to believe it. I’m just telling you, don’t. I just gave you the facts. And ask yourself this, if they’re that egregious at lying on that issue what else are they lying about?”