|
The Inhumane Practice of Soring Continues
|
|
|
 Despite laws, despite inspections, despite the extreme ire of horse lovers the world over, the practice of soring continues. Soring is the practice of using a chemical or device to make a horse’s hooves and pasterns sensitive in an effort to make them travel in an very exaggerated high-stepping manner. But, this doesn’t just make the horse more sensitive, the caustic chemicals, highly stacked and heavily weighted shoes and brutal training practices some trainers use make life a painful misery for the horses that must endure it. Tennessee Walking Horses are at the center of the controversy, and I’m sure you’ve been hearing about it for a few years now.
The utterly devastating thing is, those who choose to use these barbaric methods flout laws and make excuses, but continue to subject their own and client’s horses to the torture. Any horse destined to be trained to do ‘the big lick’ has a good chance of a life of pain and irreversible deformity.
The Horse Protection Act, which is a federal law created in 1970 was intended to protect horses from inhumane practices, of which soring is one. The law states that soring is illegal, that it is illegal to show a horse that has been sored, and to transport one to or from any event. If a horse has been sored, the owner/trainer may be penalized with fines of up to $3,000 and one year in prison for a first offense and $5000 and a two-year prison term for further offences.
However, despite the warnings and the penalties, soring continues. Why? One reason might be, that although there are inspections and many recorded violations at events, quite often only warnings are given. Another problem may be that inspectors themselves are self regulated. How many violations have there been? The HPA website lists the violations over the past few years, and the list is lengthy enough that it takes a minute or two to scroll through it. The group Friends of Sound Horses, who promotes the use of sound, naturally gaited horses, reports close to 10,000 violations recorded on the HPA site.
The Tennessee Walking Horse industry has claimed that soring is a thing of the past. But, the violations continued at the Kick-Off Classic in Shelbyville, Tennessee in April. Meanwhile The Prevent All Soring Tactics Act would allow USDA-assigned, not self regulating inspectors, to do inspections and ban devices intended to further cause pain to a sored horse. The bill has passed and is headed to the full Senate next. Many in the Walking Horse industry are crying foul and claiming that this sort of legislation has gone too far. Some see it as the end of a lucrative industry, the end of ‘the big lick’ and the fans that supports many local industries. But there are also those that think the proposed fortification of the HPA is not tough enough. Hopefully, it will be enough to bring an end to the ‘big lick’ and the abusive practices it takes to compete. |
|
|
|
|
|
Bucki Int
I have TWH's but mine are all flad shod, or not shoed at all. Not all twh breeders are bad, nor does this only relate to the twh breed. I agree that the way the show people treat walkers is sad and I don't breed to any new lines because you don't know what kind of gait you are getting.
I have TWH's but mine are all flad shod, or not shoed at all. Not all twh breeders are bad, nor does this only relate to the twh breed. I agree that the way the show people treat walkers is sad and I don't breed to any new lines because you don't know what kind of gait you are getting.
|
12 days ago
• 2,023 views
|
|
|
|
Valkyrie
MOD
Why is a Spanish horse the picture?
Why is a Spanish horse the picture?
|
12 days ago
• 2,013 views
|
|
|
|
Winniefield Park
That looks like an Adulusian or something like that doesn't it. And yes, most TWH owners treat their horses well. There seems to be a core of trainers and owners who allow this to continue.
That looks like an Adulusian or something like that doesn't it. And yes, most TWH owners treat their horses well. There seems to be a core of trainers and owners who allow this to continue.
|
7 days ago
• 1,771 views
|
|
|
|
|
Related Horse News
|
|
26th Jan 2010 |
Horse Rescue and Abuse |
mosquito
Going to a horse show or an event is great. Beautiful horses, smartly dressed riders, all ready to perform their best. But sometimes getting horses to look and do their best isn’t as great as it seems. ...
|
|
It baffles me that the issue of soring has lasted so long. What is soring? It is the use of caustic chemicals used to irritate the skin on a horse’s legs, the insertion of sharp objects into sensitive parts of the horse’s hooves, ...
|
|
Despite laws, despite inspections, despite the extreme ire of horse lovers the world over, the practice of soring continues. Soring is the practice of using a chemical or device to make a horse’s hooves and pasterns sensitive in a ...
|
|
Another bill in front of the current congress is commonly known as the PAST Act or Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 693. Although that is how it appeared when first presented, it has now been renamed in honor of Joseph ...
|
|
More News by Winniefield Park
|
|
If you are studying for Pony Club quizzes, BHS exams or just about any other test of your horse knowledge you will probably find the Equestion app very useful. But learning theory for tests is not the only thing the app was design ...
|
|
In Arizona, an amatuer photographer caught video of a man she thought was shooting at horses in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest reserve. The herd living on the reserve is protected, but since October 2018, over 19 of the 300 ...
|
|
The most common way horse owners buy hay is by price per bale from a local farmer. But, we may or not be getting the most for our money by going this route. Hay is baled in a few different ways. It might be small square bales, lar ...
|
|
There are a lot of reasons why a horse may be lame. Soft tissue injuries, joint inflammation and bruises of all types, can all make a horse lame. These are often obvious, and present with not just lameness but heat you can feel an ...
|
|
In Horse Riding Tales - Ride With Friends, you can ride your horse with virtual friends or by yourself as you set out on adventures to explore the territory around Meadowcroft Stables and beyond. ...
|
|
Days after the running of the 145 Kentucky Derby race fans are still debating the disqualification of Maximum Security. The owner of the horse made an appeal to have the decision overturned. But, officials, who have examined the v ...
|
|
Horse’s and ponies have been helping humans for a very long time. In fact, they’ve been useful enough that we’ve kept them around despite their being extinct in the wild. But, in recent years, equines have become more than just be ...
|
|
While many of us may regard Lexington, Kentucky as the horse capital of the world, Ocala, Marion County, Florida wants to claim the title. And, they want to make sure the world knows about it. Marion County and vicinity is home to ...
|
|
|
