By Sarah Gonzalez | Agri-Pulse Communications
Veterinarians and Congress members weighed the risks and benefits of passing an amendment to the Horse Protection Act that would require USDA to accredit all inspectors involved in Tennessee Walking Horse shows during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing today. Witnesses representing several aspects of the industry testified on H.R. 1518, the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act.
Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., introduced the PAST Act on April 11. It now has 223 cosponsors in the House, and its companion legislation in the Senate (S. 1406) has 26 cosponsors.
Horse soring, which enhances the walking horse’s natural gait to create an exaggerated step known as the “Big Lick,” has been illegal in shows, sales or exhibits since the passage of the 1970 Horse Protection Act (HPA). However, the practice is still prevalent in walking horse performance circles, as concluded by a 2010 USDA Office of Inspector General report. The training method, which involves deliberately inflicting pain to enhance the gait, is found most prevalently in Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses.
If you’d like to discuss equine law, contact Adam Trenk, atrenk@roselawgroup.com
