In a move that The Humane Society of the U.S. said "should largely spell the end of the barbaric and gratuitous practice of horse soring, the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday announced the release of its final rule to upgrade Horse Protection Act regulations.
The rule bans the use of stacks, chains and other similar devices and eliminates the industry self-inspection program.
Senator Lamar Alexander responded by saying, "I am in favor of wiping out the contemptible and illegal practice of horse soring, not wiping out the century old tradition of showing Tennessee Walking Horses as this rule could do.
"I and other members of Congress introduced legislation last Congress that would end horse soring. I would hope the new Secretary of Agriculture will not concur with this overreaching rule announced during the last few days of the Obama administration and instead will work with Congress to enact legislation that punishes trainers, owners and riders who abuse horses while preserving the opportunity for law abiding horse enthusiasts to participate in competitions that are the basis of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry.”
He said the Tennessee Walking Horse industry "supports more than 20,000 jobs nationwide and pumps $3.2 billion into the nation’s economy. In 2014, there were more than 350 shows contributing millions of dollars to local economies. There are 275,000 walking horses registered nationwide, including over 90,000 walking horses in Tennessee, and more than 40,000 in Kentucky."
Senator Alexander said, "The final rule requires USDA to assume responsibility for training, screening and licensing horse inspectors and bans the use of all action devices. The final rule could have a significant negative effect on the Tennessee Walking Horse industry and the small businesses and communities benefiting from the industry."
He noted that last year he signed on to Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s letter asking the Assistant Deputy Administrator to extend the comment period for this proposed rule for at least 60 days to provide the necessary time to gather evidence and information. In the last Congress, Senator Alexander, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced legislation "to take additional steps to end horse soring, while preserving the Tennessee Walking Horse tradition."
HSUS officials said the group "credits President Barack Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for taking this important anti-cruelty action."
The HSUS said it "conducted a series of undercover investigations that exposed top trainers in the industry torturing horses to win ribbons at shows and to gain notoriety in the field. Those investigations reminded the American public of the barbarism involved in this narrow segment of the horse show industry. Soringinvolves the intentional infliction of pain – by mechanical or chemical means – on the feet and lower legs of horses to achieve a high-stepping, pain-based gait known as the “big lick” in Tennessee walking horses. Controversy over these practices has resulted in many good people fleeing the sport, crippling attendance at the main events for the industry, and staining Tennessee’s reputation for more than half a century."
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, said: “Horse soring is a stain on Tennessee’s reputation, and today’s move by the USDA begins to wipe that stain away. Hurting horses so severely for mere entertainment is disgraceful, and I put this abuse in the same category as dogfighting or cockfighting – practices that betray our humanity and that cannot stand the light of day. We applaud Secretary Vilsack and the Administration for addressing these issues before President Obama departs the Oval Office.”
A set of regulatory changes are contained in the new rule, including:
- Prohibiting the use of stacked shoes, ankle chains and other “action devices” at competitions on Tennessee walking horses and racking horses.
- Abolishing the current system of industry policing and in its place implementing a network of independent, third-party inspectors licensed, trained, and overseen by the USDA, at no new cost to the taxpayer.