Finally, some good news for the horses and oversite for all horses in a show setting from reining, jumping, and dressage to western pleasure and rodeo, and the big news is no more soaring of the walking horses.

Soaring Regulations -Sharing this from the HSUS Page.

From the perspective of public policy, there are particular cruelties that seem to hang around forever, even when their depravity is abundantly evident, defying―in a way―the political equivalent of gravity. Horse soring, which involves the very intentional infliction of pain and suffering on Tennessee walking horses and related breeds in the show world, is just that kind of cruelty.

That’s why we’re delighted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a final rule to stop this strange, persistent and deeply disturbing cruelty that has survived more than a half century’s legislative attempts to suppress it. We’ve been petitioning the USDA for regulatory reform on this issue for over a decade and pressing hard for this rule. We worked to make sure it was a good one, meeting with the USDA and administration officials to discuss it numerous times and building a strong coalition of support for it.

In a huge win, the new rule bans the use on Tennessee walking and racking horses of devices and substances integral to soring, including tall, high-heel-like horseshoes (known as “stacks”) and chains that bang against a horse’s chemically sored ankles, all used to cause excruciating pain. The rule also assigns sole responsibility to the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to screen, train and authorize inspectors, and creates an inspection system that relies on veterinarians, veterinary technicians or others employed by government agencies to enforce relevant laws and regulations. We believe that the rule puts the government on a much stronger footing to finally eliminate soring.

For decades, the perpetrators of soring and their defenders and apologists, including some elected officials, have protected this abuse from scrutiny and proper enforcement action, with a “wink and a nod” strategy that prevents anti-soring legislation from advancing in the U.S. Congress. Despite robust co-sponsorship numbers for the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (S. 4004/H.R. 3090 in the current Congress) that consistently exceed a majority in both the House and Senate, soring’s allies quietly find ways to block enactment of that needed legislation.

Because they do so, we have redoubled our efforts to address the weak regulations that led to introduction of the PAST Act in the first place. We’ve worked to mobilize equestrians in support of tougher rules, and we’ve confronted the sorers at their main annual event, the Celebration. We’ve also delivered the goods on soring’s cruelty through undercover investigations. The HSUS investigation of Hall of Fame trainer Jackie McConnell led in 2012 to the second-ever convictions, for both misdemeanor and felony violations, under the Horse Protection Act, as he and his training barn associates were convicted for applying caustic chemicals to horses’ legs, then illegally transporting the animals to horse shows and falsifying records. Then, in 2015, at another prize-winning training barn, HSUS investigators documented similar practices, the slathering of burning chemicals onto the legs of horses, causing them great and prolonged pain, and all for a few show ribbons and a moment’s glory.

Through it all, we’ve never given up the public policy fight. The things we’ve argued for, things that are in the new rule, have been validated by the USDA’s own actions over the last decade and a half. For example, it was the USDA’s Inspector General audit report of the agency’s horse protection program in 2010 that called for an end to industry self-policing, a reform the USDA agreed back then to pursue. In the intervening years, the agency has put the industry on notice on multiple occasions that unless it embraced genuine reform on its own, the USDA would take action to eliminate the industry self-policing and the stacks and action devices that facilitate soring and exacerbate animals’ pain.

Additionally, in the new rule, a horse can be considered sored if there is evidence of soring-related injuries on at least one leg. The rule requires that the forelimbs and hindlimbs of the horse must be free of skin conditions such as irritation, moisture, hair loss and edema that indicate a history of soring. And the rule prohibits licensing as a Horse Protection Inspector anyone who has been convicted or found to have violated any part of the Horse Protection Act or its regulations, has been assessed any fine or civil penalty under it, or is the subject of a disqualification order. 

The battle to end soring has taken a long time, but we’ve stuck with the fight and we’re optimistic that more humane treatment of horses is coming with the implementation of this final new rule. We’ve been working, both of us, on a host of other cruelties we didn’t expect to see an end to during our careers. But we did see them end, or at least, we have seen the beginning of the end.

Horse Show Inspections

New requirements Effective February 1, 2025: Horse show and event managers will be required to:

1. Provide notice to APHIS at least 30 days before the event via mail or email.

2. Provide any event updates 15 days in advance of the event

3. Report any violations of the Horse Protection Act within 5 days post event

Note that the new rule defines a horse show as a public display of any horses in competition except where speed is the prime factor, rodeo events, parades, or trail rides.

One of the key changes to the rule is that USDA will be responsible for training Horse Protection Inspectors, who will be licensed veterinarians or individuals with extensive equine experience with a governmental agency. These individuals will perform inspections at events. A video of the inspection process is on the website. Historically, USDA has inspected fewer than 50 events nationally per year.

All event managers should be prepared for potential USDA inspectors onsite. It is important to note that horse show managers are liable for any HPA violations found at their show if they choose not to hire an inspector.

USDA has notified AHC that new guidance documents and further information will be posted to the Horse Protection Act Website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/hpa

My Personal Perspective

These long-overdue horse show inspections are finally addressing a critical issue. Traditionally, horse shows hire and pay show stewards to oversee and protect horses from abuse during competitions. However, this system is deeply flawed—it’s like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.

A show steward is unlikely to report significant abuse if doing so jeopardizes their job. After all, what show manager wants to hire a steward who disqualifies owners for abuse? Such actions can lead to financial losses for the show, creating a direct conflict of interest.

While many show managers and competitors have expressed concern about these new regulations, I say this: If you’re afraid of stricter oversight, you might want to reflect on how you’re treating the horses you show. These regulations exist to protect the welfare of the animals, and anyone opposing them might need to reassess their practices.