This is irresponsible reporting!!! Have any of these people been to a show or a barn or are they going on videos??? The past act doesn't stop soring it eliminates an entire multi billion dollar industry!!! I respect their passion but this is a HSUS sponsored money raising agenda!! The leadership is sponsored by HSUS !! Whit fields wife is a paid lobbyist for HSUS!! Sec of agriculture a wife just got a huge campaign donation!!! The asst to Whitfield is bannerd by the walking horse industry !! He was showing padded horses a year ago!! He gets banned by the TWH industry and now how hates the industry!! Ask his family and his ex wife what is true!! I will let him answer these question himself!! Do you want HSUS to be able to come into your property and take your stick??? Horses ,dogs cattle?? Everyone has the right to their opinion !!! Have you been to a show recently?? The industries problems have been well documented but changes have taken place!!! 3000 horses a year die on the track!! Steeplechase horses die! Quarter horse trainer caught abusing horses why is the TWH only discriminated against?? The industry has taken steps to end all the issues, what other breeds can say this!! This bill is a HSUS agenda lead by people they pay!! You want to end the horse show industry??? This is the beginning of the of animal agriculture!!! Think about it!! HSUS just lost a lawsuit for racketeering and Rico Act!! You want more corruption in this country?? What about the budget,Benghazi,the irs and if course Obamacare!! You think congress has time for this??? I hope not we have more pressing issues!!! Love your passion and respect your views!!! I don't own a horse!!!
I have to agree with pat there are more pressing matters in this country than the attack on TWH what is this bill going to do that the association hasn't tried it will continue. What will be attacked next in animal agriculture barrel racing, steeple chasing, racing, 3 day eventing all the rodeo events?
I find it funny, sad but funny, that those who are against the PAST Act only argument is it will destroy the "industry". Well, there are many Tennessee Walking Horse shows throughout this beautiful country that do not allow pads and chains that are thriving. That tells me the "industry" is surviving outside the pads, chains and torture these individuals claim. I also find these folks who are against the PAST Act try to divert the focus to others such as the HSUS, Gee, in my opinion, if there was nothing going on, the HSUS would not have gotten undercover video of Jackie McConnell torturing a horse, Larry Wheelon's barn would not have been raided and 19 tortured horses would not have been seized (note: Mr. Wheelon is still awaiting trial and is innocent until proven guilty). I don't think it matters who may have initiated the PAST Act, it is long overdue. Clearly, the "industry" has not been able to clean up their act. The only time I ever saw a sored horse was when I was living in Tennessee at a small local show. It broke my heart and I was embarrassed to be living in a state that allowed such torture.
the most common compliant from the sore hose industry is that it will shut down their shows. The only ones that will shut down are those where Horse Protection Act violations are most prevalent. That is where the horses wear stacks, chains and ultra heavy shoes. Take away their soring tools and shows will still go on all over the country. Last week there was a big 4-day USEF Saddlebred show in Syracuse. 251 SADDLEBREDS and 151 MORGANS. That is a big show. Between the 2 breeds there were no more than 6-8 Park style horses there. The Saddlebred association has learned that their future is in the pleasure horse division and the youth. Morgans learned that many years ago. The TWH is in its death throes because of the leadership of it's breed organization has supported, defended and awarded sore horses and trainers for 50 years. The organization bragged about having 20,000 in the late 90s. Their membership now barely makes 6000 and is still dropping. Yet they STILL don't get it. The American people will not stand for animal abuse of any kind.
This bill will eliminate ALL pads and chains. Without the action devices, the other soring methods will be useless. The industry has been given 40+ years to clean up their act and they used that time to develop more and more insidious ways to cheat and fool the inspectors and the horses are the ones who have paid the price. It is one of the things that disgusts me most about our government that this bill could have SO much support yet still be stuck because of the money and power of a few legislators with special interests.