Horse Illustrated Magazine

April 8, 2008–Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) recently began publishing Horse Protection Act suspensions on its website, and from Aug. 1, 2007, through Feb. 28, 2008, 530 suspensions were already reported on the site.

Soring is the deliberate infliction of pain on a horse’s front legs, via chemical or mechanical means, to make it painful to bear weight. The inhumane practice is illegal under the federal law known as the Horse Protection Act (HPA).

Violations that resulted in the suspensions include soring, scarring, pressure shoeing, and the use of foreign substances on horses’ legs.

The USDA is the government agency responsible for enforcing the HPA, which prohibits the showing, sale, auction, exhibition, or transport of sored horses.

FOSH was critical of the high rate of violations citing, “the number of soring incidents is excessive despite Walking Horse officials who claim that compliance has substantially improved.” The Tennessee Walking Horse industry continues to have more HPA suspensions than any other breed group.

FOSH has long fought against abuse and soring of Tennessee Walking Horses, as well as other gaited breeds. 

For more information about FOSH and to see the HPA suspensions, visit www.fosh.info.