FOSH Unveils Database of Horse Protection Act Violators
January 4, 2010
Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) announced the unveiling of a web site listing
over 8,700 Horse Protection Act violators who have received suspensions from
1986 to the present. The Horse Protection Act (HPA) is the Federal law that
makes it illegal to "sore" Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited breeds
Soring is the abusive practice of creating pain with chemical or mechanical
means on the front legs and hooves to exaggerate and create an artificial
gait for the show ring.
Access to these records is critical to protect horses. Individuals selecting
a professional trainer for their gaited horse can research the trainer's
violation history. A buyer can verify the seller's reputation for soring.
Horse rescues that are placing horses with new adoptees can verify their HPA
history before placing the horse. Show management and enforcement officials
can familiarize themselves with names of repeat violators, which are listed
in one of the search options. The site also provides current data, such as
suspension proportions by state, and by violation type.
FOSH is providing the information as a resource for persons who are active,
or wish to become active, in owning, breeding and/or showing Tennessee
Walking Horses, Racking Horses and Spotted Saddle Horses, the principle
breeds subject to regulation under the Horse Protection Act. Users have free
access to the information after registering at
www.hpadata.us
Sources of the data include the official disqualification and civil penalty
lists maintained by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); violation and penalty information
reported by USDA-certified Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs) such as SHOW,
the National Horse Show Commission (NHSC) and other HIOs that have
participated in the USDA-sponsored Operating Plans, and various public web
sites. Any corrections must be directed to the original source HIO which
reported the data. There are 13 USDA-certified HIOs at present.
This listing does not include all HPA offenders because the USDA is
restricted by budget and only attends about 7% of the shows. Many industry
inspectors have proven to be lax in their examinations when the USDA is not
present to provide oversight. Early records were disorganized and lacking,
however, the FOSH database is the most complete listing available today of
Horse Protection Act violators.
FOSH is the national leader in the promotion of natural, sound gaited horses
and in the fight against abuse and soring of Tennessee Walking Horses and
all gaited horses. For more information about FOSH, or to become a member,
please visit www.fosh.info
The Humane
Society of the United States Announces
$10,000
Reward for Information on Horse Soring
(March 18, 2008)
— The Humane Society of the United States has announced it will offer a
reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of
any violator of Tennessee’s “horse soring” law, which prohibits the
deliberate infliction of pain to horses’ feet to produce an artificially
high-stepping gait. Ads announcing the reward will appear throughout middle
Tennessee, an area still believed to be a hotbed of soring activity.
“Soring - the
deliberate infliction of pain upon a horse to increase the animal’s
entertainment or monetary value - is incredibly cruel, and must end” said
Keith Dane, director of equine protection at The Humane Society of the
United States.
The soring of
Tennessee Walking Horses and other breeds of gaited show horses is one of
the most heinous forms of abuse inflicted upon equines in the U.S. The
practice involves the use of caustic chemicals and chains on the legs of the
horse, creating severe pain and forcing an exaggerated, high-stepping gait.
Pressure shoeing
– another especially egregious form of soring – is the abusive technique of
cutting a horse's hoof almost to the bloodline so the shoe puts painful
pressure on the horse's sole with each stride. In some instances, foreign
objects are placed between the hoof and the shoe to create painful pressure
on the sole.
Passage of a
federal law (the 1970 Horse Protection Act) has not had the intended effect
of eliminating soring. Tennessee also has a state law prohibiting soring,
but enforcement of these laws has proven difficult, and this illegal
practice continues on a widespread basis. Therefore, The HSUS is offering
this reward in order to encourage citizens to come forward and help end this
entrenched cruelty.
In 2006, the
annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, TN
failed to name a World Grand Champion when most of the finalists were
disqualified for violations of the federal Horse Protection Act.
Constituents,
who support HSUS’ efforts and understand the need to end this cruel
practice, have generously agreed to supplement the reward amount. In the
past, supporters have offered similar backing for increased rewards in
particular cases of animal cruelty.
Anyone with
information on this cruel practice should call 1-866-411-TEAM (8326). The
Humane Society of the United States will protect the identity of all
callers.
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Media contact:
Heather Sullivan
