End Torture of Tennessee Walking Horses: Enforce the Horse Protection Act
Tennessee Walking Horses are being severely abused, according to an undercover investigation recently released by the Humane Society.
A popular show horse, the breed began around the 1950s to draw more spectators for an exaggerated front leg action, called the “big lick.” Though some horses can naturally perform the crowd-pleasing movement, trotting with legs lifted high, others require lengthy conditioning.
To speed things up, some trainers began using a torturous method called “soring,” which involves applying caustic chemical agents, including diesel, to a horse’s legs and hooves, along with other painful practices that accentuate the gait. Because soring is known to be abusive, it’s been banned for over 40 years--but the practice has continued all the same.
The USDA’s Horse Protection Act should live up to its name and do its job. Tell USDA to enforce this act and end this abuse of horses.
We, the undersigned, are outraged to learn of this torture of Tennessee Walking Horses.
These revelations by the undercover Humane Society investigation are even more disturbing, in light of the fact that the abuse has been illegal for nearly half a century and the Society’s claim that though it has repeatedly asked the USDA to do its job, the abuse has continued.
Even though some are responding to the news story by claiming this practice is very rare, it’s apparently common enough for Wikipedia to state that it continues, despite the extent of the harm and the law banning it. Some have commented on ABC’s report of the abuse, saying the abuse has been widespread and well-known for a long time.
We ask the USDA now to assure that its Horse Protection Act is properly enforced and that this abuse is stopped at once. We would also like assurance that the attention to this issue will not wear off after the news media focus fades - that the USDA will put an end to this abuse forever.
Thank you for your attention to these concerns.
