Kentucky Republican Rep. Ed Whitfield has introduced a bill to strengthen the decades-old ban on soring gaited horses. So far, Whitfield has garnered 233 co-sponsors from both parties, a difficult task in the highly polarized House of Representatives.
A high-stepping Tennessee Walking Horse
At a hearing of the Energy and Commerce Committee on November 13, 2013, Whitfield's bill to ban soring activities was met with opposition from his fellow Republican, Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn.
© 2013 by DanDee Shots
Whitfield's bill would empower the Department of Agriculture's inspection and enforcement capabilities at horse shows and specifically outlaw the use of soring devices on horse's legs and hooves.
Hoping to stop the cruel practice of "soring" championship gaited horses by wrapping their hooves in corrosive chemicals and then applying chains or bands to the wounds in order to create an artificially high-stepping gait Whitfield and like-minded representatives are hoping this legislation will stop the practice of soring.
However, at a hearing of the Energy and Commerce Committee on November 13, 2013, Whitfield's bill was met with opposition from his fellow Republican, Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn.
Kentucky and Tennessee are home to the bulk of the industry for gaited show horses, in which breeds like the Tennessee Walking Horse are paraded around show rings for major prize money in intense competitions.
Animal rights groups including the Humane Society of the United states support the legislation because of the painful and limb threatening chemical agents, pads and chains used to cause the horses to engage in high stepping activities.
To create the signature high-stepped gait, trainers often use heavy weights or painful chains on the horses' hooves. What may look to the audience like a happy horse prancing is actually a horse flinching -- the animal lifts its legs higher because putting them on the ground is painful.
In August, Blackburn observed horse inspections in person at the 2013 Celebration, the same annual horse show where inspectors found the shockingly high violation rate in 2012. The Tennessean reported that the top walking horse industry lobbying group, the Performance Show Horse Association, hosted a campaign fundraiser for Blackburn during her visit. Guests paid $100 a ticket, according to the reports.
Despite Blackburn's attendance at the show, and the heightened caution following the damning ABC video, the 2013 Celebration still had major problems. Among them was the early elimination of Honors, one of the show's most popular horses and a past champion, after inspectors found evidence of soring on his leg. And two horses belonging to Terry Dotson, the then-president of the PSHA, also failed their inspections, according to the Tennessean. Just days after hosting Blackburn, Dotson resigned his position as PSHA's president.