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The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated a federal law that bans horse soring—the practice of intentionally hurting a horse's legs or hooves to produce a "high-stepping gait"— according to NBC News affiliate WBIR in Knoxville.
According to the Humane Society, soring often involves applying harmful chemicals like mustard oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene to the animal's limbs, causing blisters and severe pain. Certain horse breeds are more likely to be "sored" than others. For example, "gaited" breeds like Tennessee walking horses, which are known for their graceful gait, are prime targets for having that natural stride exaggerated through the illegal practice.
"Horse soring is truly one of the worst practices," said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (R-TN) in a statement. "I applaud the Obama administration for finalizing this much-needed update to the existing Horse Protection Act regulations."
Previously, the USDA Inspector General found the "self-policing" enforcement of the federal Horse Protection Act, which prohibits soring and the sale of soring equipment, to be inadequate. The new rule makes way for USDA-trained and licensed inspectors to enforce the law and to officially ban chains, stacked shoes, and foreign substances at horse shows, WBIR reports.
Opponents of the new rule, like Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), fear it will "negatively affect" the $3.2-billion Tennessee walking horse industry by creating unnecessary obstacles for "law abiding horse enthusiasts to participate in competitions."
"I am in favor of wiping out the contemptible and illegal practice of horse soring, not wiping out the century old tradition of showing Tennessee walking horses as this rule could do," Alexander said in a press release. He added that he hopes the President-elect's pick for Agriculture secretary won't agree with the rule but will instead allow the industry to continue policing itself.
(h/t WBIR)
