The Horse Protection Act

2005·0.54 MB·English

by  United States. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Historic, Archive Document
Do assume
not content reflects current
scientific l<nowledge, policies, or practices.

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United States Department ofAgriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Program Aid No. 1827
The Horse
Protection Act
The U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture's (USDA)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) enforces the Horse Protection Act (HPA).
The HPA is a Federal lawthat prohibits horses that
havebeen subjected to a practice called soring from
participating in auctions, exhibitions, sales, or shows.
The HPA also prohibits drivers from transporting
soredhorses to or from any ofthese events.
Soring
Soring is a cruel and inhumane practice used
to accentuate a horse's gait. Soring maybe
accomplishedbyirritating orblistering a horse's
forelegs through the injection or application of
chemicals or mechanical devices that cause irritation.
Soring mayalso be accomplishedbythe infliction
ofcuts, lacerations, orburns, orbythe engagement
ofanypractice that could reasonablybe expected to
cause a horse to sufferpain or distress whilewalking,
trotting, or otherwise moving. An accentuated gait
mayalsobe accomplishedbyusinginhumane hoof
Caitalterations createdbysoring tine
forelimbs mayresultin abnormalstresses
in the hindlegs.
Applyingsubstances otherthan mineraloil,
glycerin, andpetrolatum, orcombinations
thereof, violates the HPA regulations.
trimming orpressure-shoeingtechniques. Sored
horses sometimes develop permanent scars in the
pastern area due to theuse ofthe painful chemicals
ordevices involved in the soringprocess. When it
walks, a sored horse respondsbyquicklyliftingits
frontlegs to relieve pain.
In the 1950s, some horse owners andtrainers
who wanted to improve theirhorses' chances to
win at shows used soringas an unfair shortcutto
conventional trainingmethods. Because sored horses
gained a competitive edge, the practicebecame
popular andwidespreadin the 1960s. Public outcry
overthis abusive practice led to the Horse Protection
Act, which Congress passed in 1970 and amended
in 1976.
The HPA is intended to ensure that responsible horse
owners and trainers will not suffer as a result ofunfair
competition from those who sore their horses and
that horses will notbe subjected to the cruel practice
ofsoring. Although the HPA covers all horse breeds,
Tennesseewalking horses, racking horses, and other
high-steppingbreeds are the most frequentvictims
ofsoring.
Responsibility
Responsibilityforpreventing sored horses from
being exhibited, shown, or sold rests with owners,
riders, sellers, trainers, and managers ofthese events.
Owners and trainersbenefit ifa horse wins a show
or sells for a high price, thus leadingto greater
incentive to sore the horse. Event managers,
however, have the majorlegal responsibilityto
exclude or disqualify sored horses at their auctions,
exhibitions, sales, or shows.
Carefulmeasurements aredone to
ensure thatmetalhoofbands are in
compliance with the regulations.
I
Designated Qualified Persons
To facilitate enforcement ofthe HPA, APHIS
established the designated qualified person (DQP)
program. DQPs are USDA-accreditedveterinarians
with equine experience, or theyare farriers, horse
trainers, or other knowledgeable horse peoplewho
havebeen formallytrained and licensedbyUSDA-
certified horse industryorganizations or associations.
I DQPs are hiredbythe managers ofa sale or showto
assure that soredhorses are notexhibited oroffered
for auction.
DQPs are responsible forphysicallyinspectingevery
Tennesseewalkinghorse andrackinghorsebefore it
j' maybe exhibited, shown, or sold and everyfirst-place
horse after it is shown. DQPs mustreportto show
management anyhorses that do notmeet Federal
regulations underthe HPA. Itis showmanagement's
legal responsibilityto disqualifysoredhorses.
Monitoring DQPs and
Enforcing the HPA
APHIS inspectionteams attend some horse events
to conductunannouncedinspections. The APHIS
inspection team mayincludeveterinarymedical
officers (VMOs), animal care inspectors (ACIs), and
investigators. The primaryresponsibilityofAPHIS'
VMOs is to evaluate the DQPs' inspection procedures.
VMOs also observe horses during shows, sales, and
exhibitions and mayexamine anyhorse for signs of
soring. DQPs mayhave theirlicense canceled iftheir
inspection procedures do notmeet HPAstandards.
Signs of Soring
The examination for soring consists ofthree
components: an evaluation ofthe horse's
movement; observation ofthe horse's appearance
duringthe inspection, and physical examination
ofthe horse's forelegs from the knee (carpus) to
the hoof. Particular attention is paid to the area
ofthe coronetband, the anteriorpastern areas,
the "pocket" ofthe posterior pastern area, and the
bulb ofthe heel, all ofwhich are typical places for
the application ofsoring chemicals. The presence
ofabnormal tissue, swelling, pain, abrasions, or
oozingofblood or serum may indicate soring.
Inspectors also measure for shoeingviolations
and lookfortraining devices that are too heavyor
improperlyapplied. Heavy, rigid devices striking
the pastern and coronetband during exercise can
cause soring.
Hooves andpads are measured to ensure
compliance with regulations addressing heehtoe
ratio andartificial toe-length extension.
Penalties
Criminal orcivil charges canbebrought against
violators. Ifconvicted; criminalviolators can
spendup to 2years in prison andreceive penalties
ofup to $5,000. Civil complaints, imposed
through administrative procedures, can resultin
disqualifications of 1 ormoreyears andpenalties
ofup to $2,000 ormoreperviolation. Disqualified
persons mayattendhorse eventsbut onlyas
spectators and are notallowedto participate in any
othermanner.
Additional Information
Formore information, pleasevisitthe Internet at
this Web address: <www.aphis.usda.gov/ac>, or
send and e-mail to [email protected]. You may
also contactAC's headquarters office:
USDA-APHIS-Animal Care
4700 River Road, Unit 84
MD
Riverdale, 20737-1234
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY
The U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,
disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital
orfamily status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to
all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative meansfor communication of program
information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should
contact USDA'sTARGET Center at [phone] (voice
and TDD).
To file a complaint ofdiscrimination, write USDA,
Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten
Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call [phone]
(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider
and employer.
Photo credits: Three copyrighted images used in this
leafletwere supplied by Steppin'Out magazine, and
APHIS gratefully acknowledges their permission to reprint
them here. These photos include the covershotwith the
horse's head in profile and the captioned images inside
the leafletshowing discolored pasterns and the abnormal
gait of a sored horse. Serge Cognard tookthese three
images. APHIS veterinarian Todd Behre took the photo
with the side view of hooves. APHIS investigator Phillip
Ledbettertook the measurement image.
Issued June 2005