Reported
The Senate’s New Farm Bill Would Prioritize the Climate. Too Bad It’s Basically Doomed.
Food•7 min read
Explainer
What Is the Horse Protection Act?
In 1970, the public began to voice their outrage to Congress over the treatment of Tennessee walking horses for the show ring. There was a call for politicians to ban the act of “soring,” the intentional invoking of pain on a horse's limbs to encourage an exaggerated gait and win points from judges during the competition. Soring can cause a horse to develop blisters along their limbs and is particularly cruel.
Words by Jonathan Carey
In 1970, the public began to voice their outrage to Congress over the treatment of Tennessee walking horses for the show ring. There was a call for politicians to ban the act of “soring,” the intentional invoking of pain on a horse’s limbs to encourage an exaggerated gait and win points from judges during the competition. Soring can cause a horse to develop blisters along their limbs and is particularly cruel.
The Horse Protection Act gives the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture the authority to investigate any horse show for signs of soring. Regulations require that all Tennessee walking horses and racking horses be inspected before entering any horse show, sale, auction, or exhibition and are not allowed to be exhibited, auctioned, or sold if they exhibit signs of soring.
However, the law did not make the act of soring illegal. The Prevent All Soring Tactics Act seeks to close loopholes in the Horse Protection Act.
Further material:
- What is the Horse Protection Act? The Humane Society.
-
Final Horse Protection Act Regulations on Hold. American Horse Council.
More Law & Policy
Explainer
Who Is Brooke Rollins, Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Pick?
Election 2024•3 min read
Explainer
For Opponents of Factory Farms, Election Night Was a Mixed Bag
One ballot measure passed — Measure J and a Denver ordinance didn’t. What’s next?
Election 2024•8 min read
Explainer
How Climate Change Misinformation and Apathy Helped Trump Win
Trump’s win shows that misinformation is here to stay.
Election 2024•6 min read
Climate
Investigation
UN Green Climate Fund Investing in Factory Farming, Report Finds
Climate•6 min read
Food
Solutions
Slaughterhouse Workers Seek a ‘Brave New Life,’ but Challenges Remain
Food•9 min read
Most Read Today
•- The Senate’s New Farm Bill Would Prioritize the Climate. Too Bad It’s Basically Doomed.
- Why the McDonald’s E. Coli Outbreak Still Comes Back to Meat
- What Are Food Deserts and Why Do They Exist?
- 13 Animals Going Extinct — in Large Part Thanks To Humans
- Meat Consumption In the U.S.: Is It Increasing or Decreasing?
- Is Bullfighting Cruel to the Bull?
- 10 Reasons Not To Eat Turkey This Thanksgiving
- Why Sustainable Farming Is More Important Now Than Ever