Preventing Horse Soring: Stronger Penalties and Ban on Cruel Devices.
This law significantly increases penalties for intentionally injuring horses (soring), raising fines and potential prison time. It bans specific devices and weighted shoes used to artificially alter the gait of Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses, ensuring better animal welfare standards. The changes aim to improve enforcement and transparency in horse shows and sales.
Key points
Penalties for knowingly violating anti-soring rules increase to a maximum of $5,000 fine and 3 years in prison per violation.
The use of 'action devices' and weighted shoes designed to artificially alter the gait is banned for specific horse breeds at shows and sales.
Mandatory disqualification periods are established for horses found to be sore, with permanent bans possible for repeat offenders.
Inspections at horse events will be conducted by USDA-licensed inspectors (preferably veterinarians) who must be free from conflicts of interest.
Expired
Citizen Poll