Senate “Sign-On” Letter to USDA Supporting Horse Protection
As you might recall, in early 2017, the outgoing Obama Administration issued a final USDA rule on the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to end the practice of “soring” of a horse’s limb. This rule mirrors the industry-endorsed “Prevent All Soring Tactics” (PAST) Act by taking common sense measures to protect certain Tennessee Walking Horses and Racking Horses from the practice. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration suspended the HPA rule four years ago and never reinstated it.
The horse industry and its allies in Congress are currently lobbying the new Administration to bring the HPA rule back, by circulating a petition to USDA. Contact your senators today and urge them to sign the petition below and reinstate the Horse Protection Rule of 2017!
Tell Senators to Co-Sponsor Bi-Partisan PAST Act of 2018!
Thanks to persistent advocacy focusing on your senators during the past several months, Sens. Crapo (R-ID) and Warner (D-VA) have led a bipartisan charge to re-introduce the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act of 2018 (S. 2957). Other original co-sponsors include Sens. Blumenthal (D-CT), Collins (R-ME), Daines (R-MT), Feinstein (D-CA), Markey (D-MA), McCaskill (D-MO), Moran (R-KS) and Toomey (R-PA).
As you know, S. 2957 will strengthen the Horse Protection Act and finally end the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses, and Racking Horses. The American Horse Council, along with most major national horse show organizations and state and local organizations, supports the PAST Act. We encourage you to send a letter to your senators urging them to sign on as co-sponsors and move this important bill forward!
Many members of the horse industry know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently proposed changes to the regulations governing enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The HPA was passed in 1970 to stop the cruel practice of “soring” horses that was occurring in some parts of the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse industry.
The proposed rule would make several changes to current HPA regulations with the goal of improving enforcement of the law and ending soring. However, the proposed rule has prompted some questions about its potential impact on the wider industry, particularly on other gaited breeds. The AHC has convened an HPA working group and has been engaging industry stake holders to answer some of these questions and draft formal comments regarding the proposed rule. The AHC has been actively communicating with industry groups including the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the U.S Equestrian Federation, the American Saddlebred Horse Association, the American Morgan Horse Association, and the Arabian Horse Association.
“The AHC has always opposed soring and supported the enforcement of the HPA. There is no question that soring is an abusive practice that should not be tolerated or allowed to continue. Because soring continues to be a problem in the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse industry, improvements to the HPA enforcement program are clearly needed and justified, “said AHC President Julie Broadway.
“However, it is equally important that any new regulations are narrowly focused on the problem of soring and do not adversely impact or unnecessarily burden other segments of the horse show industry that are not soring horses and have no history of soring horses.”
The USDA has been holding public meetings around the country and will be accepting written comments until September 26, 2016. USDA will then review all comments and make changes based on those comments before releasing a final rule.
“Any time regulatory changes are proposed there is always a need to seek clarifications and make improvements. This is why federal agencies seek comments before any rule is made final,” said AHC Sr. VP, Policy & Legislative Affairs Ben Pendergrass. “The AHC’s HPA working group is drafting comprehensive comments on the proposed rule that will hopefully help USDA improve the rule and address any concerns the horse industry has about the rule. ”
The AHC will continue to keep the horse industry updated as the rulemaking process continues.
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced proposed changes to the regulations governing enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The HPA was passed in 1970 to stop the cruel practice of “soring” horses that was occurring in some sectors of the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse industry.
The proposed rule would make several major changes to current HPA regulations with the goal of ending soring. The AHC is currently reviewing the proposed rule to determine its impact on the horse industry. After the AHC has had the opportunity to analysis the details of the proposed rule we will follow up with additional information. The AHC Horse Show and Animal Welfare Committees will also be convening to discuss the proposed rule.
The AHC opposes soring and continues to strongly support the PAST Act (S. 1121/ HR 3268) that will strengthen the HPA and finally end the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses and Spotted Saddle Horses.
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