Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund are highlighting the urgent need to end the cruel practice of soring—intentionally inflicting pain to exaggerate the gait of Tennessee Walking Horses for “Big Lick” competitions—on National Day of the Horse. Despite the Horse Protection Act being in place for over 50 years, enforcement gaps and reliance on industry self-policing have allowed this abuse to continue. The bipartisan Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, supported by 205 members of Congress, aims to ban devices used in soring, end self-policing, and strengthen penalties. Advocates urge the Trump Administration to use its influence to enforce the law and pass the PAST Act to protect these horses.

The issue has broad support beyond traditional animal welfare groups, with veterinarians, trainers, and breed organizations backing stronger protections. Conservative commentators Roger Stone and Christian Josi have also called for reform, emphasizing that meaningful change is possible with federal action. Humane World for Animals continues to push for USDA enforcement and congressional funding to end soring, stressing that protecting horses from deliberate abuse is a shared responsibility that must be honored.