Two bills reintroduced to Congress aim to end the cruel practice of horse soring and ban horse slaughter in the U.S. The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act would protect horses from the painful techniques used to force them into an exaggerated gait for horse shows. Soring involves applying caustic chemicals, attaching heavy chains, cutting hooves, and jamming hard objects into the horse’s flesh to cause excruciating pain.
The PAST Act would outlaw soring, a practice that has persisted for over half a century in the show horse industry. Those who show Tennessee Walking Horses and related breeds use soring to create the artificial high-stepping “Big Lick” gait for a competitive advantage. The bill would prohibit the use of devices integral to soring, eliminate industry self-policing, and increase penalties for violators.
Horses subjected to soring suffer not only in the show ring but also in their stalls, where they are unable to engage in natural behaviors due to the pain. The bill aims to end this cruelty by preventing the use of painful techniques, improving enforcement, and increasing consequences for those who continue to engage in soring practices.
