Update—November 15: The PAST Act—to protect show horses from the cruel practice of soring—passed the U.S. House of Representatives last night by a vote of 304-111! The bill now awaits Senate action.
Majestic Tennessee Walking Horses are cherished for their natural, unique four-step gait and their gentle dispositions. The PAST Act will protect these treasured horses from unscrupulous trainers and abuse.
This bill would:
- Require horse show organizers to use only USDA-licensed inspectors.
- Prohibit the use of action devices that intensify the pain caused by soring and increase the penalties for violations.
- Strengthen penalties to deter violators.
Did you know there are some trainers who compete in Tennessee Walking Horse competitions that still subject their horses to “soring?” This involves intentionally inflicting intense pain on a horse’s legs and hooves to elicit an exaggerated gait. Although soring has been illegal since 1970, weak enforcement and regulations have allowed this cruel practice to persist. The PAST Act will address these gaps by amending the Horse Protection Act to improve protection for horses.
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed this bill in 2019. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it past the Senate that session. This session, the bill has once again passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming support and is now in the U.S. Senate’s hands. Given our current momentum around equine protective issues, we hope to pass the PAST Act this year!
What You Can Do
Please use the form below to email your senators and ask them to support and pass the PAST Act!
Subject Line:
Please Cosponsor the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act
Dear Legislator,
As your constituent and a supporter of equine welfare, I am writing to ask that you support and pass the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (S. 2295). For too long, our nation’s horses have been subjected to the horrific practice of “soring”—intentionally inflicting pain and injury to a horse’s legs to force them into a high-stepping gait. As you may know, this bill has twice passed the U.S. House by a wide margin. In 2019 and in 2022, 333 members and 304 members, respectively, supported this bill. Please lend your support to this bill to bring us one step closer to ending this cruel practice for good. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
