Altering judging standards to no longer reward the "manufactured" exaggerated gait of Tennessee Walking Horses is among recommendations laid out by the American Association of Equine Practitioners to end the practice of soring.
The AAEP has produced a white paper in which it outlines moves it believes would end the abusive practice, which involved the infliction of pain to create an extravagant or exaggerated gait for training or show purposes. It can involved the use of caustic chemicals and cutting to achieve the desired result.
The group called it one of the most significant welfare issues affecting any equine breed or discipline today.
Even though soring is prohibited by the federal Horse Protection Act of 1970, some within the industry use the technique in horses.
Its continued practice was brought into sharp focus when the United States Department of Agriculture issued 103 competitor violations during the 2007 Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration, the industry's championship event.
There have been further reports in the media of competitors leaving events with their horses when federal inspectors have turned up.
"As an organisation with the primary mission of protecting the health and welfare of the horse, the AAEP is strongly opposed to soring," said its president, Dr Eleanor Green.
"This wonderful breed must be preserved and protected in a climate in which its future is not challenged by the practice of soring. The true measure of success will be that soring no longer exists because the Tennessee Walking Horse industry itself brought it to an abrupt end."
Key points in the white paper include:
- The immediate introduction of drug testing at every competition.
- The abolishment of the Designated Qualified Persons (DQP) Program and the establishment of a corps of independent veterinarians to conduct horse inspections and impose sanctions for violations of the Horse Protection Act.
- The development of objective methods to detect soring in order to eliminate the current practice of conditioning horses to tolerate pressure applied to the limbs.
- Establishment of a single industry organisation that has governance responsibilities and which sets and enforces uniform standards and regulations.
- Re-evaluation of judging standards so that the innate grace and beauty of the breed are valued instead of rewarding the currently manufactured exaggerated gait.
The recommendations in the white paper were developed by the AAEP's Tennessee Walking Horse Task Force, a group with specific knowledge of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry and equine welfare issues.
Dr Midge Leitch, of Cochranville, Pennylvania, chaired the Task Force.
"The white paper is not intended to be a revision of the Horse Protection Act," said Dr Leitch. "We know we are suggesting radical changes to current practices within the industry, but if industry leaders are intent on solving this issue, they will give serious thought to the recommendations that have been made."
The AAEP says it recognises that it has no regulatory authority over the Tennessee Walking Horse industry but intends its white paper to provide guidance and support to those within the industry who are working to permanently end the soring of horses.
"On behalf of the AAEP, I express gratitude to Dr Leitch, who chaired the task force, and the other dedicated AAEP members who accepted the charge of this task force and were so thoughtful in the development of the white paper," added Dr Green.
"I also want to thank the members of the various Tennessee Walking Horse industry organizations (HIOs) who came last year to the first Tennessee Walking Horse Summit in Lexington. These groups encouraged the AAEP to develop this white paper and they have a unique opportunity to eliminate the practice of soring."
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