"Soring"--which involves intentionally inflicting pain on a horse's hooves and front limbs to produce an exaggerated high-stepping gait known as the Big Lick--remains a persistent and rampant practice in Tennessee Walking Horse competitions. To end this abuse, Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Ted Yoho (R-FL)--veterinarians who co-chair the Congressional Veterinary Medicine Caucus--have joined Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ron Estes (R-KS), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Chris Collins (R-NY) in reintroducing the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 693). Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Mark Warner (D-VA) have introduced a companion bill in the US Senate (S. 1007).
The PAST Act (H.R. 693/S. 1007) would amend the Horse Protection Act to crack down on the barbaric abuses involved in soring, such as grinding down the hoof to expose sensitive tissues, applying chemicals to burn a horse's flesh, inserting sharp objects into the sole of the hoof, and using large stacked shoes and chains to exacerbate the pain these animals endure--purely for the sake of "competition." The legislation would end the industry's failed system of self-policing, explicitly ban the use of devices implicated in the practice of soring, and strengthen penalties.
This past Congress, the PAST Act garnered 290 cosponsors in the House--2/3 of the entire chamber--yet was not brought to a vote. The time is now ripe to press Congress to swiftly pass this bill.
"Soring"--which involves intentionally inflicting pain on a horse's hooves and front limbs to produce an exaggerated high-stepping gait known as the Big Lick--remains a persistent and rampant practice in Tennessee Walking Horse competitions. To end this abuse, Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Ted Yoho (R-FL)--veterinarians who co-chair the Congressional Veterinary Medicine Caucus--have joined Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ron Estes (R-KS), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Chris Collins (R-NY) in reintroducing the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 693). Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Mark Warner (D-VA) have introduced a companion bill in the US Senate (S. 1007).
The PAST Act (H.R. 693/S. 1007) would amend the Horse Protection Act to crack down on the barbaric abuses involved in soring, such as grinding down the hoof to expose sensitive tissues, applying chemicals to burn a horse's flesh, inserting sharp objects into the sole of the hoof, and using large stacked shoes and chains to exacerbate the pain these animals endure--purely for the sake of "competition." The legislation would end the industry's failed system of self-policing, explicitly ban the use of devices implicated in the practice of soring, and strengthen penalties.
This past Congress, the PAST Act garnered 290 cosponsors in the House--2/3 of the entire chamber--yet was not brought to a vote. The time is now ripe to press Congress to swiftly pass this bill.
Well, that explains it then; I've always wondered about those Tennessee walking horses and why they would walk that way. I've seen them on tv and always thought it was weird; why would a horse move that way? Hope they can put a stop to it. I saw a couple of stories recently about numerous horses getting injured at some horse race track and because of it they have had to be euthanized or just killed.....something like two dozen of them in total. On a lighter note, I recall a long time ago a joke about some drunk cowboy whose friends turned his horse around 180 degrees from the hitching post and when he came out of the saloon he got on it and rode home and when he got there he told his wife that somebody cut his horses head off and he had to ride home with his hands down its windpipe.
There's more to the movement than that. Some breeds of horses have a different natural gait. Those include, in addition to the Tennessee Walker, the Paso Fino, the Peruvian Paso, and the American Saddlebred. Reputable trainers do not use soring, which has long been illegal as well as banned from show competitions. They train the horses to enhance what is natural for them. Much the same as the movements in dressage - they are enhancement of natural movements. But soring and other cruel shit does still get done, much as some race horses get doped. I'm all for efforts to stop stuff like that, but I think the bill - or at least the article - may be misleading. And apparently was, as neo thought the gait was always produced artificially.
... I'm all for efforts to stop stuff like that, but I think the bill - or at least the article - may be misleading....
If you click on the link and enter your address, which doesn't mean that you're signing, you find more details:
This legislation would require more meaningful enforcement by the USDA to end the abusive practice of "soring" Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited breeds….
The PAST Act would strengthen the Horse Protection Act of 1970 by eliminating the failed system of industry self-policing, explicitly prohibiting certain devices that have been implicated in soring, strengthening penalties, and holding accountable all perpetrators who are involved in this cruel practice….
It's about improving regulation and enforcement, not newly making it illegal.
The PAST Act garnered a staggering 290 cosponsors in the House of Representatives last Congress and has been endorsed by all 50 state veterinary medical associations….
Looks like the experts feel it's needed and plenty of Repubs, even my Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC-11), agree.
A clown with a flamethrower still has a flamethrower.
-- Charlie Sykes on MSNBC
1312. ETTD.
There's more to the movement than that. Some breeds of horses have a different natural gait. Those include, in addition to the Tennessee Walker, the Paso Fino, the Peruvian Paso, and the American Saddlebred. Reputable trainers do not use soring, which has long been illegal as well as banned from show competitions. They train the horses to enhance what is natural for them. Much the same as the movements in dressage - they are enhancement of natural movements. But soring and other cruel shit does still get done, much as some race horses get doped. I'm all for efforts to stop stuff like that, but I think the bill - or at least the article - may be misleading. And apparently was, as neo thought the gait was always produced artificially.
I didn't read the article; just took Vrede's word for it. Lots of things are misleading.
Looks like the experts feel it's needed and plenty of Repubs, even my Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC-11), agree.
I'm certainly not opposed to it. I've thought the Saddlebred and Walker people are strange birds anyway. F'rinstance, the Saddlebred people like their horse to be generally spooky, and I've seen them actually flap or bang something close to the horse's face right before they go into the ring. My horse sports really didn't interact with those people at all, but I had a friend who had Morgans. And the Morgan people show with the Saddlebreds and Walkers, so I went to a few of their shows. I'm for anything that improves the care and treatment of horses. What is Meadows' horse experience, do we know?
According to Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), who does not commit to supporting the bill :
... On January 31, 2019, Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced H.R. 693, the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act. If enacted, this bill would prohibit the use of action devices and pads on horse breeds that have been the victims of soring, and it would increase the penalty on individuals caught soring a horse from a misdemeanor to a felony. H.R. 693 would also require the USDA to eliminate the current self-policing practice at horse shows and exhibitions....
A clown with a flamethrower still has a flamethrower.
-- Charlie Sykes on MSNBC
1312. ETTD.
This means "lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, or any hybrid of these species," not:
I would include some other wild cat species, but maybe they want them in different bills.
Whoa, that there is some big cat; I figure the mice stand around and laugh at it. One of these days, the animals are gonna say "fuck this" and rise up against us except the cows and rats in India will be pacifists. Hell, just last week some guy in Florida was killed by his giant pet bird. And a couple days ago I saw a video of some guy whose 12 foot boa constrictor had gotten on the roof of his house; probably up there to lie in wait and drop down on someone and commence to constrict the hell out of him. These incidents are only going to increase and intensify. I have already fashioned myself a cloak of cowhide complete with realistic head as a precaution.
The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one. It was a rough & tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!
The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one. It was a rough & tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!
What a mess that Derby was! If I were into conspiracy theory, I'd have to say it's really suspicious that the top horse came up with a mysterious illness and was scratched, then another strong one was scratched, then the horse who was clearly the fastest was disqualified - the first time ever to happen in a Triple Crown race. Problem is, the fault really isn't with the stewards, but with the losers who filed objections over the blocking. I could see an objection by a horse that almost won except for interference, or a horse that maybe would have placed or showed. But the objectors weren't going to win this race, and they weren't going to be close. But once the objection was filed, the stewards had to look at it and sure enough, there was blocking. Whether it was intentional or somewhat a result of sloppy conditions and hyped-up unpredictable animals, who knows. But it was there, and according to the rules, they had to disqualify the offender. And even so, the objectors didn't get anything - just screwed up somebody else's great day.
No other country outside of North America has that rule. Other places, the stewards can declare - if they so find - that the "best horse won" and their ruling stands.
But Trump's "political correctness" comment is just too ludicrous to even ridicule.
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