New Horse Protection Act on pause

Last May, the USDA published new Horse Protection Act rules to be implemented in February.

Industry groups, including industry nonprofit Western Justice, call the new rules an overreach and say the new language will impact the personal privacy of citizens in the horse industry, every breed of horse and every sector of horse events. The revised Horse Protection Act would mandate that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service could “screen, train and authorize qualified persons for appointment by the management of any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction to detect and diagnose soring at such events.”

Sored horses would not be allowed to participate in nearly any equine activity. Sore muscles from a training session or an incorrectly fitted bell boot could be attributed to intentional soring under the new rules.

For now, the rules are stayed for at least 60 days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose a regulatory freeze on rules that have not yet taken effect until they are reviewed.

To sign Western Justice’s petition against the new rules, visit here.

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3 Comments

Daniel Russell
January 28, 2025
This Horse Protection Act legislation from the Biden Harris D.C. Democrats, Legislation like this would allow a new federal organization to implement mission creep as they continually seek to increase their regulatory powers over citizens. For example, horse hoof puffs would fall under this regulatory federal act and burden you with yet another regulatory authority telling you what to do. What to do? Tell your AG-connected folks and send letters of protest to everyone in your state and federal government. Trump will likely NOT grant them a charter but that's only for the next 4 years. People like PETA are working constantly to demonize people in AG. They have been very successful in doing so in Woke CA burdening farmers and ranchers with costly overreach legislation to drive them out of business. Getting county Boards of Supervisors to Limit AG in the interest of Developers building housing. Remember Cities and urban development are the greatest sources of environmental pollution. Once that food-producing unit is gone citizens are that much closer to food insecurity and mono-culture starvation.
Reply to Daniel Russell
Ellen Rees
January 30, 2025
Mr. Russell, You are working very hard not to draw attention to what brought this latest Bill into being. Putting acid on the pad and frog of the feet of the Tennessee Walking horses is one of the most painful acts that any person could inflict, all to make the horse not want to put it's foot on the ground because it hurts too much. This gives the horse a gait that they would have a hard time creating (almost imposible), or through regular training. This Bill is a reinforcement of a pre existing Bill that was just to weak to enforce. Yes, as is normal the Bill also contains some other things that needed attention but the horses that have died because of this form of "training". Pain so bad they could not get up on their feet to eat or drink and died instead. This is not a false story it has been proven and several trainers were prosecuted for doing this. Are you Mr. Russell one of them, or a friend there of, that inflicted this torture to horses for a little money and a piece of ribbon?
Reply to Ellen Rees
1. Edward Coss
  January 31, 2025
  Ms. Rees, I believe the complaint is that the language is very vague and overreaching . I would agree with you otherwise, but this legislation is more encompassing than the single concern you raised.
  Reply to Edward Coss