Horse Protection Act Reforms Delayed Again

The US Department of Agriculture announced in January that it would delay implementation of Horse Protection Act (HPA) regulations until year’s end—the third postponement since regulations aimed at eliminating the soring of Tennessee walking horses were finalized in May 2024. Soring methods include applying caustic chemicals to flesh, using chains to strike against sore legs, inserting hard objects into tender areas of the hooves, and forcing horses to wear extremely heavy weighted shoes, all to produce an unnatural high-stepping gait for competition.

In January 2025, the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, in a lawsuit brought by the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Association (sponsors of the largest show for the breed), struck down portions of the regulations but left intact a critical provision to replace the current inspection model, whereby inspectors are principally appointed and hired by the horse shows. As both the USDA Office of Inspector General and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have concluded, this form of self-policing has led to soring abuse going undetected or overlooked, in part because of the conflicts of interest that exist among the industry-appointed inspectors. Under the new HPA regulations, horses would be inspected by independent inspectors who have relevant equine veterinary expertise and are overseen and trained by the USDA.

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