A historic win for equine welfare was achieved in May when the US Department of Agriculture finalized long-awaited Horse Protection Act (HPA) regulations to protect Tennessee walking horses from the brutal practice of horse soring—whereby horses are intentionally injured on their legs and hooves to create painful areas that “enhance” their gait for competitions. These reforms represent the first major upgrade to the HPA in over 50 years, after similar regulations were frozen in 2017 by the Trump administration. Among other updates, the improved regulations will eliminate the ineffectual industry self-policing scheme, prohibit use of the pain-inflicting devices associated with soring, and bolster the ability of inspectors to detect evidence of abuse. The new rule takes effect on February 1, 2025.