Hoof Beats
Even an ardent equine enthusiast will likely come away with a new appreciation for the horse after reading Hoof Beats: How Horses Shaped Human History. Ambitious in scope, the book examines humanity’s close relationship with...
Please see the below articles about Equines from past editions of the AWI Quarterly.
Horseracing Safety Measures Survive Challenge
In June, the US Supreme Court declined to take up a case involving a challenge to the oversight authority of the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) by the states of Oklahoma, West Virginia...
Animal Welfare in Upcoming Appropriations
Spending bills for the 2025 fiscal year are shaping up in Congress, and AWI is working to ensure animal welfare measures are included. The Senate Agriculture Appropriations report includes first-of-its-kind language directing the US Department...
New HPA Regulations May Finally Hobble Horse Sorers
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...
After the Roundup: The Fate of Wild Horses in Government Holding Facilities
Against a backdrop of picturesque mountains, past coils of razor wire, once-wild horses stand in the frozen dirt of the Cañon City Off-Range Corral. The corral—an enormous grid of pipe-paneled paddocks and hay fields that...
BLM’s Bumbling Efforts on Birth Control
AWI worked with Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV) and Steve Cohen (D-TN)—two stalwart champions for equine welfare—to denounce the Bureau of Land Management’s reckless plan to round up approximately 20,000 wild horses during fiscal year 2024...
Ending Engagement in Cruel Ejiao Trade
In October, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) reintroduced the Ejiao Act (HR 6021) to protect donkeys from a burgeoning global trade that has claimed millions of these animals’ lives and resulted in terrible suffering. Ejiao (pronounced...
New Regs to Rein In Racehorse Abuse; USDA Proposes Potential HPA Upgrade
Whether they are thoroughbreds running full tilt around an outdoor track or walking horses stepping gracefully across an arena, horses bred for competition undergo extensive training and conditioning. For owners and trainers, a champion horse...
Protecting Horses from Slaughter and Unsafe Transport
AWI worked closely with Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on the reintroduction of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (HR 3475/S 2037)...
Update on AWI’s Support of Animal Welfare Efforts in Ukraine
With the war in Ukraine now well into its second year, the level of destruction that continues to be inflicted upon the country’s people and animals is truly staggering. Ongoing loss of life and mass...