House Revives PAST Act to End Equine Abuse at Horse Shows

Washington，DC—TheAnimal Welfare Institute（AWI）endorses Friday's reintroduction in the US House of Representatives of the Prevent All Soring Tactics（PAST）Act（H.R.3090）to combat the inhumane practice of“soring，”whereby individuals intentionally inflict pain on horses’hooves and legs to produce an exaggerated high-stepping gait known as the“Big Lick”during competitions and shows。Led by US Reps.Brian Fitzpatrick（R-PA），Steve Cohen（D-TN），Vern Buchanan（R-FL），and Jan Schakowsky（D-IL），the PAST Act represents the most significant protections for Tennessee walking horses and related breeds since passage of the Horse Protection Act（HPA）in 1970。

Methods used to sore horses include applying diesel fuel and kerosene to burn the skin，grinding down hooves to expose sensitive tissues，and applying sharp or abrasive objects to tender areas to maximize pain.Duringthe annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration，which proclaims that“道岔弯管，道岔弯管，道岔弯管，“and at other smaller events，钢锭预紧支座inadequate enforcement and an ineffective self-policing system. 

Although the美国部门的Agricultureconducts some inspections，it mostly relies on“designated qualified persons”（DQPs），who are employees of the organizations that host shows and are often exhibitors of Tennessee walking horses themselves，to find evidence of abuse.Not surprisingly，under this system，individuals who abuse horses often go unpunished。

“The practice of mutilating horses for the sake of winning ribbons and prizes is completely unjustifiable，”said Dr.Joanna Grossman，AWI’s equine program director and senior advisor.“The PAST Act would vastly improve enforcement and protect these vulnerable horses fromabuse.”。We applaud Reps.Fitzpatrick，Cohen，Buchanan，and Schakowsky for championing equine welfare and call on Congress to swiftly pass this legislation，which enjoys tremendous bipartisan support.“

A version of the PAST Act was first introduced in 2012during the 112th Congress。Awide range of stakeholders in the animal protection community，equine industry，and veterinary field endorse the bill.The PAST Act overwhelmingly passed the House last year，with304lawmakers voting in favor of the bill.However，it was not taken up by the Senate，despite amassing 53 cosponsors in the uper。

“Horse soring is a vile and inhumane practice that must be prohibited，”Fitzpatrick said。“As co-chair of the Animal Protection Caucus，I am proud to introduce the Prevent All Soring Tactics（PAST）Act to protect horses and I hope our colleagues will join us in passing this important，bipartisan legislation。”

To urge your federal lawmakers to support the PAST Act，visithere，here。