Horse Illustrated Magazine

Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) has announced the availability of audio recordings of interviews with owners, farriers, trainers, judges and exhibitors involved in soring of Tennessee Walking Horses.  First hand details of these cruel practices were publicly revealed at the second Sound Horse Conference.  The interviews suggest that soring practices are commonplace with Walking Horses despite the industry’s insistence that soring is a thing of the past.

Double blind interviewing procedures were established to provide complete anonymity and protect the identities of those being interviewed.  Additional protection was provided by recording and transcribing the interviews and having professional actors and actresses read the transcripts.  None of the interview sources were compensated.  Both audio recordings and transcripts of the interviews are available.

The Sound Horse Conference was held March 20 and 21 for veterinarians, researchers, the USDA, and numerous individuals concerned about the continued practice of soring of Tennessee Walking Horses.  Soring is the deliberate infliction of pain in order to create a flashy gait for the show ring. Although soring has been illegal under federal law for over thirty years, this abusive practice continues today and is fully depicted in the interviews heard at the Conference.

To listen to the interviews or read the transcripts, visit www.soundhorseconference.com, 2009 Proceedings, Current Soring Practices-Confidential Interviews.

FOSH is a national leader in the promotion of natural, sound gaited horses and in the fight against abuse and soring of Tennessee Walking Horses.  For more information about FOSH, or to become a member, please visit www.fosh.info.